Go Army, go cash

Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.

In recruiting young men and women, the Army prefers high school graduates over those who dropped out and later acquired a general equivalency diploma.

Studies commissioned by the Army show that graduates, much more so than dropouts, are motivated to finish what they start.

That is an important character trait for the Army, which wants its recruits to competently serve the full terms of their enlistments and, in many cases, reenlist.

For the Army to succeed in attracting motivated graduates when two wars are under way, there must be incentives. But what will become of the Army if too many soldiers enlist solely because of a cash incentive they couldn’t resist?

We pose that question in light of a new Army promotion that is being tested this month in five cities. For regular-Army recruits with high school diplomas, the Army offers $40,000 at the end of at least five years of service. The money would have to be used for making a down payment on a house or for investing in a startup business. Qualified reservists agreeing to the same terms would receive $20,000.

In our view, this program is all about wowing many young people with what will sound to them like a fortune. The money, not patriotism or genuine commitment, will be the message.

Also, how many of them, fresh from five years of service, will be able to afford monthly mortgage payments even after paying $40,000 down? How many will be savvy enough to make a sound business investment?

We believe more modest enlistment bonuses, and a vastly improved postservice educational benefit, would in the long run attract higher-quality recruits.

Today’s military educational benefit doesn’t come close to paying the cost of a four-year college education. A return to the post-World War II GI Bill, which paid in full whether a veteran went to Harvard or a state school, would pay much longer-term dividends — for both our country and our returning veterans.