The most important may have been the assignment of hundreds of extra recruiters. The Army also has asked Congress for permission to raise the maximum enlistment bonus from $20,000 to $40,000.
Among the main features of the Army's master plan for reaching its 2006 recruiting goal:
_ Adjust the way recruiters frame their sales pitches to young men and women. Instead of focusing mainly on financial incentives and other tangible benefits of joining the Army, recruiters are now being trained to take what some call the "consultative" approach. That means addressing the individual recruits' personal hopes and fears, rather than using the traditional hard sell.
_ Put more effort into recruiting people who have begun their college careers but not yet earned a degree, on the assumption that some would be interested in taking a hiatus to try military service. Also, target those of high school age who are being home schooled _ a potential market the Army has largely ignored.
_ Make more use of what DuBois calls "lead refinements" _ the use of computer technology to refine recruiters' leads on potential enlistees. Using mathematical formulas based in part on demographics, a recruiter can more easily prioritize his or her high-payoff leads and thus become more productive. Ten of the Army's 41 recruiting battalions now use this technology; the Army wants to double it to 20 or more.
_ Shift more advertising dollars from national to local markets.
_ Offer a $2,500 "finder's fee" to soldiers who refer a recruit who makes it through advanced individual training, a step beyond basic training. This has yet to be authorized by Congress.
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