Psssssst, hey kid, come here...
Army Offers $20,000 "Quick-ship" Enlistment Bonus
Kid, I got an offer you can't refuse. Your President needs you real bad right now. Sure, he'll wait until the day after you get out of high school .. in fact, he doesn't even care if you have a diploma. He doesn't even care if you're a citizen. Nah, don't worry about your gang tattoos .. or drug and alcohol tests. Just sober up enough to swear in .. right before Uncle Sam gives you, oh, at least 2 weeks of training before he sends you into combat in Iraq.
Tell Mom and Dad there's nothing for them to worry about. Hey, they could come too, if they're under 42.
Kid, just keep thinking of the fancy new sports car you can buy if, uh, when you come home...
Army to Expand Recruiting Incentives
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Need a down-payment for your home? Seed money to start a business? The Army wants to help - if you're willing to join up. Despite spending nearly $1 billion last year on recruiting bonuses and ads, Army leaders say an even bolder approach is needed to fill wartime ranks.
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Need a down-payment for your home? Seed money to start a business? The Army wants to help - if you're willing to join up. Despite spending nearly $1 billion last year on recruiting bonuses and ads, Army leaders say an even bolder approach is needed to fill wartime ranks.
....An Associated Press review of the increasingly aggressive recruiting offerings found the Army is not only dangling more sign-up rewards - it's loosening rules on age and weight limits, education and drug and criminal records.
....Among the changes that have helped attract more recruits:
_ Increasing to $20,000 the bonus for troops who join by Sept. 30 and leave for boot camp within a month.
_ Raising the enlistment age to 42.
_ Allowing recruits to come in with non-offensive tattoos on their hands and neck.
_ Offering a $2,000 bonus to Army soldiers who refer a new recruit.
_ Enlisting recruits who don't meet weight standards and must trim down their first year.
_ Advertising that targets potential recruits' parents.
_ Increasing the number of recruits with general education diplomas rather than regular high school diplomas.
_ Creating a more pleasant boot camp environment.
_ Sending "gung-ho" soldiers fresh from boot camp or war zones back to their hometowns to visit old friends and schoolmates to promote the Army.
_ Increasing to more than 15 percent the number of Army and Army Reserve troops given waivers for medical and moral reasons or for positive drug and alcohol screen tests.[..]"
Is it just me or do I feel a draft?
