US military spent $6 billion in last 3 years to recruit, retain troops
Share this @internewscast.com


WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. military spent more than $6 billion over the past three years to recruit and retain service members, in what has been a growing campaign to counter enlistment shortfalls.

The financial incentives to reenlist in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines increased dramatically from 2022 through last year, with the Navy vastly outspending the others, according to funding totals provided by the services. The overall amount of recruiting bonuses also rose steadily, fueled by significant jumps in spending by the Army and Marine Corps.

The military services have routinely poured money into recruiting and retention bonuses over the years. But the totals spiked as Pentagon leaders tried to reverse falling enlistment numbers, particularly as COVID-19 restrictions locked down public events, fairs and school visits that recruiters relied on to meet with young people.

Coupled with an array of new programs, an increased number of recruiters and adjustments to enlistment requirements, the additional incentives have helped the services bounce back from the shortfalls. All but the Navy met their recruiting targets last year and all are expected to do so this year.

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly point to Trump’s election as a reason for the recruiting rebound. But the enlistment increases began long before last November, and officials have tied them more directly to the widespread overhauls that the services have done, including the increased financial incentives.

The Army, the military’s largest service, spent more on recruiting bonuses in 2022 and 2024 than the other services. But it was significantly outspent by the Navy in 2023, when the sea service was struggling to overcome a large enlistment shortfall.

As a result, even though the Navy is a smaller service, it spent more overall in the three years than the Army did.

The Navy also has spent considerably more than the others to entice sailors to reenlist, doling out retention bonuses to roughly 70,000 service members for each of the past three years. That total is more than double the number of troops the Army gave retention bonuses to each year, even though the Army is a much larger service.

“Navy is dedicated to retaining our most capable sailors; retention is a critical component of achieving our end-strength goals,” Adm. James Kilby, the vice chief of naval operations, told a Senate Armed Services subcommittee in March.

He said reenlistment for enlisted sailors “remains healthy” but officers are a challenge in specific jobs, including aviation, explosive ordnance disposal, surface and submarine warfare, health professionals and naval special operations. He added that the Navy has struggled to fill all of its at-sea jobs and is using financial incentives as one way to combat the problem.

The Army has seen the greatest recruiting struggles over the past decade, and by using a range of new programs and policies has had one of the largest comebacks. The Navy has had the most trouble more recently, and took a number of steps to expand those eligible for service and spend more in bonuses.

While the Army spends hundreds of millions each year to recruit troops, it also has relied on an array of new programs and policies to woo young people. A key driver of the Army’s rebound has been its decision to create the Future Soldier Prep Course, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in August 2022.

That program gives lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness instruction to help them meet military standards and move on to basic training. It has resulted in thousands of enlistments.

The Air Force increased its spending on recruiting bonuses in 2023 as it also struggled to overcome shortfalls, but lowered the amount the following year. The payments were for jobs including munitions systems, aircraft maintenance and security forces. The Space Force does not currently authorize enlistment bonuses.

The Marine Corps and the tiny Space Force have consistently hit their recruiting goals, although the Marines had to dig deep into their pool of delayed entry candidates in 2022 to meet their target. The Corps, which is much smaller than the Army and Air Force, spends the least on bonuses and tends to spread the amount among a larger number of service members.

Maj. Jacoby Getty, a Marine spokesman, said the spike in retention bonuses from $126 million in 2023 to $201 million in 2024 was because Marines were allowed to reenlist a year early for the first time. More than 7,000 Marines got bonuses as a result, a jump of nearly 2,200 over the previous year.

When asked about bonuses in 2023, Gen. Eric Smith, the Marine commandant, famously told a naval conference that “your bonus is you get to call yourself a Marine.”

“That’s your bonus, right?” he said. “There’s no dollar amount that goes with that.”

The services tailor their recruiting and retention money to bolster harder-to-fill jobs, including cyber, intelligence and special operations forces. The Army and Marine Corps also use the money to woo troops to some combat, armor and artillery jobs.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Tropical Storm Chantal Develops in the Atlantic Ocean

ORLANDO, Fla. – The NHC has now upgraded Tropical Depression Three to…

Could a Chinese Brand’s Blood Orange Cold Brew Be America’s Next Coffee Trend?

Chinese chain Luckin Coffee has launched its initial two U.S. outlets this…

Preparing Your Pets for Heavy Rain and Stormy Weather

HOUSTON – Getting ready for a hurricane’s landfall means making sure everyone…

How Weather Contributed to the Devastating Flash Floods in Texas

WASHINGTON – The air was saturated with moisture, which powered a slow-moving…

"Challenging Day Ahead: Search Continues for Missing Children and Adults in Kerrville"

AUSTIN (KXAN) The city of Kerrville and Kerr County provided another update…

Champaign Library Holds Discussion on Reducing Youth Violence

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — In Champaign, the community came together Thursday night…

Texas Flood Leaves 24 Dead, Two Dozen Girls Unaccounted for at Camp

The Kerr County Sheriff in Texas stated Friday night that flash floods…

VIDEO: Fireworks mishap at Boone Lake leaves 2 injured

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A fireworks incident at the Boone Lake…

Sweet Success: Florida Resident Wins Key Lime Pie Eating Contest

KEY WEST, Fla. – Coney Island’s moment in the spotlight is taking…

Another Drowning Incident Occurs on Hunting Island

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. () — The Beaufort County Coroner’s Office (BCCO) reported…

Tucker Carlson Speaks with Iranian President as MAGA Supporters Divided Over Iran-Israel Tensions

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson said Saturday he would soon air…

Examining the Most Devastating U.S. Floods of the Past 25 Years

Flooding has consistently been a leading cause of death related to weather…