Faced with recruiting shortfall, U.S. Army offers big bonuses

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - The U.S. Army is investing sizable amounts of money to deal with a massive recruiting shortage.

CNN reports the Army expects to fall short close to 40,000 recruits over the next two years.

To offset this, they’re offering a number of benefits for prospective recruits, most notably financial incentives.

According to Watertown-based recruiting Sergeant Justin Storie, future soldiers are eligible for up to a $50,000 signing bonus in certain fields.

Additionally, in June the Army raised the payout for its “quick ship” bonus. It now grants recruits $35,000 if they are able to leave for basic training within 45 days of signup.

Sgt. Storie says that these incentives will help military careers remain a competitive option.

“There are some really technical jobs in the Army,” he told 7 News.

“We know that we’re competing with other businesses and employers to get that talent, so we are incentivizing those certain jobs with up to a $50,000 signup bonus.”

According to CNN, the shortfall is caused by a number of factors - low unemployment now, remote learning during the COVID pandemic - which meant recruiters saw far fewer young people - and a decline in the number of people physically fit to serve.

The Army does have some good news when it comes to keeping soldiers, CNN reported. People already in the service are willing to stay - the Army had a goal of keeping 55,900 soldiers this year, and exceeded that goal.