Ravenwood - 08/24/05 07:30 AM
The New York Post reports what the mainstream media doesn't:
* Every one of the Army's 10 divisions � its key combat organizations � has exceeded its re-enlistment goal for the year to date. Those with the most intense experience in Iraq have the best rates. The 1st Cavalry Division is at 136 percent of its target, the 3rd Infantry Division at 117 percent.The numbers for "new recruits" are still down for the year.Among separate combat brigades, the figures are even more startling, with the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division at 178 percent of its goal and the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Mech right behind at 174 percent of its re-enlistment target.
This is unprecedented in wartime. Even in World War II, we needed the draft. Where are the headlines?
* What about first-time enlistment rates, since that was the issue last spring? The Army is running at 108 percent of its needs. Guess not every young American despises his or her country and our president.
* The Army Reserve is a tougher sell, given that it takes men and women away from their families and careers on short notice. Well, Reserve recruitment stands at 102 percent of requirements.
* And then there's the Army National Guard. We've been told for two years that the Guard was in free-fall. Really? Guard recruitment and retention comes out to 106 percent of its requirements as of June 30.
Category: Get Your War On
Comments (2) top link me
Granted, I don't think recruitment is as bad as the media says, but I do know on first hand accounts and personal experiences that they are hurting.
I checked into going Army in 2003 with a buddy. They said we'd both need to have 2 year degrees to get into what I wanted. We were both looking at MP. We don't need a degree if we would take on corrections duty but we turned that down. You already do enough prisoner babysitting in MP, I don't want to do it 24/7 for 4 years as corrections. Furthermore the MP had minimum sign up of five years and no bonus.
I checked into the local recruiter after I graduated, he doesn't remember anything about requiring a 2 year degree. Well dipshit if you gave me that 2 years ago I'd already be in with a friend. His recruitment went from 5 a month to 1 every other month. I have recruiters calling me from a much much larger town 40 miles away and have had one call me as far away as Michigan. (I'm in Kansas.)
Also, you now have 4 year signup with $3,000 bonus or $1,000 bonus and $40,000 extra for college, or 5 year sign up with $5,000 bonus or $2,000 bonus with $70,000 for college for MP. (This is not MGI Bill, this is on top of that!) I doubt my friend will join with me now and after talking to my cousin in the coast guard he has me tempted to go there instead. He brags about hitting the beaches on every island in the caribbean for football, cook-outs, deep sea swimming, and cave and forrest exploration. He gets paid for a vacation in the caribbean with an occassional rescue or drug seizure.
I bet they are matching their goals, but they are working much harder for it than in 2003.
Posted by: Rhett at August 24, 2005 3:44 PMI looked at going Army in 1996, during the height of the Clinton years. The Army recruiter basically talked me out of joining up.
He also told me that if I did go Army, I should go enlisted for 2 years and then go to OCS to become an officer. I didn't see the sense in going enlisted when I already had a 4 year degree and would be up against 18 year olds who were 5-6 years younger than me.
Back then the Army was downsizing and there were no incentives at all.
Posted by: Ravenwood at August 24, 2005 4:33 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
