Army passes August recruitment goal; 10,128 sign up for largest monthly total of 2007

Above: U.S. Army recruits receive their combat boots during the initial issue of clothing as part of their nine-week basic training course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

The Army surpassed its active-duty recruiting goal for August by more than 5 percent, using higher enlistment bonuses and additional recruiters to turn around an early summer slump that threatened the service's fiscal year goal of 80,000 by the end of September.

Army data obtained by The Washington Post show that the Army recruited 10,128 new troops in August, 528 more than the monthly goal of 9,600. Last month's recruiting total -- aided by a new $20,000 "quick ship" bonus that spurs people to leave for basic training within 30 days -- was the largest monthly total this fiscal year. The Army will now need to recruit about 8,000 people this month to meet its goal for the year...

It was good for the Army in part, Bostick said, because of the success of the quick-ship bonus, which has been available to almost all new recruits since July 25 and may have encouraged people who were "on the fence" about joining the Army to enlist in recent weeks. He said it is possible that the Army will extend the bonus.

Read the rest at the Washington Post

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