Armed Forces News

San Antonio - 2014: Lt. Gen. Perry Wiggins administers the oath of enlistment on horseback to 50 recruits out of the San Antonio area in front of the crowd gathered for the 65th annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo on one of the Military Appreciation Nights. The ceremony is a rare sight as the oath of enlistment is typically only administered on horseback in cavalry units. (Army photo by Sgt. Lee Ezzell, Army North PAO)

Army officials are optimistic that a recent three-day push for new recruits will help achieve the goal of enlisting 10,000 new soldiers. The Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) reported that the campaign, which took place June 30-July 2, drew 316,000 visitors to the goarmy.com/hiringdays web site.

Roughly 35,000 expressed an interest in enlisting, AUSA reported, citing an Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) press release. Another 8,400 people showed a willingness to join the Army National Guard, and 2,300 expressed interest in ROTC. The recruiting campaign, entitled Army National Hiring Days, pointed web site visitors to more than 150 different career fields. Prospective applicants were able to select the jobs in which they wish to serve, and the dates they would like to start.

The recruiting effort offered immediate $2,000 payments to those who started the enlistment process, bonuses ranging as high as $40,000 to $65,000 for certain military occupational specialties (MOSs), and repayment of student loans, AUSA reported.

Army leadership hopes the campaign would offset the sharp decline in enlistments, due to the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic.

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