I feel sorry for recruiters. Iraq and Afghanistan are a mess and there are only so many adrenaline junkies out there. Cool commercials showing soldiers working with computers can’t hide the fact that people are being killed. Stop-loss and theater redeployment hurt recruiting efforts a great deal too. But that doesn’t give recruiters the right to use any means necessary to fill their quotas.
Military recruiters have increasingly resorted to overly aggressive tactics and even criminal activity to attract young troops to the battlefield, congressional investigators say.
Grueling combat conditions in Iraq, a decent commercial job market and tough monthly recruiting goals have made recruiters’ jobs more difficult, the Government Accountability Office said Monday. This has probably prompted more recruiters to resort to strong-arm tactics, including harassment or criminal means such as falsifying documents, to satisfy demands, GAO states.
According to service data provided to the GAO, substantiated cases of wrongdoing jumped by more than a third, from about 400 cases in 2004 to almost 630 in 2005. Meanwhile, criminal cases — such as sexual harassment or falsifying medical records — more than doubled in those years, jumping from 30 incidents to 70.
Why don’t they just bring back the draft? This war is important, right?
be all you can be
The only people who seriously talk about reinstating the draft are politicians who want to scare college kids. Nobody in the military wants it.
“tough monthly recruiting goals”. So what happens if you don’t reach those goals? You get kicked out? Or sent…as Col. Klink was always afraid of…to the dreaded “Russian front”?
#3: having an “unsuccessful” tour as a recruiter can be a career ruiner. That’s part of the reason why a high percentage of people try to avoid the duty if they can.
Maybe they should start entering high schools and recruit there…if it’s so urgent…
#5: They already do in most places. They try to recruit at colleges too but are often met by moron 20 yr olds and their professors who think free speech = shouting down and berating people you disagree with; proving that they are still incapable of acting like grown-ups.
Yet another “The military is evil” story from Smartalix. What a surprise. A thousand stories a day and he always manages to choose the ones that make the U.S. Military look the worst.
Color me shocked.
Wow. It’s a real crime spree. 70 cases out of 80,000 applicants.
I’m curious, though. How does “sexual harassment” work in a recruiting context? Is “Sign here or I’ll fondle you” an effective way to get boys into the infantry?
Don’t feel too sorry for them. Remember, they volunteered for it.
Besides if they drafted they might get some Congressperson’s son or daughter. Or worst case – Jenna or Barb.
“even one incident of recruiter wrongdoing can erode public confidence in DOD’s recruiting process.” Public confidence? I was lied to on several occasions when I was recruited into the Marines in ’94. Top among them was my recruiter telling me that I would be breaking the law if I took a scholarship out of high school, (I joined delayed entry in 11th grade, got a scholarship in 12th grade). During my year at the recruiting station, I saw a lot of things swept under the rug in order to get recruits signed: medical problems, drug histories, physical condition… My confidence was shattered before I was even in boot camp.
#11: yeah, there’s nothing better than sitting in a recruiting station and listening to a recruiter coach some kid over the phone the dates and times that he smoked pot.
#7 I couldn’t agree with you more. I goto this site a few times a week, wondering how many Anti-Bush or Anti-Military stories there will be.
I just wish that people would support our troops – believe it or not, when they see stuff like this — it gets them mad/upset/makes them wonder if they should even care.
Comments like “Gruling conditions in Iraq” are just stupid. No sh!t they’re gruling – it’s war!
An all volunteer military is the way to go – keep the draft out of it.
#13 – If seeing the news about how somebody in uniform did something stupid makes them angry and stuff, then maybe they should try and stop the idiots from doing the wrong stuff. If it’s just the news that pisses them off, then they are nothing more then little pussies.
#13 So turning a blind eye to problems is the way to go?
@ #13 – Supporting our troops doesn’t mean we should ignore corruption and wrong doing. It also doesn’t mean we should sign up for a once in a lifetime shot at dying. If you actually watch the world news and look at what’s going on, you would realize that our troops are fighting two wars our current government doesn’t intend to win. Our so called government is pouring billions of dollars into these conflicts and we are making very little headway. Iraq is falling apart, our mid-east allies are not really helping us, and we still can’t take care of our own people. Compared to other nations, we’re doing very poorly. I think you are overdue for your wake-up call.
Of course a democrat wants the draft back! Only two people voted for it the last time it came up…both democrats. (…and the person who sponsored the bill didn’t vote for it…lol…coward).
It’s dieing, not dying. Dying would be troops coloring clothing.
I didn’t say we turn a blind eye to these things; I’m just saying that a media such as ours makes a war really hard to win.
The reason that Vietnam was such a S$#@ storm was the fact that the media was such a mess. It causes the stupid politicians to play the public opnion game and it really messes things up.
And I didn’t say people should be running full steam to sign up to goto Iraq. I know a handfull of people that went over and served in Iraq and I have all the respect in the world for them for it.
I’m just saying all of this negative spin going on all the time sure doesn’t help win wars.
the recruiters are hitting MALLS really hard….I mostly see exceptionally cute, buffed young boys flirting with young women, and getting THEM to sign on the dotted line. But, they also go after any male who looks young…and these guys are promising EVERYTHING, in true smarmy salesmen fashion. A lot of people are suckers for a hard sell…and these recruiters are pushing to close the deal in the MALL. I don’t think there is a “cooling-off” period…or if you can back out if you get home and think “what in the HELL have I done”.
The other thing recruiters are doing is calling, and calling, and calling, and calling every phone in every dorm on every college campus. Not effective, but just attempt to get on their “do no call” list. No way. And, I’m certain they sell their lists…as college kids get too many solicitation calls…even for phones that are unlisted AND on the “do not call” list. (The way many telemarketers get around the rules is by asking for “mr. jones” then, when told it’s the wrong number, keep at it “oh, gee, so, would YOU be interested in….” Or by calling and pretending to be someone in your class…”missed the lecture”…)
The phone calls are just a nuisance…and, I’m sure there is something illegal about it…as they do not adhere to the laws we have for that stuff (do government telemarketers need to follow the rules?) but, I really feel for the kids who …in an idle moment…sign away their lives, without being fully sure they WANT to join the military. Heck, most states allow a “cooling off period” after any major decision…..
does the military?
This entire mess is a lose lose proposition for everyone involved yet we continue to “stay the course”. *sigh*
I understand what you are saying Bryan but war, overall, is negative. I always say that “nothing good can come of war”. This holds true when you really never accomplish anything you set out to do.
#20: recruiters don’t advertise this for obvious reasons, but you can back out at any time before you actually ship to boot camp.
@22 – Yea, I agree with you on it too. War is a horrible horrible thing.
I just wonder if we would have done as well as we did in WW1 or WW2 if they were set today. With the way the media is today – I think that public opinion and Physchological Opperations play such a huge role in the way we handle military opperations.
Just my opinion
I just wonder if we would have done as well as we did in WW1 or WW2 if they were set today.
You mean wars that were not pre-emptive, and had a draft instituted to support them – so everyone on the “home front” knew someone who had a brother/son/husband/father/cousin serving in the military – and citizens at home were affected by rationing…
If you can remember back to the immediate aftermath of 9/11- when everyone was pulling-together against the common enemy – do you think a WWI or WWII type of war would not have been supported?
I think the problem is not the media reporting on militaty mistakes, but the idea that we were told that any disruption in our normal lives would be a victory for the terrorists…
…so we have troops fighting for their lives – for extended periods of time – only to return to an alien world fascinated by TomKat and American Idol.
Merriam-Webster — Dying:To pass from physical existance.
Cambridge Dictionary — same.
Dieing? Huh?
27, rw, been there, done that WAY more then once or twice. Though the next time I am usually more conscious of the correct way.
(note, I had to ask my wife how to spell conscious, I had it conscience)
#18 maybe they’re dying to turn red white and blue.
All this talk about the draft made me think again about the 1969 John Fogerty song, “Fortunate Son”, which made the news again recently:
http://tinyurl.com/pxtb2
I just wonder if we would have done as well as we did in WW1 or WW2 if they were set today.
WWI, WWII, and Korea were totally different. In the two world wars, we could see the aggression of the enemy. Tales abounded of submarines sinking neutral ships and atrocities to civilians. Korea was just after we had vanquished a couple of nasty empires and another was again being aggressive to Americans and the west. In all three cases we could see why we were fighting. Korea, however, wasn’t as evident and there was a strong anti-war movement at home.
At the beginning of the Viet Nam War, newspapers carried photos of Bhuddists monks setting themselves on fire, children running down the road after being napalmed, and a Vietnam General summarily shooting a bound Viet Cong prisoner in the head. These three pictures did more to change America’s opinion then most of the other things happening. Simply because they caused Americans to question why those body bags were coming home.
When we look at Afghanistan and Iraq today, we see failed strategic planning and many tactical errors. Instead of winning over the hearts and minds of the people, the American occupations has soured most Afghanis and Iraqis against America.
#8…Micheal….your example of sexual harrassment had me in tears. But, in some parts of certain cities, that just might work.
#25…Mike Voice…..thats not much of an issue anymore. The troops in Iraq and Afganistan have access to all the same shows and gagets that the home front folks do. The culture shock comes from being able(in most towns and cities) to walk around without fear of being blown all to hell by a rock along the road.
Damn Fusion….I didn’t know you were around for WWI 🙂
In reality, there has always been a strong anti-war movement in this country. Mostly in the 1800’s it was against foreign wars, by the 1900’s it had expanded to any war. I was surprised about the anti-war movement prior to WWII….it wasn’t something that got into a lot of textbooks….my Mom, who was my teacher found the stuff in non-approved books and taught it to me.(i was home schooled)