LINCOLN – The United States Army Reserve is currently paying out less, if at all, in incentives to reenlist or for new enlistments because the Army is at full strength in most Military Occupation Specialties (MOS).
Those considering joining the Army to get those benefits to help pay for a college education may want to think again.
The are many benefits that you can receive through the Army that are not monetary. Skills and experiences are the big ones. But extra cash or incentives probably won’t be in the card at this time.
One primary factor is the United States’ decreasing military presence in the Middle East.
One would think the Army in some way, shape or form, would need soldiers since there are about 190 different MOS’s available.
For the most part, this is still true; it is still an option to join either as a reservist or a active duty soldier.
The thing that might keep some from joining is the lack of incentives. Army Reservist Career Councilor, STAFF SGT. Schaffert of Fremont, who works to get soldiers to reenlist said, “There are only a few MOS’s that are receiving incentives for reenlistment. The major factor being that we are at full strength.”
It is hard for the government to hand out extra money in the form of cash and/or incentives when the soldiers are just not as in demand as they were.
The need for massive numbers to be shipped overseas is done for now. The war is and has been over. (That could be argued by many) The Army’s needs reflect the status of our military occupation in the Middle East.
To join the Military in any form should be more about, “what can I do” than “what do I get,” though the reason why many join are to receive those benefits. The overall result could be a big drop in new enlistments and reenlistments.
I joined the Army Reserves to be a part of something bigger than myself, and I also needed and wanted help paying for college, and that was and is a major factor in my military contract.
Knowing how it influenced my decision to join and what it has done for me and many others I have spoken to, it can and will make a definite impact on military recruiting now and in the future.