In effort to boost lagging personnel rolls nationwide, the Army National Guard is significantly increasing some enlistment and reenlistment bonuses.
The increased bonuses for this fiscal year are earmarked lor new Guardsmen, for people who join the Army Guard after serving on active duty, and lor Guardsmen who agree to reenlist for three or six years.
They represent an effort to improve the Army Guard's recruiting and retention efforts. The Army Guard is currently about 10,000 personnel short of its 350,000 authorized troop strength.
The bonus increases were made possible by a provision in the fiscal 2005 defense athorization act that allows the Guard to provide enlistment and reenlistment bonuses equal to the active component. The bonuses include:
* An increase in enlistment bonuses from $8,000 to $10,000 for people without prior service who sign up for one of the Army Guard's "top-??" military occupational specialties, such as the infantry, military police and transportation.
* An increase from $5,000 to $15,000 lor prior service personnel who enlist in the Army Guard for six years.
* An increase in reenlistment and extension bonuses from $5,000 to $15,000.
Guardsmen will receive a lump sum for reenlisting. First-time soldiers and those with prior service will be given a 50-50 payment schedule.
Bonus eligibility also was extended two years. Guardsmen previously could not receive bonuses after 14 years of service. They are now eligible through 16 years.
In addition, the student loan repayment program will double-from $10,000 to $20,000.
The Army Guard will also add 1,400 new recruiters, bringing its total to 4,100 over the next three months.
New recuiting approaches and slogans are also on the way.
"We are correcting, frankly, some of our recruiting themes and slogans to reffect the reality of today," said Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, National Guard Bureau chief. "We're not talking about one weekend a month and two weeks a year and college tuition. We're talking about service to the nation."
© 2005 National Guard Association of the United States Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Source: National Guard
