Army Expects To Meet July Recruiting Goal

WASHINGTON (AP) _ After failing to meet its recruiting goal for two consecutive months, the Army is expected to announce it met its target for July. <br/><br/>And officials are offering a new $20,000 bonus

Tuesday, August 7th 2007, 3:04 pm

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ After failing to meet its recruiting goal for two consecutive months, the Army is expected to announce it met its target for July.

And officials are offering a new $20,000 bonus to recruits who sign up by the end of next month.

The Army had failed to meet its recruiting goals in May and June, raising the possibility that the unpopular Iraq war and strong economy could slow enlistment at a time when the force is fighting two wars as well as trying to increase its overall size.

But a preliminary tally shows the Army is likely to meet its goal of 9,750 for last month, a defense official said Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the numbers will not be announced for several more days. The official declined to provide details.

The Army expects to meeting its recruiting goal of 80,000 for the budget year ending Sept. 30, the official said.

Meanwhile, the Army Recruiting Command said it is offering a $20,000 bonus for recruits who sign up by Sept. 30. The bonus applies to new recruits with no prior military service who enlist for at least two years and agree to report to basic training within 30 days of enlistment, said a statement posted Monday on the Army's Web site.

``To attract interested young men and women, we know that we must have cutting-edge enlistment and retention options to acquire and retain America's best soldiers,'' Lt. Gen. Michael D. Rochelle, deputy chief of staff for personnel issues, said in the statement.

The recruiting shortfall in May was the first time in about two years that recruiters didn't meet the goal for the Army, which is under great strain serving repeated and lengthy tours of duty in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Army met its goal in the 2006 budget year after missing its target in fiscal year 2005 for the first time since 1999.

To attract more to the service, it has added recruiters and offered recruiting bonuses, referral bonuses and other incentives such as schooling and career advancements. It also is paying bonuses to entice soldiers already in the service to re-enlist.

The new $20,000 bonus can be combined with the Army's other cash enlistment bonuses, up to a maximum combination of $40,000 if an enlistee signs up for at least four years, officials said.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has set a goal of increasing the size of the active-duty Army by 65,000 to a total of 547,000 within five years, partly to ease some of the strain on the force.