为鼓励征募新兵，美军近日颁布新的法令允许军队发放更高的财政津贴。预计将在本周内宣布有关新政策得更多细节。

据美联社1月17日报道，新法令规定，新现役军人津贴从2万美元提高到4万美元，预备役军人从1万美元增加到2万美元。法令还准许老兵续签雇佣合同，将最高年龄限制从原来的35岁提高到42岁，现役军人重新入伍可以得到的奖金也从原来的6万美元增加到9万美元。

美军征兵指挥部发言人道格拉斯·史密斯说："今年夏季的征兵任务非常繁重，这些新的财政鼓励政策来的正是时候。它的主要目标是今夏即将毕业的高等专科学校和大学的学生。"史密斯说，今年六、七月份正是大学生离校找工作的时期，因此这两个月的征兵指标比去年同期增加了2500人，其中6月份比去年同期增加40％左右，7月份则要增加约30％。

美国防务智囊团--列克星敦研究院的国防专家丹·古尔说，随着美军削减在伊驻军计划的进行，这些鼓励政策似乎给了美军一些希望，但是到底能否达到更高的月指标，现在下断言还为时过早。古尔说，美军瞄准了那些不能升入大学的高等专科学校的毕业生，对于这些学生来说，这些钱相当可观，只要当兵，他们就能得到一份工作，一份稳定的收入，足够担负得起一辆名牌汽车分期付款的费用。

古尔说，尽管新入伍现役军人的最高津贴是4万美元，但具体的发放标准还取决于他们选择什么样的工作以及入伍的时间长短，这笔钱将分期发放给军人，分别在完成训练、到岗以及完成职务的早期任务等各个时期。

截至9月30日的2005财政年度，美军遭遇了10年来最为困难的征兵窘境，征募新兵人数比原计划的8万人少了大约6600人，是自1999年以来第一次出现缺口，也是近26年来最严重的一次不足。

随着征兵指标的提高，美军负责征兵工作的人员数量也从原来的6000多人增加到8240人，由于"肩负重任"，这些人的推销技巧比先前更加纯熟和更具目的性。虽然"重赏之下必有勇夫"，但近年来新招募的士兵还是难免出现"鱼龙混杂"的尴尬局面，不达标的士兵也越来越多，为此，美军又不得不提高了不达标士兵入伍的百分比，规定每年征募新兵中不达标人员最多不能超过4％，而先前为2％。

（国际在线独家资讯 程瑶）

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After falling well short of its recruiting goals last year, the Army has set even higher monthly targets for this summer, hoping that bonuses as high as $90,000 will encourage soldiers to re-enlist and recent graduates to join.

The new financial incentives aim to attract new recruits in the face of mounting deaths in Iraq.

From June to September, the Army will try to recruit between 8,600 and 10,400 soldiers per month - well above the numbers achieved last year. To reach those goals, recruiters will be armed with more than catchy slogans and national pride.

A new law will allow the Army to give larger financial bonuses for enlistments and re-enlistments - doubling the maximum payment to new active duty recruits from $20,000 to $40,000, and from $10,000 to $20,000 for reservists. It also will let older recruits sign on by raising the top age from 35 to 42. And the top re-enlistment bonus for active duty soldiers would increase from $60,000 to $90,000.

"We're going to have heavy recruiting goals in the summer, so the timing of these incentives is good," said Douglas Smith, spokesman for Army Recruiting Command. "The idea was to focus some more on those high school and college students who will graduating from school in the summer."

In fact, the goals for June and July - as graduates leave school and begin their search for jobs - are as much as 2,500 higher than recruitment numbers for those two months last year. That means the goal for June - as well as April's - is about 40 percent higher than last June's total, and the July number jumps up by about 30 percent. Dan Goure, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute, said the incentives, coupled with ongoing plans to reduce U.S. deployments to Iraq, give the Army some reasons to be hopeful. But he said it's too early to tell if they will be enough to meet the higher monthly goals.

"The money was not inconsequential before, and has become quite substantial," said Goure.

"They're looking at non-college-bound high school graduates. Getting this kind of money is significant. They get a job, a steady paycheck and enough for a down payment on a brand new car."

Army officials are expected this week to announce more information on how the new incentives will be implemented.

The new law includes incentives outlined in a broad Army plan last year, including higher enlistment bonuses, increased monthly pay for recruits who agree to join specificcombat brigades, and a program to allow former soldiers to re-enlist at their old rank without repeating basic training if they rejoin within four years.

While the maximum enlistment bonus for active Army recruits is $40,000, the exact total will vary based on what job is chosen and the length of the enlistment. Recruits receive their money in installments, getting some after they finish their training, report to duty and complete early portions of their service.

The new enlistment goals, however, are not set in stone. Last year, as recruiting plummeted in the spring, officials adjusted the targets downward for one month, and still fell short.

By the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, the Army closed out one of its most difficult recruiting periods in decades, falling more than 6,600 recruits short of its annual goal of 80,000. It was the first shortfall since 1999, and the largest in 26 years.

As recruiting goals have increased - from an initial total of 72,000 for 2004 to this year's 80,000 - the Army has taken a variety of steps to beef up its program. The number of recruiters went from more than 6,000 to 8,240 for the active Army and reserves, and their sales pitch has become more targeted and refined.

The Army has also increased the percentage of recruits it will accept that fall below certain aptitude levels. Now, 4 percent of the annual recruits can score at the lowest acceptable level, compared with 2 percent. The Defense Department has set 4 percent as the maximum amount, but the individual military services can set lower limits.