Military Seeks To Remedy Recruitment Dropoff with Dropouts
Military Seeks To Remedy Recruitment Dropoff with Dropouts
In the wake the worst recruiting slump in decades, the Army announced earlier this week that they are loosening recruitment standards to accept more high school dropouts:
Army Secretary Noel Harvey and vice chief of staff Gen. Richard Cody said Monday that the Army was using looser Defense Department rules that permitted it to sign up more high school dropouts and people who score lower on mental-qualification tests, but they denied that this meant it was lowering standards.
…
The Army has a recruiting shortfall of 6,000 to 8,000 soldiers over the past 12 months. It hasn’t fallen so short of its annual goal since 1979, several years after the Vietnam war.
…
The problem, Harvey said, is “a combination of three factors: a good economy, the war in Iraq and parents reluctant to see their sons and daughters enlist” because of the war.
The move comes on the heels of a free iTunes offer by the National Guard, debates about military recruitment in high schools, legislation to raise the age limit for active-duty recruits from 35 to 42, recruiters talking to Katrina evacuees, and the appearance of a Marines advertisement on CraigsList.
Rather than putting the focus on broadening the pool of new enlistees, the administration would be better off spending their time developing a clear and reasonable exit strategy. Such a plan might be the most effective recruitment tool of all.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
How desperate are these people? They might want to start a series ‘Desperate Officials’. LOL!
October 5th, 2005 at 2:27 pmI cann’t believe they would leave high school dropouts join the military. They are out of their minds.
October 5th, 2005 at 2:31 pmI remember during NAM, …”what if they…had a war and nobody came?…..opps.
October 5th, 2005 at 2:34 pmI wanted my son to opt out so the recruiters would leave him alone this year, but he said no, he’s having too much fun messing with them by telling them he’s gay, even though he’s not. Poor guys they look so exhausted, and they’re not getting anywhere in this town!
October 5th, 2005 at 2:34 pmIt seems to me that for those that you plan to put at the trigger of violently deadly weapons and charged with the defense of our nation, it would be prudent to have a reasonable expectation of intelligence and comprehension.
To lower the standards and the “bar” here is a dire mistake. I mean, really, it’s not like were talking about the head of FEMA, or a Supreme Court justice, or the President of the US for Christ’s sake!
October 5th, 2005 at 2:36 pmA veritable treasure trove of recruiting possibilities:
http://www.youngrepublicans.com/
http://www.yrnf.com/
http://www.tyrf.org/
Oh, you want a Strong Army? Oops.
October 5th, 2005 at 2:38 pmAn Army Of Dumb!
October 5th, 2005 at 2:56 pmPeople are just fodder for bush’s war games …….
Wonder if jeb bush’s son will join along with jenna and barbara ?
October 5th, 2005 at 2:58 pmThe last impediment to the enlistment of chickenhawks
October 5th, 2005 at 3:05 pmhas just been removed. Now you can get out of your parents basement, get a GED, and serve your country at the same time – a win/win situation! If you need help with the forms, they’ll be happy to fill them out for you – just make your mark at the bottom of the page.
The political reaction to the recruiting crisis on both the left and right is extremely disconcerting.
Conservatives rush into spin mode, portraying progress in Iraq they claim is not reflected in mainstream media coverage. On the left, many bloggers (including some of my favorites) see opportunity.
Sadly, this gamesmanship misses the point. Our growing difficulties in maintaining an all-volunteer military force capable of addressing American national security needs over the next decade should trigger a fundamental debate:
Do the American people believe in shared responsibility for the national defense of the United States?
For more, see:
“An Army of One?”
October 5th, 2005 at 3:09 pmThe problem, Harvey said, is “a combination of three factors: a good economy, the war in Iraq and parents reluctant to see their sons and daughters enlist†because of the war.
A good economy. Right. Funny, I didn’t know they drew from billionaires’ families all that much. Most of those kids don’t really need the job.
October 5th, 2005 at 3:14 pmFace the facts bushco, IF……….this was a ‘just’ war then people would be flocking to join in the killing….’get it’???? I’m enjoying watching the corperate/nazi ship sink,if only one drop at a time. I see such desperation in their actions….ahhhhhhhh. I watched my brother slowly die after wwII, we talked a lot…war is bad,even when your on the ‘just’ side of things. Once you have seen body parts,you can never be the same for the rest of your life. So I suggest bushie you..yes YOU, grab a AK-47 and go to the combat zone and LEAD LEAD LEAD…..
October 5th, 2005 at 3:51 pmVoting with your feet has nothing on voting with your life. Sure, the people supporting the war talk a good game, but they know it isn’t worth dying for. Man, they’re really getting desperate. Bribing people, lying/faking tests, lowering the prerequisites and jacking up the age. This more than anything shows me that the war is lost.
October 5th, 2005 at 4:26 pmThe army has very specific intelligence requirements. They need people smart enough to use a gun without hurting themselves, but not so smart they say, “You mean this is all about oil?”
October 5th, 2005 at 4:31 pmIn WW2, many people enlisted of their own accord, because they believed in the war.
How many people believe in this war?
*duh*
History buffs may remember during the Civil War, immigrants landing in NY were given a choice, enlist… live through the war… you get citizenship!
It helped the North win… perhaps it could work again!!!
Oh yea, all the immigrants are illegal nowadays… too bad.
*ick*
October 5th, 2005 at 4:51 pmGreat, every M4 comes with the new standard issue “Apocalypse Now” soundtrack.
It’s very dangerous when the military starts lowering recruiting standards. I don’t know which is worse, defective body armor or a defective soldier by your side
October 5th, 2005 at 5:13 pmIt’s comforting to know that our military (who would be brought in to guard our cities in Bush’s martial law plan)will be composed of high-school dropouts and others who can’t quite make the mental test.
October 5th, 2005 at 5:22 pmThese guys are so desperate to maintain the insane CIC and his insane war, that they would risk the entire military. Or else they are so sure of themselves that they believe they can train people who once would have been flunked out of service.
Dumb and Dumber(s) not only run the whitehouse, they’re about to be handling heavy ordinance. Scary stuff!
October 5th, 2005 at 5:37 pmWhile getting that iTunes subscription may be the cool carrot, i notice that the DoD is not providing the iPod or other mp3 players to the hopefuls. This seems another typical oops: “why aren’t more kids signing up for the iTunes?” “Well Col., it turns out that the vast majority of the kids who receive our recruitment materials can’t afford them.”
October 5th, 2005 at 5:55 pmSounds to me like our DOD is admitting that we are no longer strong militarily.
Another failure by the Bushie administration. Thanks Bushie for making us weak.
October 5th, 2005 at 6:10 pmAny one want to make a bet if the nut case get’s his martial law passed his next step will be to re instate the draft. All’s silent on the right and left…..Blessings
October 5th, 2005 at 6:57 pmPretty soon they (military recruiters) will be rolling Joe Camel back out to connect with the 7 and 8 year olds about how cool the service is and to sign up as soon as they ar legally able.
October 5th, 2005 at 8:13 pmWhere are all the military age war supporters? I keep hearing they are the “silent majority” yet they keep falling short of recruitment. What gives? Too chicken to put their ass on the line for a cause they believe in? Nope. Just pure cowardice. It’s easier and safer to fight the war from a keyboard than with a with rifle.
October 5th, 2005 at 8:18 pmSeptember 24 Anti War demo in D.C.
Score:
October 5th, 2005 at 11:59 pm100,000 Anti War — number of demonstrators on 9/24
400 Pro War — number of demonstrators on 9/25
Wonder what it will take for an anti-war movement with a Call for the Draft strategy to emerge. The right heands us the opportunity on a platter but we keep going back to the same Troops Home trough.
October 6th, 2005 at 12:23 amOk, stop trashing these young kids
that have dropped out. Just because
they dropped out doesn’t mean their
dumb.
Look at Bush, he graduated from Yale
October 6th, 2005 at 3:27 amand how dumb is he?
You’re right CAT, so many of the people I meet with degrees and lofty graduate degrees are pathetically stupid – what do “rainmakers” say? “Those who can do – those who can’t, brag about their alma mater…” – something like that.
October 6th, 2005 at 3:41 pmTrue
October 7th, 2005 at 2:57 amto # 25
“September 24 Anti War demo in D.C.
Score:
100,000 Anti War — number of demonstrators on 9/24
400 Pro War — number of demonstrators on 9/25″
haha you have 100,000 anti-war and 400 pro-war and the pro war still get what they wanted.
Pro-war people dont need to demonstrate, we have what we want (or atleast approve of) already.
sorry so our 400 > your 100,000
October 14th, 2005 at 10:20 amyou have a very talented and skilled writting. i had a great time reading your comments. chair will chips unconditionally: http://www.thenewstribune.com/ , when Pair is Grass it will Lose Grass black plane is always faithful girl , Collective Soldier Rape or not central opponents is always astonishing game
December 1st, 2005 at 7:26 amIn light of the many comments here in. I suspect many of you have never been in the military. As to statements relating to dumb or stupid, you might be surprised as to the number of so called educated individuals who score low on the military’s entry battery tests. Tests are not always about book smart!
October 9th, 2006 at 5:52 pm