Recruiting referrals lead to $2K bonuses
by J.D. Leipold, Army News Service
Published: Friday, September 7, 2007 12:55 PM CDT
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Under the Army's Referral Bonus Program, sponsors have referred 31,000 recruits resulting in 6,800 contracts as of early August, according to officials at the U.S. Army Recruiting Command in Fort Knox, Ky.
Sponsors can earn $2,000 for each contract - $1,000 once a recruit starts basic training, then an additional $1,000 when the Soldier graduates advanced individual training.
"This is really a great way for every Soldier to support the Army and earn a bonus at the same time," said Julia Bobick of USAREC. "It's a good way for Soldiers to tell their stories and be a voice of reassurance that validates life in the Army."
Individuals eligible for the bonus include active-duty and reserve-component Soldiers, Army retirees, Department of Army civilians and new recruits awaiting basic training. Soldiers participating in the Special Recruiter Assistance Program are also eligible. Participants do not receive a bonus for referring immediate family members, and individuals working in retention and recruiting fields are ineligible. ...
http://www.ftleavenworthlamp.com/articles/2007/09/08/dod_news/dod4.txt_______________
Army's $20,000 signing bonus attracting thousands of recruits
September 05, 2007 - Posted at 7:00 a.m.
BY SUSANNE M. SCHAFER - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LEXINGTON, S.C. - Bored with life on his family's South Carolina horse farm, Willard McCormick decided that military service was the right plan for his future. And when the Army dangled its new, $20,000 recruiting bonus in front of him, the decision got a lot easier.
"I wasn't going to go right away, but I heard about the bonus and decided to jump on it," McCormick, 19, said a couple of days after signing up.
The new bonus comes with a "Quick Ship" provision that cuts the average 40-day wait time between sign-up and departure for basic training.
McCormick, who leaves for basic and infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga., on Sept. 6., said the accelerated departure doesn't bother him or his family.
"My three brothers are ready for me to go," he said with a smile.
Since the bonus was unveiled in July, more than 6,200 recruits have signed up to begin basic training before Oct. 1, a move that boosts end-of-fiscal year recruiting numbers.
"People are calling here saying $20,000 is more than they've made in the past two years," said Staff Sgt. Brent Feltner, 27, commander of a strip-mall recruiting station in this central South Carolina town. ...
http://www.thevictoriaadvocate.com/region/local/story/116608.html