Army Re-enlistments Beat Goal

By June 30, nine months into the fiscal year, the Army had re-enlisted 53,120 soldiers. That put it 6 percent ahead of its goal of some 50,000 for that period. If re-enlistments continue at that pace, the Army would finish the fiscal year on Sept. 30 with 3,850 soldiers more than its goal of 64,162. The high re-enlistment rate comes from two stimuli, according to officials — re-enlistment bonuses ranging from $1,000 to $150,000, and individual commitments to fighting terrorism. Many soldiers re-enlist while in Afghanistan or Iraq in order to draw their bonuses tax-free. The highest bonuses go to senior special operations specialists who agree to stay on for as much as six years.