Recruiting for the US Military

[Durgan]

Recruiters are sent out to recruit people for the Marines, Army and Reserves. There is tremendous pressure on these recruiters to fill their allotted quotas. The peasants aren't exactly flocking to the recruiting depots. There doesn't appear to be much glory in fortress duty in Iraq.

To meet quotas or to use the military jargon make mission Marine recruiters are enlisting kids who don't meet basic physical, moral? and educational standards. One report suggests that of 75 kids put in the Marine Corps, 70 were fraudulent enlistments.

Some kids enlisted has asthma ( a real no no),illegal-drug users, and those with criminal records. I might suggest Asthma has some connection with the Kyoto accord, which has been rejected by the US.

The Recruitors are under tremendous pressure to meet their quota. Apparently there is no way to recruit within the rules and meet quota, make mission. There are about 10,000 army recruiters. There quota is about 2.5 persons per month. The Army needs about 80,000 and the Marines need about 40,000 each year of new cannon fodder. The quota would appear easy, but in practice it is not. The present conflict has no patriotic drive behind it.

The drive for recruits for the week-end warriers is even worse. It is fast developing into a disfunctional force.

The recritors are under the gun. Failure to meet quota can mean reprimands, demotion, threats and brutal physical punishments. Not quite as bad as the Belgians, when they ruled the Congo, and wanted rubbber. They would give a quota to a village. and if it wasn't met, a few hands would be lopped off to encourage the remainder. But you get the drift. The British had a similar system for the Royal Navy upto about 1885, where they simply send gangs out to grap anybody on the street, and took him to a sailing ship, and kept him in the brig until far out to sea. This had a pretty name for it called Press Gangs.

It is stated that a recruiter's work is the most difficult in the military outside of combat.

It appears to them, who are appropiate to do the fighting, simply have no interest. The Romans had a similar problem and had to recruit mercenaries, who eventually took over the empire.

This is the underside of the War in Iraq.

Durgan.

[Zues]

Well said Durgan.

It's incredible because for the past couple of months the press here has been saying that the military is easily meeting its recruiting goals. What everyone forgets to mention is that the military lowered the recruiting standards last year.

They silver lining on this dark cloud is that soon the U.S. is going to reinstate the draft. You might remember that they also increased the age of eligibility. This is going to give a much wider range of Bushbots who beat the drums of war from the safety and comfort of their living rooms to actually get up off their arses and get a taste of what it's like getting one's arse shot at while serving the leader that they hold in such high regard.

[moderateamericain]

Well said Durgan.

It's incredible because for the past couple of months the press here has been saying that the military is easily meeting its recruiting goals. What everyone forgets to mention is that the military lowered the recruiting standards last year.

They silver lining on this dark cloud is that soon the U.S. is going to reinstate the draft. You might remember that they also increased the age of eligibility. This is going to give a much wider range of Bushbots who beat the drums of war from the safety and comfort of their living rooms to actually get up off their arses and get a taste of what it's like getting one's arse shot at while serving the leader that they hold in such high regard.

I "beat the wardrum" as you u put it, but thanks ive already had my ass shot at for this country. Be careful who you generalize.

[Zues]

I "beat the wardrum" as you u put it, but thanks ive already had my ass shot at for this country. Be careful who you generalize.

So have I! And if you are as your nick says... moderateamerican... then you can't qualify as a Bushbot!

[crazymf]

It'd be good to back up your nice story with some facts. How about a link or two?

Funny how that is, no problem getting recruits when there's a free education and food involved, but throw in a little war and all of a sudden the military isn't so sweet? If this war was a real threat, there'd be a draft before you could zip your pants back up. If they run seriously short of people, thay'll start taking them anyway, at least that option is always on the table.

[Zues]

It'd be good to back up your nice story with some facts. How about a link or two?

Funny how that is, no problem getting recruits when there's a free education and food involved, but throw in a little war and all of a sudden the military isn't so sweet? If this war was a real threat, there'd be a draft before you could zip your pants back up. If they run seriously short of people, thay'll start taking them anyway, at least that option is always on the table.

No arguement here on all that. What would you like a link to?

[crazymf]

I just wanted to see facts. Normally a thread like this will have a link to substantiate it so we know someone isn't blowing warm air out their rear end just to hear how it sounds. Besides, I'm too lazy to go find it myself.

[Zues]

I just wanted to see facts. Normally a thread like this will have a link to substantiate it so we know someone isn't blowing warm air out their rear end just to hear how it sounds. Besides, I'm too lazy to go find it myself.

I quess I should have asked... whom are you addressing? And facts to what statement?

2005 June 13 Monday

US Army Lowers Recruiting Goals As Casualties Mount

Army, Marines miss recruiting goals again

More cash and appeals to parents, patriotism haven't reversed trend

Military Recruiting, Retention Picture Looks Good

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2003 – Despite predictions to the contrary, Americans are continuing to volunteer for the military, and those already in service are re- enlisting at a vigorous rate.

Early in the global war on terrorism, many critics predicted the United States would have to return to the draft to man the forces. But in this 30th year of the all-volunteer force, the military continues to meet recruiting and retention goals.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2003/n0..._200308281.html

Nuff said?

[crazymf]

Thanks! I was being general and it wasn't pointed at anybody in particular. It's just courteous to back up stories with facts around here when a thread is started.

Of course, this link contradicts the first post in this thread although I did notice that the article is outdated.

[Durgan]

Thanks! I was being general and it wasn't pointed at anybody in particular. It's just courteous to back up stories with facts around here when a thread is started.

Of course, this link contradicts the first post in this thread although I did notice that the article is outdated.

Having an interest in military matters, a friend sent me a ripped out article from September 2005 Vanity Fair, The Recruiters' War by Michael Bronner, and other snippets. I sort of banged together some bits and pieces to see what others had to offer. This subject hasn't exactly been front page news. The subject is of some importance regarding the operation in Iraq.

Durgan.

[Zues]

Thanks! I was being general and it wasn't pointed at anybody in particular. It's just courteous to back up stories with facts around here when a thread is started.

Of course, this link contradicts the first post in this thread although I did notice that the article is outdated.

Having an interest in military matters, a friend sent me a ripped out article from September 2005 Vanity Fair, The Recruiters' War by Michael Bronner, and other snippets. I sort of banged together some bits and pieces to see what others had to offer. This subject hasn't exactly been front page news. The subject is of some importance regarding the operation in Iraq.

Durgan.

It probably won't matter because I believe that we're going to attack Iran and Syria, perhaps as soon as next month! Watch the rhetoric and the facade of the U.N. Security Council song and dance. We are not going to be able to fight this alone nor without a draft.

[Argus]

This is hardly news. The US military has had difficulty meeting its recruitment goals for years - well before Iraq, due to the booming US economy and the high goals they had set for recruits. They wanted recuirts who were bright, educated, and often technologically capable. As always, military units are made up of 7 to 10 support staff for every one spear carrier. The military needs people to maintain all that complicated equipment they have. Problem is such people have excellent career options in a booming economy with very low unemployment.

The Iraq war has made it more difficult, of course, primiarly for infantry type recruitment. The air force and navy are likely not affected much as neither service has seen many, if any casualties in Iraq.

As to the reserves - I'm not at all surprised they're having difficulties. They're being badly misused by the Bush administration, the repercusions of which might last a generation or more. These guys signed up for emergencies, but are being used like regular military units. This is the first time the US or likely any other nation has attempted to fight a long war without a draft, relying entirely on volunteers. It can't be done, not in a booming economy with low unemployment. Not where the nation's safety is not seen as directly at stake. So reservists are being sent over again and again, disrupting their private lives and careers. If you want to be in the military you join the military. If you don't, then you'd be nuts to join the reserves today, where being called up for duty is a near certainty.

If the US is going to keep up operations in Iraq beyond this year it needs to institute at least a limited draft - to get the kind of support people they need to maintain their computers, weapons, vehicles, etc. That would leave it free to concentrate on recruiting "spear carriers".

I don't mean that term in a disparaging way, btw. But you don't need a college degree to be a good infantry soldier. You don't need to understand complex math or read electronic schematics or repair computers. And there are still a lot of young men in the US and every other nation who don't know what they want to do with their lives, who hate school, and don't want to sit behind a desk or computer screen all their lives, and enjoy the comraderie of military life.

[Concerned]

It'd be good to back up your nice story with some facts. How about a link or two?

Funny how that is, no problem getting recruits when there's a free education and food involved, but throw in a little war and all of a sudden the military isn't so sweet? If this war was a real threat, there'd be a draft before you could zip your pants back up. If they run seriously short of people, thay'll start taking them anyway, at least that option is always on the table.

The US gets a huge return on training and educating its military recruits, and the recruits do not have to go to war for the US to capitalize on this return. The US economy simply does better with a well educated public, and the recruits are typically from lower income families who cannot otherwise afford the education, and who would be a lag in the social system without the training.

So the argument that they have to go to war in order for the US to get a return on its investment in them is non-sensical.

[Shady]

The silver lining on this dark cloud is that soon the U.S. is going to reinstate the draft

Fearmonger alert! Fearmonger alert! That's the same kind of bullplop that was spread during the 2004 Presidential campaign. It's not going to happen, so give it up.

[sharkman]

I noticed, Durgan, you're using Vanity Fair as a loose source. Just FYI, but they are not exactly a bastion of objectivity when it comes to politics in general and Dubya in particular, although I've heard of the U.S. military's difficulties lately as well.

And don't expect the U.S. to be starting new invasions anytime soon. Iran might attract some bombing runs, however, although I wouldn't count out Israel on that one since they did the same thing to Iraq back in the early eighties.

[geoffrey]

It'd be good to back up your nice story with some facts. How about a link or two?

Funny how that is, no problem getting recruits when there's a free education and food involved, but throw in a little war and all of a sudden the military isn't so sweet? If this war was a real threat, there'd be a draft before you could zip your pants back up. If they run seriously short of people, thay'll start taking them anyway, at least that option is always on the table.

Thats the way it works. Fairweather friends.

It'd be good to back up your nice story with some facts. How about a link or two?

Funny how that is, no problem getting recruits when there's a free education and food involved, but throw in a little war and all of a sudden the military isn't so sweet? If this war was a real threat, there'd be a draft before you could zip your pants back up. If they run seriously short of people, thay'll start taking them anyway, at least that option is always on the table.

No arguement here on all that. What would you like a link to?

How badly these Marine recruiters get "brutual physical punishments" when they fail to meet quotes like Durgan said. That'd be interesting to know.

If you bullshit once, I take the rest of your statement with the same weight.

[Durgan]

Where there is smoke sometime there is a fire.

I used some figures from the Vanity Fair article in an attempt to see if there was other information about his subject.

Ths thrust of the Vanity Fair article was mostly about the pressure put onto the Recruiting Personnel to meet mission. I like that Meet Mission, sort of mysterious.

As I mentioned someone sent me the chopped out article. Whether Vanity Fair is a good source, I don't know, but one has to assume that it has some veracity.

I simply wanted some debate on this matter to get some clarification; hopefully, from those who know possibly with some like first hand experience.

Maybe recruiters are too busy to use the internet.

Durgan.