August 9, 2007

The army new strategy to enlist

Under the army new proposal, men and women who enlist could pick from a list of incentives, including up to $45,000 tax-free that they accrue during their career to help buy a home or build a business. Other options would include money for college and to pay off student loans. It's all part of an Army effort to fill its ranks even as the percentage of young people who say they plan to join the military has hit a historic low (16 percent by the Pentagon's own surveying) in the fifth year of the Iraq war.

In June, the Army failed to meet its recruitment target for the second month in a row, although it apparently met its goal to recruit 9,750 troops in July and is on target for 80,000 for the year that ends Sept. 30. As part of a push to make its 2007 goals, the Army is boosting the size of its 8,000-member recruiting force with 1,000 to 2,000 assistants, including some former recruiters.

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