WP: Army Tries Private Pitch For Recruits

[maddezmom]

~snip~

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan made military recruiting, which was already difficult, even tougher. The Army and Army Reserve increased new soldiers' signing bonuses for some jobs, raised the maximum age for enlistees and stopped some soldiers from retiring. A recent government report noted that many military recruiters were unhappy with their jobs and that recruiting violations -- such as instructing applicants not to disclose medical conditions -- increased 50 percent in one year.

By turning to the private sector, advocates argue, the Army can save money and free soldiers to fight. Critics say it pushes the limit to what military jobs should be outsourced, furthering a trend that has already drawn record numbers of private contractors into roles as central as interrogating prisoners.

"The use of contractors for this sensitive purpose, dealing with the lives of young people, is troublesome," said Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who has often criticized the government's reliance on contractors. "There is a notorious lack of oversight in all contracts, so why would we expect that in this very sensitive area it would be any better?"

To Serco and MPRI Inc., it is good business. The two Virginia-based firms have more than 400 recruiters assigned across the country, and have signed up more than 15,000 soldiers. They are paid about $5,700 per recruit

more:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR2006090501508.html

[w4rma]

1. Part of the reason that the system is set up as it is is to slow down the

pillaging that these neo-cons doing to this country.

[Sherman A1]

2. Headhunters?

Now that is a novel approach and perhaps one that might actually be a reasonable idea. That way we could free up all those engaged in recruiting offices for more front line duty. There has to be an overhead cost involved with having a soldier serve as a recruiter (time away from his specialty, etc) so this might not be all bad.

[MercutioATC]

4. Oversight and accountability would be concerns, though.

I think the potential problems outweigh the benefits.

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. Problem is...

That paying per head only increases the number of recruitment violations that occur. If the only way I can get paid is by getting people signed up, am I really going to care if the recruits are suitable? Am I going to be honest in what I tell a potential recruit? Is this really going to be good for the country?

[Sherman A1]

7. I would much rather see recruiting done by contractors

than the fighting. Oversight could be accomplished (probably not by the clowns we have now, but it could be done). Certainly there are potential pitfalls, but the system we have now had lots of them as well.

[Kiouni]

3. and who says the only

thing that comes out of the pentagon is nuclear waste.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. Telemarketing for cannon-fodder!!!! - who woulda thunk it . . .

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Probably get an exemption from the Do Not Call list thingy, and hours you are allowed to call.

hmmmmmm