WASHINGTON (AP) — Over the past three years, the US military has invested more than $6 billion in recruiting and retaining service members in response to a growing enlistment crisis.
Financial incentives for rejoining the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines have surged significantly compared to last year, particularly with the Navy allocating substantial funds to other branches. Recruitment bonuses overall have also seen a steady rise, resulting in increased expenditures by the Army and Marines.
The military branches have been heavily investing in recruitment and retention bonuses daily over the years. However, the total has ballooned, especially since Covid-19 restrictions hindered public events, fairs, and school outreach that recruiters typically utilized to engage young individuals, prompting Pentagon leaders to try to reverse declining enlistment figures.
The additional incentives, along with various new programs, a rise in recruitment numbers, and changes to enlistment criteria, played a vital role in addressing the service shortages. Every branch except the Navy met their recruitment objectives last year, and all are anticipated to do so this year.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegses have frequently cited Trump’s election as a catalyst for the recruitment resurgence. However, the increase in enlistments began long before the previous November, with officials linking the uptick more directly to significant overhauls within the services, including enhanced financial incentives.
The Army, the largest branch, allocated more resources to bonuses in 2022 and 2024 than other services. Nevertheless, it faced heavy competition from the Navy in 2023 as the latter struggled to overcome a considerable recruitment deficit.
Consequently, the Navy’s spending over the past three years surpassed that of the Army, despite having fewer personnel.
Additionally, the Navy invested heavily to attract service members back, utilizing retention bonuses to maintain approximately 70,000 members over the last three years—more than double the annual bonuses awarded by the Army, despite its larger size.
“The Navy is committed to retaining our most skilled personnel. Retention is crucial for achieving our ultimate objectives,” James Kilby, Deputy Director of Naval Operations, stated during a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee meeting in March.
He mentioned that re-enlistments among enlisted personnel have remained “healthy,” although officers indicated that certain roles, such as aviation, explosive ordnance disposal, surface and underwater warfare, medical, and naval special operations, pose challenges. The Navy is using financial incentives as a strategy to address these gaps.
The Army has encountered its most significant recruitment challenges in a decade, marking one of its most notable recoveries. The Navy currently faces the most significant obstacles, taking numerous measures to broaden its service capacity and enhance bonus offerings.
Each year, the Army spends hundreds of millions on recruitment, while also implementing new initiatives and policies aimed at young individuals. A key factor in the Army’s recovery has been the Future Soldier Preparation Course launched in August 2022 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
This program offers academic and fitness instruction for up to 90 days, enabling recruits to meet military standards and successfully advance into basic training, resulting in thousands of new enlistments.
The Air Force also boosted its recruitment bonus budget in 2023. While facing challenges in overcoming its shortfall, it plans to reduce bonus spending for the following year, specifically for jobs in ammunition systems, aircraft maintenance, and security forces. Currently, Space Force does not provide enlistment bonuses.
While the Marines and the smaller Space Force have consistently met their recruitment goals, the Marines had to delve deeper into their candidate pool to achieve their targets in 2022. As a smaller branch compared to the Army and Air Force, the Marines typically allocate less money for bonuses and distribute it among more service members.
Major General Jacoby Getty, a Marine Corps spokesperson, noted that the retention bonuses dramatically increased from $126 million in 2023 to $26 million in 2024 because the Marines were allowed to bring in earlier re-entries. This led to over 7,000 Marines receiving bonuses, resulting in about 2,200 more than the previous year.
In response to inquiries about the 2023 bonus, General Eric Smith, the Marines’ commander, famously remarked at a Navy Conference, “Your bonus can call you the Marines.”
“That’s your bonus, right?” he stated. “There’s no amount of money involved.”
The service coordinates recruitment and retention funds to tackle difficult roles, including cyber, intelligence, and special operations forces. Both the Army and Marines also use funding to attract troops for combat roles, armor, and artillery.
Source: apnews.com