Poor economy drives more troops to re-enlist

[unhappycamper]

Sgt. Ryan Nyhus re-enlists during a ceremony at Fort Riley, Kan., on Nov. 26. He spent 14 months patrolling the streets of Baghdad, where five members of his platoon were shot and one died. Nyhus would rather go back to Iraq than take his chances in the job market.


Poor economy drives more troops to re-enlist
By John Milburn and Stephen Manning - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Dec 2, 2008 17:24:25 EST

FORT RILEY, Kan. — Sgt. Ryan Nyhus spent 14 months patrolling the deadly streets of Baghdad, where five members of his platoon were shot and one died. As bad as that was, he would rather go back there than take his chances in this brutal job market.

Nyhus re-enlisted last week, and in so doing joined the growing ranks of those choosing to stay in the U.S. military because of the bleak economy.

“In the Army, you’re always guaranteed a steady paycheck and a job,” said the 21-year-old Nyhus. “Deploying’s something that’s going to happen. That’s a fact of life in the Army — a fact of life in the infantry.”

In 2008, as the stock market cratered and the housing market collapsed, more young members of the Army, Air Force and Navy decided to re-up. Although several factors might explain the rise in re-enlistments, including a decline in violence in Iraq, Pentagon officials acknowledge that bad news for the economy is usually good news for the military.

In fact, the Pentagon just completed its strongest recruiting year in four years.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/ap_reenlisting_army_120208/%2e