Joining the Army can now come with an even bigger signing bonus.
Qualified individuals can receive a bonus of up to $50,000 if they sign on for a six-year active duty enlistment, the Army Recruiting Command announced on Wednesday. The total incentive package is determined through a variety of factors, including career field, individual qualifications, length of the enlistment contract, and the ship date for training.
The bonus represents a sizable jump, whereas previous enlistment incentives topped out at $40,000.
“This is an opportunity to entice folks to consider the Army,” said Brig. Gen. John Cushing, who serves as the deputy commanding general for operations. “We’ve taken a look at the critical [military occupational specialties] we need to fill in order to maintain the training bases, and that is where we place a lot of our emphasis.”
Maj. Gen. Kevin Vereen, who leads U.S. Army Recruiting Command, said they are looking to “promote the value in serving your country, but at the same time, we’re not oblivious to the compensation piece,” though he noted that there are other nonmonetary changes that are desired to entice potential recruits.
“We know this generation likes to have the opportunity to make their own decisions, so now they can choose where they want to be assigned after training. We didn’t have that last year,” Vereen explained. “We also have opened two-year enlistments for 84 different career fields. Many people are apprehensive about long-term commitments right now, so we think having a shorter option will help give them some time to see if the Army fits their life and goals.”
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Vereen, in a conversation with the Associated Press, also noted that the pandemic has hindered recruitment efforts, specifically on college campuses.
“We are still living the implications of 2020 and the onset of COVID, when the school systems basically shut down,” said Vereen. “We lost a full class of young men and women that we didn’t have contact with face to face.”
