Army faces looming recruiting crisis

[RamboLiberal]

http://about.upi.com/products/perspectives/UPI-20050601-040457-7247R

Embroiled in scandal and facing rising death tolls in Iraq, U.S. Army recruiters are facing serious challenges as they attempt to reach their goal of 80,000 new recruits by October.

"What we have is a recruiting problem," said Charles Peña, director of defense policy studies at the Cato Institute. "The question is whether or not it becomes a recruiting crisis."

Defense Department figures at the end of April showed that 35,926 recruits had signed up this fiscal year, which began last Oct. 1. This gives recruiters four months to sign up another 44,000 to meet their goal. Even worse is the number of reserves. Statistics show that 7,283 reserves have signed up. The goal is for 22,175 by the end of the year.

Steadily rising U.S. casualties in Iraq, the recent allegations of prisoner mistreatment at Guantanamo Bay and the permanent stain of Abu Ghraib have all taken their toll on recruitment drives. And young men and women are not exactly banging down recruiting-station doors to join the army.

[shoelace414]

1. this is a major problem, but

the real huge problem is all the Captians or the like who were planning on making a career out of the Army are retiring instead.

[aden_nak]

2. "An Army Of One" is being taken quite literally, I'd say.

[0007]

19. Yuck yuck your on to something....

Like be a marine, be proud, be a man, be lonely.

'Tis good to see the young ones that are growing a brain these days.

[bluestateguy]

3. This is a solveable problem

Pull the troops out of Iraq, and pull them out now. Then the recruits will reappear. The military used to be a fine way for young people to work their way up in the world. Most young people are proud to come to the defense of their country if it is actually attacked by a foreign enemy. But a preemptive war of aggression is not what most of them signed up to be a part of.

[EST]

4. Under fifty percent and the year is two thirds done.

Will they continue to tell themselves the same old lies that got them into this mess? If it doesn't work, we just gotta do a lot more of it or do it better or do it different. Dumb sumbitches will never learn.

[Boomer]

5. Missed a few issues

>> Steadily rising U.S. casualties in Iraq, the recent allegations of prisoner mistreatment at Guantanamo Bay and the permanent stain of Abu Ghraib have all taken their toll on recruitment drives. <<

What about stop-loss that creates an open-ended commitment? Repeated deployments with barely a pause for recovery? Poor benefits? Lack of medical care?

[Supersedeas]

8. Shhhhhhhhh....did you say Stop-Loss orders....that's hush-hush ya know

[TahitiNut]

11. How about private "contractors" getting $120K/year tax-free ...

... for doing the easier jobs with better equipment? I can imagine few more demoralizing conditions than being a skilled E-5 or E-6, barely able to cover the costs of raising his children, working alongside a guy banking such pay and able to quit and go home at any time.

[acmavm]

6. Army faces a 'looming' enlistment crisis? Gee, if you ask me they've

already got an enlistment crisis on their hands now.

But then again, what do I know?

[Extend a Hand]

7. I really can't figure out

how they managed to get nearly 40,000 people to sign up. :shrug:

[pinkpops]

15. No kidding - makes you wonder.

[Gregorian]

9. Bush is perpetual war.

They knew this. I even predicted war, the moment the Liar King was in office. They should have instigated the draft immediately upon his reign. I suppose soon the rest of the world will begin eyeing America as it's target. I can hardly wait...
If you want to war, you need bodies. So very sad. Enough is enough is enough is enough. Can't we all just ride bikes and get along, now?

[BOSSHOG]

10. This country is chock full of flag waving, hard dicked patriots

who make up bush's base. There is absolutely no reason the Army should not be making its recruiting goals with all the bad ass swaggering christian conservatives chock full of rag head killing testosterone. UNLESS, christian conservative bush supporters are merely pencil dicked posturing patriots, with cowardly blood flowing through their veins, too scared to defend our country and help out their good christian leader.

Why is the Army unable to meet its recruiting goals?

BECAUSE CONSERVATIVES ARE CHICKENSHITS.
- 24 year Navy Vet, combat zone vet.

Against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC.

[pinkpops]

17. Seems to me like the Army should be advertising on the

Rush Limbaugh show.

[pokercat999]

25. Read post 10....that would be a huge

waste of advertising dollars. Have you ever heard Rush suggest any young members of his audience should join the military?

[yorkiemommie1]

28. and at all the christian academies across the nation

you know, the ones that don't teach real science, either.

[Iowa]

22. BOSSHOG, I nominate your post...

...for best writing of the century! You absolutely nailed it! My hat is off to you; and the fact that you are are a 24 year Navy combat zone vet adds power to your words. Thank you!

[Bigmack]

26. "pencil dicked posturing patriots" new one.. love it! nt

nt

[maxrandb]

33. I Salute You Bosshog

I'm Navy myself, 21 years, a "Mustang", more sea duty than I can remember. :patriot:

Anyway, I appreciate your post, and I too can't understand the recruiting problem. Even if you take the President's dwindling poll numbers, there still should be about 43% of the 62 Million that voted for him that ought to be marching down to the recruiting offices.

I used to joke about the lines on election day. I said to myself, "well, surely on Wednesday, those same people will be lined up around the block at the local recruiting stations". Hell with his so called "man-date", I thought we'd have to hire extra recruiters just to handle the massive amount of Bush supporters answering the call.

I'll give you a good example. My sister-in-law is active in the Repuke party in Ohio. She's one of their foot soldiers trying to get control of everything from the local school board, to the dog catcher. My two brothers (who were brainwashed by Limpballs) finally saw the light and voted for Kerry. My sister-in-law thinks Bush is the "greatest". She has an 18 year old son who graduates this year. I asked her, "so is _______ going into the Army"?

You'd have thought I'd asked her to lick sweat from Clinton's balls. She said; "no, he's going to go to college to play soccer". My response was, "well, as long as he has his priorities straight".

As you can imagine, we're a big hit at family get togethers.

"Keep Your Powder Dry Bosshog" :beer:

[BOSSHOG]

37. Thank you Sir

I have enlistment papers in my glove compartment and have yet to get anyone to execute them. Their false bravado is really quite pathetic. I'm sorry to read that your newphew is a budding chickenhawk. I'm sure he'll be waving the flag in college. My three brothers-in-law (with a total of zero days in the military) are badass bush supporters but they temper their thoughts when I'm around. My wife is more liberal than me but she doesn't get physical with the opposition. Keep up the good fight.

Against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC.

[maxrandb]

38. No! Thank You SIR!

You have my utmost respect. The closest I've been to combat was when my own ship tried to kill me. Took out 47 of my Shipmates. That is a day I will never forget.

My nephew is actually a pretty good kid. Like any 18 year old male, he's trying to score as much as possible, but having rotten luck. He keeps trying though. He's kind of rebellious to his mother, and, fortunately, is a free-thinker. The few times we've talked politics, he's come down on my side most of the time.

It's people like his mother that I just can't stand. She's all "gungho" for Bush and his "doctrine", but when you suggest that maybe her child might serve, she looks at you like your "effing" crazy. It's all fun and games as long as it is someone else's kid getting their brains blown-out.

We no longer have a Republic. If this was still a Republic, Jenna and Babs would be in Iraq.

[sarcasmo]

36. A good idea, have the recruiters stand outside at Church and nab them when

they come out of Sunday Mass.

[Supersedeas]

40. you mean Chickenhawks like AWOL*

[Tux]

12. Draft

I'm sure the soccer moms and NASCAR dads would love that. Die for Jesus, young man.

[ConfuZed]

13. Come you keyboard warriors at freerepublic do your "patriotic" duty

and sign up your iraqi's are calling for you to die for their country

[Zorra]

14. Main factor: Everyone knows that Bu*h lied us into an unnecessary war.

Even though republicans won't admit it, they know damn well that Commander Cuckoobananas lied. Since they don't want their kids to come home in a box, especially for no good reason whatsoever, they are discouraging their kids from enlisting.

Mommy & Daddy Republican: "Look, Junior, Commander Cuck...er, we mean, heh-heh, pResident Bu*h, lied about the WMD. We forbid you to sign up for the armed forces."

Junior Thugboy: "But, dada! Mother! You told me Bu*h was a good man, and that the war was necessary to keep America safe!"

Daddy Republican: "Yes, I know we told you that. But it is time you learned the truth: that wars are only for poor Democrats and ignorant white trailer trash republicans to fight. Poor people, mostly dark skinned poor people, must fight and die so that we can get richer from war profits and have plenty of oil for our new SUV. See, the war really is necessary to keep America safe."

And, since every Democrat knows Commander Cuckoobananas is a full of shit psychopath, no one in their right mind is going to fight and die for his war.

So no one is enlisting.

The solution is to conscript every person between 18 and 30 that voted for Bu*h

[warrens]

16. They pulled back the May numbers

Wonder why?

[annabanana]

18. trying to figure out how to make them look better..

You know the drill,
Count every HS kid who picked up a keychain at the table in the hallway..

That sort of thing.

[tabasco]

24. April was 42% below quota. May must have been < 50%.

They are having serious problems and it is already a crisis in line units. The top brass at the Pentagon (all Bush-men since the purges) must be telling Rummy "we need to start talking about the d-word or get the hell out of Iraq."

I am going to write to my Congress reps to keep the Pentagon from keeping recruiting numbers secret. It is a matter of public interest and there is no reason for them to keep the numbers secret. I'm sure Charlie Rangel will be on the case already.

[Miss Chybil]

20. As a veteran, I can say

I would have never signed up under this administration of liars. I always believed we, in the Armed Forces, were there to "protect and defend," not to "pre-empt and cause" merely for the enrichment of our "leaders." You cannot betray the people who have sworn their lives to you and expect more to be standing in line for the same treatment.

[truthisfreedom]

21. ask any thug. hey thug, why don't you enlist?

why don't you put your ass on the line? put your money where your mouth is?

[yorkiemommie1]

29. i've asked the thugs parents and grandparents

who voted for * and all i've gotten is nervous titters, "NOT MY GRANDSON" or dead, freaking silence.

[Robeson]

31. I never miss an opportunity to ask them that....

...its amazing how I always get that "deer in the headlights" look everytime I pose that to them.

[Walt Starr]

23. Get ready for the "Recruitment Crisis Prevention Act of 2005

Otherwise known as reinstatement of the draft.

[Robeson]

32. They'll probably call it the "Freedom Opportunity Act".

[sarcasmo]

27. One thing I will not be crying about, lack of power for the WAR MACHINE.

[AndyTiedye]

30. Do You Feel a DRAFT?

[HockeyMom]

42. Women in Combat

Why else would they now be trying to pass a law to keep women out of combat units if they didn't intend to reinstate the draft?

[sarcasmo]

34. Where they really screwed themselves is with the Reserves.

Why would anyone sign up for the Reserves and take a chance on going in to debt by being shipped over seas. When you leave your regular job to go on a year long stint in Iraq the Government pay no where near covers your civilian job pay. Close the windows the draft is near.

[Javaman]

35. Brrr, close that window, it's drafty in here

[cliss]

39. Here's what I've read about the Selective Service.

It's my understanding that the Pentagon is committed to a volunteer military. RumsFailed is also a big believer in this. He seems to feel that they can supply the need for military personnel without resorting to a draft.

Why would they do this, since the figures obviously show that they are not going to meet the need. Especially since the PNAC has BIG plans for the world, courtesy of the US...Benevolent Dictator.....according to their own words.

I've read that if they re-instate the draft, there will be so much opposition that they will be forced into accountability of their actions. Huge groups of people would protest, and that would be the end of their plans.

[Megahurtz]

41. I just don't trust them.

I don't think they give a shit whether people protest or not.
They just do what they want to do, when they want to do it.

I think I feel a draft.:scared:

[lebkuchen]

43. Plan on a lot of Iraqi partisan attacks the next three months

just when the Pentagon is planning to harvest the latest crop of high school graduates.

The army and marines will never make up for the last four months of recruitment deficits.

The US military is toast because of BUSH.