The Army has cut orders sending 800 NCOs to recruiting school. Included in the memo are the fact that none of the time-in-grade, fitness or evaluation restrictions will be enforced, and that anyone E-5 (Sergeant) or above who accepts the orders will get a one-grade promotion, $5,000, and then $1,500 a month if they accept a one-year extension of the duty. And then, if the recruiter recruits 24 people in a one-year period, they get another one-grade promotion.
To put that in perspective, the first year ($5K bonus plus E-5 to E-6 promotion), will be about 24-30% increase in pay, and the $1,500 extra per month for the next year will be a 50% bonus on top of that (and the E-7 promotion on top of that). So, a newly minted E-5 on their first enlistment could be an E-7 two years from now, doubling their pay (2nd year E-5 makes $2,730 a month, fourth year E-7 with the extension bonus would be making $5,405 a month).
Anyone want to bet against the Army dropping or severely reducing their recruitment standards?
Manning up for the middle east is a better title.
No. The Air Force, always the most selective of all the services for initial entry standards, just raised their age limit to 42. The Navy raised their age limit to 41 last year
During the worst of the OIF/OEF era the Army offered 2 year contracts and raised the maximum age to 42, but those did not last long. I would not be surprised to see them come back.
I think this might be even worse. I think we might be witnessing the return of the "4-F O-K" or "McNamara's Morons" projects, where anybody who wants in gets in.
Do not do that. My wife saw it and now thinks I should be an officer.