This from Dave Moniz at USA Today:

WASHINGTON — The Army wants to double the top cash bonus for new recruits to $40,000 in an effort to stem a continued recruiting shortfall in the midst of the Iraq war.

As another incentive, the Army is proposing a pilot program to provide up to $50,000 in home mortgage help for recruits who sign up for eight years of active duty, Lt. Col. Thomas Collins said in an interview Thursday. Congress must approve both plans.

The $40,000 bonuses would apply only to a limited number of hard-to-fill and still-undetermined jobs, Collins said.