United States Army proposes to repay student loans of up to $ 65,000 or to give a $ 15,000 bonus to recruits wishing to enlist in the infantry.

The military has offered increased financial incentives to attract recruits to take on one of its most physically difficult jobs since he missed its recruitment target during fiscal year 2018 by 6,500 soldiers.

“There is a very unique bond between infantry that cannot be found in any other [career] in the military, ”the staff said. Sergeant Leonard Markley, a recruiter in Toledo, Ohio, whose primary career area is infantry, said in a recent press release. “It’s us against the world, and we infantry all know the hardships that come with it [career]: walking countless kilometers, sleep deprivation and rationed meals.

“Even when I see another infantryman pass by, I have respect for him and I support him, because we are brothers in all our trials,” he added.

To qualify for the infantry, applicants must achieve a minimum of 87 on the combat line score of the armed forces qualification test and pass the heavy-level professional physical assessment test, the statement said.

Recruits attend a 22-week infantry station unit training at Fort Benning, Georgia. During training, they will list their specific infantry job preferences, although assignments are determined by the needs of the military. Upon graduation, soldiers are assigned either as an infantryman (11B) or as an indirect fire infantryman (11C), depending on the version.

“The infantry instilled in me a work ethic that is significantly different from that of my peers,” said Markley. “This work ethic and discipline will set me apart wherever I go after the military. This is the first career in developing leadership and management skills. I can go anywhere and be successful in no matter what. any civilian area. “

Until recently, army recruiters offered bonuses of up to $ 40,000 for a six-year engagement in the infantry. The military began paying large bonuses to infantry recruits in May 2019 to fill a shortfall of around 3,300 infantry training seats by the end of fiscal 2019. This was part of the process. ‘a radical new recruitment strategy launched at the start of fiscal 2019, after the service missed its target for fiscal 2018.

– Matthew Cox can be contacted at [email protected]