Essay on Incentive Plans

Every organization relies on the human component to achieve its goals and objectives.  This does not only hold true for business organizations but even for the United States Army.  As an organization, the United States Army depends on a core of personnel and servicemen who will faithfully discharge their duties and responsibilities.  The only difference is that the members of the United States Army place their lives on the line every time they are deployed.   For this reason, it is more difficult to attract new recruits in the United States Army.  It is even more difficult to retain the existing members in the United States Army. 

Because of the problems in recruiting and retaining its existing soldiers of the United States Army, the United States government needs to resort to different methods in order to attract and retain its existing personnel.  One of the strategies used by the government is to provide incentives to the new recruits.

One of these incentives is the Army Advantage Fund (AAF).  The AAF gives incentives to recruits who enlist for three years or more in the United States Army.  New recruits who enlist for three (3) years will receive $25,000 while those who enlist for four (4) years will receive $35,000.  On the other hand, those who enlist for five (5) years will get a higher incentive in the amount of $40,000. 

Another incentive is the Active Army Maximum Enlistment Bonus which gives the members of the United States Army a maximum combination of cash bonuses for an enlistment of four or more years in the amount of $40,000.  The maximum enlistment bonus for a three (3)- year enlistment is $30,000 while the maximum enlistment bonus for a two (2)-year enlistment is $20,000. 

Another incentive is the High School Senior Deferred Enlistment Bonus which provides qualified high school seniors who enlist in the active army $1,000 for each month they are in the Future Soldier Training Program.  They also receive an additional $1,000 to the total amount upon successful High School graduation. 

These incentive programs are just some of the existing programs being handed out to members of the United States Army.  In this time of uncertainty brought about by the global financial crisis, the incentive programs can be attractive enough to lure many individuals to the United States Army.  At this point, business organizations are either closing down or retrenching its employees.  Many organizations have stopped hiring new employees.  Even if business organizations in the private sector hire new employees it is uncertain whether they are capable of giving the same compensation, benefits and bonuses to the new employees.  

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For the young men and women who find difficulty getting work in the private sector working in the United States Army is a welcome relief and a good option for them.  These young men and women can be enlisted in the United States Army and after a few years they can leave the army and look for better opportunities in the private sector.  By that time, they economic situation would have improved.  Consequently,  in January 10, 2009, the New York Times reported that 2008 was a banner year for the military as it has exceeded its recruitment target for the months of October, November and December 2008. (Lizette Alvarez 1) This is the first time that the US military has reached its recruitment target since 2004. 

Though these incentives may be attractive to young men and women, they are not enough to make them  stay.  It must be stressed that despite the incentives many new recruits still leave the army.  For them, being deployed for 15 months or more to fight battles in foreign countries has become one of the most serious obstacles in joining the army.  Because of fear that the new recruits may or may not come back alive from these battles many of them leave the United States Army.  The United States Army could not rely on financial incentives alone to attract and retain their recruits.   It is essential for them to actually feel that they are not only joining the United States Army for the financial rewards but for the love of their country.  Many of these soldiers no longer understand why there is a need to continuously deploy troops in foreign lands.  They have to feel that they are doing a service to their country.  They have to feel that their act brings honor to themselves and to their family and there is nothing more noble and selfless deed than doing service to one’s own country.  It is a selfless act that is fitting only to a select few.  

 

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