Army Has Record Low Level of Recruits

[Cirque du So-What]

Source: Associated Press

Army Has Record Low Level of Recruits
By ROBERT BURNS D

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army began its recruiting year Oct. 1 with fewer signed up for basic training than in any year since it became an all-volunteer service in 1973, a top general said Wednesday.

Gen. William S. Wallace, whose duties as commander of Army Training and Doctrine Command include management of recruiting, told reporters at the Pentagon that the historic dip will make it harder to achieve the full-year recruiting goal — after just barely reaching it in the year ended Sept. 30.

Achieving the Army's recruiting goals — a challenge in the best of times — is not only more difficult now but also of more consequence. That is because the Army has decided that it must grow its active-duty force by several thousand soldiers a year in order to relieve strain on war-weary troops.

Wallace said he expects to reach the goal of 80,000 recruits, with extra effort by his recruiters.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i_zHgVIY5V8W88_zLgAQ3XgbrYwwD8SKFA6O0

---

Is the economy so terrific that young people with limited options no longer see a need to enlist? Or is it that they prefer to endure economic hardship rather than submit to the neocon war machine?

[muntrv]

1. Draft Republicans. That'll meet the goals.

:evilgrin:

[Cooley Hurd]

2. Start with those in the 6-figure bracket...

...and work UP!:D

[aquart]

4. You made me laugh.

[truthisfreedom]

3. I can just imagine what "extra effort by his recruiters" means.

Strong-arming, lying, psychological pressuring, stalking, sandbagging, and any number of other illegal or immoral activities to sucker in more cannon fodder.

[rocktivity]

28. I read a story about an EMT working on a gunshot victim

in the middle of the night, and a recruiter walked up to him and offered him a bonus!

:eyes:
rocknation

[lovuian]

5. empty the prisons and enlist the ilegal aliens and then

hire more and more Blackwater soldiers

and you get the American Army of George Bush

thats where its going
who would work for this man

[Hawkowl]

33. Ahhh yes. The Roman solution.

The solution that you suggest is very similar to what Rome was using. Right before the fall of Rome. Slave labor, foreign mercenaries with divided loyalties. Mankind it seems will never learn.

[tabasco]

6. Wait a minute! Have they checked over at Free Republic?

There are thousands of red-blooded, patriotic, war-loving guys there.

I bet Kristinn and the gang would all sign up for combat like John Kerry did if they knew about this shortage.

Somebody post this at FR and help the Army out. Thanks!

[Faygo Kid]

11. The FReepers exist to worship Bush, and take their orders from Rush

They like to stand around on street corners with "Support the Troops and Their Mission" and thump their chests and talk about how brave it is when others die, no matter how unworthy the cause that they die for, and then go home and sleep well because they don't ever question Bush because Hannity and Limbaugh tell them not to.

And young men and women die because of the FReepers in far-off lands, and people with unfamiliar habits and even more unfamiliar religions die in even greater numbers, and the FReepers thump their chests again and talk about their bravery and why nukular weapons are the answer to Iran.

[saigon68]

24. They are scum suckers

A Pox on them

[sutz12]

38. Sam Elliot as Gen John Buford...classic! nt

[Middle finga]

7. Good

[OhioChick]

8. I'm Sure Young College Republicans

will be waiting to sign up.

[kimmylavin]

9. What surprises me...

is that they can get ANYONE to sign up now.
Its basically understood that if you join the Army, you're going straight to a war zone.
Why would anyone do that?

[WheelWalker]

16. Because they're one of the few, one of the proud....

one of the dumb.

[MLFerrell]

10. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but...

I can't help that believe that these low recruitment numbers will result in my brother having a longer tour in Iraq this time around.

Fuck.

[Diclotican]

12. Cirque du So-What

Cirque du So-What

Someone hear the sound of US draft anyone?? The war(s) have to go along... And if they dosent get the goals, the logical step is to draft peopole...

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[Thothmes]

18. Predictions

Think some DU'ers have been predicting a draft now for four years. Hasn't happened yet. Seriously doubt it will. Particularly during an election year.

[Orsino]

19. But surely the corporations can be counted upon to lay off thousands more workers...

...to restore balance to the war machine.

To answer the OP, the war is currently sucking harder than the economy is. And that's pretty sucky.

[Diclotican]

21. Thothmes

Thothmes

Then we have to see then?.. I fear that a draft in the US ar enot that lang ago.. Specially of mr Bush, as some fear is going into Marshall Law for some reason or another..

Diclotican

Sorry my bd engelish, not my native language

[AnneD]

23. There HAS been a draft of sorts....

They have been using STOP LOSS and calling up the IRR and then STOP LOSS for them too. It doesn't get the headlines because these folks were on the last leg of their military career.

All Congress has to do is a 'skills' draft (Docs, Nurses, Engineers, etc). That won't get the nation in an uproar, but it will fill their ranks. The Army already has been taking sailors and airmen (safe havens) and making infantry out of them in order to get 'troops on the ground'. They rush them through a 'training' and voila-quota met. While technically it isn't a draft....it sure feels like one to me.

I am happy to see the folks in the state department are raising hell about their 'conscription'. I predict lots of job openings in the state department too. You think a soldier gets screwed in the VA system if injured-try working with the State Department.

Of all the things Bush has done to this country-gutting the military, the Reserves, and National Guard is the saddest.

[rocktivity]

25. Skills draft, my donkey

If you can surf the 'Net, you're a computer expert. If you took CPR training, you're an EMT. If you got an "A" in Spanish, you're a linguist. Watch how quickly breathing unassisted becomes a "skill!"

:eyes:
rocknation

[AnneD]

27. I remember...

what problems we had staffing Docs and Nurses during the 1st Gulf War. Most of those folks got out of the Reserves as soonas they could (luckily we had no call up). Once you have been in the military, you can bet they'll use you first for cannon fodder until they can train your replacement in the event of a national emergency.

[Diclotican]

30. AnneD

AnneD

If you are in the Army once. You are allways in the army, somwhere it is a file with your name, and where you was and where you are now.. Even after many, many year they still wil manage to find you somewhere... I dont kidding, its true...

And for the cannon fodder sake I guess they wil find many willing in the prisons system. Many there wil do whatever it takes to get out, and posible also get out on the street again.. Even that it mean long time in the war zone.. Many of them are mad enoght as it is, and should not been seen with a nife or a atomatic gun... But if you dosent meet the quatas, it is easy to "bend the rules" somwhat I guess... That is the downside with a all-voluntary army I guess.. More easy to get soldiers if everyone over the age of 18 can be drafted..

And if US want to go to war with all the country they are seeing as enemies, they wil need the draft sooner or later... You cant expect people to go into the army, just becouse the neo-cons want it.. Selv Preservation is a strong thing when it come to humans..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[Diclotican]

31. rocknation

rocknation

True, if you have some the Army want, you can bet they want you... They can allways tray to bribe you with a new car, or some money.. But you are then given up many of your right, and can be killed in the prosess.. But war in the 21 sentury is like the Video-games right :sarcasm: ?

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[Diclotican]

32. AnneD

AnneD

Its like a "silent" draft of sort then?.. And even after making sailors and airmen into infantry it is not the right way to do, and if I dont get it totaly wrong here, many of the new "infantery" forces are not excactly the newest soldiers on the block.. Rather the oposite, the old ones, who deserved to be sendt stateside for some "posh" jobs.. I have heard about many rather old soldiers, with family and children who have been send to the frontline.. Even that they have been proven not to be the best matriale for frontline use.. Even soldiers who have been maimed, and cant go without help, or artifical legs and arm, sometimes get the order to go to a nearbay base to be trained and sendt to Iraq.. And many of them was really on their way to Iraq, and was not stoped before vetran groups arrose and was telling the goverment that you dosent send a 44 year old man, with a artifial leg to a warsone.. And even then, some soldiers indeed ended in Iraq, but was transported home after that it was know what happening... Many stupid "papir-movers" in all armys in the world.. But they are not that stupid I gusss...

I guess that MANY on the state departement is thinging about shange of carriere after this "draft" what is coming their way.. It is little ironic that not many are willing to go into Iraq, who the Administration in the last 4 and ha halv year have been telling the public that its safe, and that all this "war thing" are something the american public dosent need to be worry about.. After all it is the profesionals who are in sharge now.:sarcasm: And then sudenly you have a "revolt" from the inside of State.. And the most ironic about it - in the News you dosent se a thing about it.. Not US media then.. BBC have broadkostet it, many others.. But US media, not a word.. Its like they dosent want the american public to know, that the war in Iraq are going verry badly indeed, so the goverment even have to force State Departemen imployed to be send, to a place they REALLY DOSENT WANT TO BE.

It is like the really profesionals in the US are going away from public work.. And instead of Public servants, who really are doing their job, we see peopole who are political given the power, in all the diferent byrocraty.. It is like a purge, not with wiolence, but a purge of some who can questing the Neo-Cons..

In the years to come, we wil se houndres of books, who are telling what was happening inside the US State departement, or Pentagon or the other places under GWB.. And it wil not be a nice reading, not for they who once suported Bush, and not for us, who Dosent suport this man at all.. It wil a hell...

True, Mr Bush have doing great harm to the whole USA.. Not just in the aye on the international stage, but in all the thing he had tutch, he had destroyd it.. As the failure he was before, he can ruin the day for US even long after he is out of office in 2009 (I really hope)

But, as I predict, someway down this road, the next year or so, even mr Bush must considireing the use of Draft to get the armed forces he needed to "conquer the world". You cant overcome all the advisaries with a all-volentary army.. You need a safe use of new soldiers, new reqruits and I fear that many ten of thousands of young american wil die, before the madness that Mr Bush have started wil end.. US have diging itself into a hole they most dig itself out of.. We the "irellvant alliance" are not that happy to send many forces to either Afghanistan or Iraq, Even that mr Bush are less arrogant in his tone to us now, than he was right after 2003..
I am maybee arrogant now, but US if F*** Everywhere you se it.. And I have not the slightest idea how to fix it..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. Round up the all the young Republicans and suit them up

and watch how fast this war ends.

[Thothmes]

36. Roundup

Would also shangha all the dems in the Congress that keep voting to pay for this goat rope & rodeo.

[WheelWalker]

14. Hmm... What if the gave a war, and

nobody came? With our thoughts, we create the world.

[WheelWalker]

15. Once upon a time, on a planet that was so much older then,

we burned our draft cards to stop a war. Perhaps it's time to burn our driver's licenses, use public transportation, and see if we can't stop the black death.

[JohnnyLib2]

17. So, all previous rosy reports were lies?

Whodathunkit?

[RawMaterials]

20. In my part off the world the economy is not so great and my brother

is choosing to make 9$/hr to support his child and girlfreind working 60 hours a week instead of going to the army. witch offered a 20k signing bonus and better pay and better benefits for the baby.

[rocktivity]

26. The best benefit is a living, breathing father

Congrats to him for not gambling his life on a commander-in-chump! As Jenna Bush said, it wouldn't be "practical" of him to go.

:headbang:
rocknation

[lonestarnot]

22. The later of course.

[tom_paine]

29. Just because the American Army now fights for an evil cabal of liars and murderers, instead of

Liberty and the principles laid down by the Founding Fathers that had evolved into the Modren post-WWII Old American Republic (1945-2000), which came closer to achieving the kind of equality, decency, and justice (yes, imperfect as all human endeavors are and yes, with all the bad the "injustice" system has sometimes done) than at any other time in American History.

Who could have possibly foreseen that would cause recruitment numbers to drop? :silly:

[Wcross]

34. If they keep sending them to die it really WILL be "An army of one".

Why would you join the Army now? It is one thing to serve your country, quite another to ride around Iraq waiting to get blown up in an illegal war.

[tuckessee]

35. I like the double entendre.

Lowest number of recruits plus the lowest quality. The Few, The Proud, The Dregs.

[zonkers]

37. The storefront army recruiting center has an oversized check for 75,000 in the window.

Pretty dead inside. Guess college tuition is not enough incentive.