US Army raises enlistment age to 40
The
Australian | January 20 2006
THE US Army has raised its maximum enlistment
age from 35 to 40 years old and is doubling signing up bonuses to a high
of $US40,000 ($53,510).
The measures are the latest in a series of steps the
army has taken in the past year to offset a slump in recruiting as it faces
ongoing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The army failed to hit its recruiting goal of 80,000
new recruits in fiscal 2005. Recruiting figures have since improved but
the war in Iraq has made it difficult to meet the demand for fresh soldiers.
However, Army Secretary Francis Harvey denied charges
that the army was a "broken force", saying it had met its recruiting
goals in the past seven months with the help of bonuses and other incentives.
But he acknowledged that recruiting remained "a
month-to-month thing".
"As I said, the rest of the year looks promising.
But we're certainly not going to sit on our laurels," he said.
Raising the maximum age for enlistments "expands
the recruiting pool, provides motivated individuals an opportunity to serve,
and strengthens the readiness of army units", the army said.
The army is raising the maximum cash enlistment bonuses
to $US40,000 for the active duty army, and $US20,000 for the army reserve,
doubling the maximums.
Older recruits were entitled to the same signing bonuses
as younger ones, the army said.
"Experience has shown that older recruits who
can meet the physical demands of military service generally make excellent
soldiers based on their maturity, motivation, loyalty, and patriotism,"
the army said.
Get Alex Jones
and Paul Joseph Watson's books, ALL Alex's documentary films, films
by other authors, audio interviews and special reports. Sign up at Prison
Planet.tv - CLICK
HERE.
