In 2006 Congress increased the amount of the bonus that one person could collect for enlisting in the United States Armed Forces to Forty Thousand Dollars. Only the U.S. Army has taken advantage of the increase, at this time the only Armed Service that offers the full Forty Thousand Dollar opportunity is the Army. Even so to be eligible for the full amount it has to be by a number of different cash bonuses combined.
As an example, you may be able to combine a bonus for a critical job shipping out within thirty days (the Army calls their Jobs MOS’s), a bonus for airborne training, and a bonus for higher education. Without combining more than one bonus it is impossible to get the higher bonus amounts. Some of the different bonuses the Army is currently offering are:
The following is a list of several signing bonuses the Army is currently offering: Army MOS High Demand. Enlisted recruits who enlist for terms of enlistment of at least three years can qualify for bonuses up to fifteen thousand dollars in the following jobs: Infantryman (11x), Fire Support (13F), Multiple Launch Rocket Crew (13M), Cannon Crewmember (13B), Field Artillery Automated Tactical Data Crewmember (13D), Quartermaster (63J), Special Forces (18X), Air Defense Command (14J), Patriot Missile System Crew (14E), Field Artillery Radar Operator (13R), Satellite Communications Crew (25S), Radio Communications Security Repairer (94E), Petroleum Supply Specialist (92G), Motor Transport Operator (88M), Light Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic (63B), Electronic Warfare Cryptographer (98X), Ammunition Specialist (89B), and Parachute Rigger (92R). A minimum enlistment term of at least three years is required.
HS Senior. Those HS seniors who plan to join the active Army and agree to attend recruit training by September 30th are entitled to an enlistment bonus if they earn their HS diploma before undergoing basic training. Higher Education. Applicants to join the Army Reserve or Active duty who have completed education past high school are eligible for bonuses ranging from three thousand dollars (30 to 59 semester hours) to eight thousand dollars (a four year bachelor college degree. Civilian Skills Army applicants for enlistment who bring significant skills that the Army needs, such as a ability to speak a foreign language, or certification as an X-Ray technician for example are eligible for additional cash bonuses. There are also bonuses paid for Officers Candidates School completion, and other bonuses as well. Only the Army pays the highest bonus amounts, the next closest is the U.S. Navy, and currently they limit the amount of bonuses a single person can receive at twenty thousand dollars.
