A cash bonus program for reenlisting soldiers was suspended as the US Army exceeded its retention targets, although it still expects to fall short of its annual recruitment goal.
The temporary discontinuation of the program was publicized with immediate effect on September 12 in an internal Army Military Personnel Center message. The suspension comes several months after the service announced in April they had met their yearly target, retaining more than 55,000 soldiers who had been scheduled to retire.
The announcement marks the fourth year in a row that retention goals were exceeded, but falling enlistment means the US Army continues to bleed soldiers. A shortfall of 15,000 new recruits against a target of 60,000 last year generated significant headlines. The Army is set to announce slightly higher numbers this year but is still expected to fall well short of this year’s target of 65,000 recruits.
The Army has sought to address chronic enlistment shortfalls by relaxing policies requiring a high school diploma and banning certain visible tattoos. Additionally, several incentives are offered such as educational benefits, cash bonuses, and accelerated naturalization for permanent residents.
Still, Army guidelines bar 71% of American youth from enlisting due to obesity, past drug use, criminal history, physical and mental health problems or a lack of needed skills.
More recently, a tight job market is also providing stiff competition for Army recruiters. The majority of enlistees come from military families as nearly 80% of new recruits have a relative who served.
Recent polling from Gallup revealed that only 60% of Americans have confidence in the US military, the lowest percentage in over two decades. The decline in confidence has accelerated over the last five years, with a notable drop after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Party breakdown revealed 68% of registered Republicans expressed “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the US military, while 62% of registered Democrats do. Only 55% of political independents reported confidence in US armed forces.