Military Recruitment 2008: Significant Gap in Army's Quality and Quantity Goals

Military Recruitment 2008:
Significant Gap in Army's Quality and Quantity Goals

http://nationalpriorities.org/militaryrecruiting2008

The U.S. Army has called for an additional 65,000 recruits over the
coming years. Yet in spite of aggressive recruitment efforts, the
Army again missed its quality benchmarks in Fiscal Year 2008. Today
NPP updates its annual report on Army recruitment, with Part I of its
analysis of Fiscal Year 2008 Army recruiting, and provides access to
data by state, county and ZIP Code.

The Iraq War began to have an impact on recruiting in 2005 when the
Army missed its goal for the number of recruits. Despite increases
in spending on recruitment and advertising such as new arcade games
designed to draw more youth into the Army, the Army has failed to
meet its benchmark for the level of educational attainment of
recruits for the fourth year in a row. The percentage of recruits
with high school diplomas reported in early October by the Department
of Defense was considerably greater than what the data actually
show. This difference is due to the Army's reporting on the number
of "contracts" rather than the number of "accessions" with high
school diplomas. Contracts are recorded at the time of sign-up,
whereas accessions are those who actually enlist. Each year there
are losses of individuals who, despite signing the contract, do not
end up enlisting. Because of this, NPP requested zip code level data
on accessions from the Army, and this report is based on those numbers.

The percentage of recruits the Department of Defense (DoD) considers
'high quality,' while up over Fiscal Year 2007, has also dropped
considerably over recent years. Given that 'high quality' is an
indicator of commitment and the likelihood of success, this means
that a higher percentage of recruits will drop out well before the
end of the first term of enlistment, leading to further increases in
spending on recruitment and training, including enlistment bonuses
and pay for additional recruiters.

This analysis is based on data obtained from the Department of
Defense (Army Recruiting Command) through a Freedom of Information
Act request submitted by the National Priorities Project. The
Department of Defense provided the data for every non-prior service,
active-duty Army accession by ZIP Code with race, ethnicity, gender,
birth date, citizenship, educational attainment and score on the
Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) for Fiscal Year 2008.
Demographic data used in the study were purchased from Claritas, a
leading marketing and demographic data company. Population estimates
from the Census Bureau were also used. To access the data by state,
county, or zip code, go to the NPP
Database. http://www.nationalpriorities.org/nppdatabase_tool This
analysis of Army recruiting in Fiscal Year 2008 is the National
Priorities Project's fifth study on military recruiting. The data and
statistics for 2008 are compared to earlier studies done by NPP where relevant.

Forthcoming analyses of race and neighborhood income of recruits are
scheduled for release in February.

Gap in 'educational attaiment' and 'high quality' recruits continues

Educational Attainment

For the fourth consecutive year, the Army missed DoD benchmarks set
for educational attainment and scores on the Armed Forces
Qualification Test. The DoD has a goal that 90 percent of new
recruits have a regular high school diploma or better. According to
what the DoD says is "more than 40 years of studies," around 80
percent of those with regular high school diplomas will finish the
first term of enlistment. Up to half of those with a GED, other
alternative equivalency credential, or no credential will drop out
during the first term of enlistment. Having a regular high school
diploma is the single best predictor of successful completion of a
first term of enlistment.

High proportions of recruits dropping out during the first term of
enlistment has serious consequences. In order to maintain
end-strength, more recruits will be needed in future years. More
personnel and money will need to be devoted to recruiting. Money,
time and other resources spent on training recruits who drop out is lost.

The DoD classifies military recruits according to educational
attainment in 'Tiers.' Tier 1 recruits are those with at least a
regular high school diploma. The proportion of active-duty Army
recruits in Tier 1, while increasing by nearly 3 percentage points
over 2007 levels, has dropped from 83.5 percent in 2005 to 73.8
percent in 2008.

States with the lowest percentages of Tier 1 recruits were Wyoming
with 59.3 percent, Nevada with 59.7 percent, and Rhode Island with
62.3 percent. See Table 1 for more data on educational levels by state.

Armed Forces Qualification Test

All recruits take the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) which is
normalized for the youth population. The test score indicates
trainability. Those in Categories I and II tend to be above average
in trainability; those in Category IIIA and IIIB are average; those
in IV are below average; those in Category V are markedly below average.

Until 2006, the DoD's goal was a minimum of 67 percent of recruits
testing at least in the 50th percentile of the AFQT, with performance
falling into categories I ­ IIIA. That goal has since been lowered to
60 percent. This allowed the Army to meet its goal, with 62.1
percent of new recruits testing in those categories in 2008 and 60.8
percent in 2007.

The DoD attempted to cap Category IV recruits to less than 2 percent,
but recently raised the cap to 4 percent. Historically, this has not
been a problem, but since 2005, the percentage of Category IV
recruits has been at least 4 percent. In 2007, it was 4.1
percent. Fiscal Year 2008 was the first year the Army met that new
goal, with 3.5 percent testing in IV and V categories.

'High Quality'

The Department of Defense defines a 'high quality' recruit based on a
combination of educational attainment and AFQT score. A 'high
quality' recruit is one who scores at or above the 50th percentile on
the AFQT (Categories I-IIIA), and who is Tier 1 (has a regular high
school diploma or better). The DoD strives to have all recruits be
'high quality' as these recruits will be more likely to complete
contracted enlistment terms and perform better in training and on the
job. The percentage of 'high quality' recruits dropped from 56.2
percent in 2005, to 46.6 percent in 2006, and then to 44.6 percent
and in 2007. In 2008, the percentage increased to 45.3 percent.

The District of Columbia had the lowest percentage of 'high quality'
recruits, with 30 percent, followed by Mississippi with 34.1 percent,
and Louisiana with 36.6 percent. See Table 2 for more on quality by state.

The South continues to have the lowest percentage of high quality
recruits, and the midwest has the highest.

Overall Recruitment Rates

Recruitment rates are defined as the number of recruits per 1000
youth ages 15-24. NPP calculates recruitment rates for the US as a
whole, and by region, state, and county.

In Fiscal Year 2008, the overall recruitment rate of 1.60 Active-duty
Army recruits per thousand youth was up only slightly from the 2007
rate of 1.59. The South region continues to have the highest
recruitment rate, while the Northeast has the lowest. See Table 3
for more information by region.

When youth population is taken into account, a disproportionate
number of recruits come from southern states, and southern counties
are well represented among the top 100 counties ranked by recruitment
rates. Table 4 lists recruitment rates by state, and Table 6 gives
the top 100 counties ranked by recruits per thousand youth. More
information on particular counties can be found on the NPP database.

Looking Ahead

Four years of the Army's lower standards of quality, along with the
upward trend in spending on recruiting and advertising, underscores
the extent to which the Army has exhausted its potential supply of
new quality recruits. This is also evidenced by the increases in
physical and felony waivers, the latter having doubled from 2006 to
2007. All this, when combined with the Army's goal of increasing
recruits by 65,000, indicates that it is well past time to look at
the realities of an ever-expanding military. A new approach to
national security - one that recognizes the link between the presence
of US troops around the globe and the pursuit of fossil fuels - is
what is called for. The global security lessons learned in these
years point directly to the need for a new national strategy.

Making the Connection with an Energy Strategy

In October 2008, NPP released a ground-breaking
study http://www.nationalpriorities.org/Energy_Security which found
that upwards of 30 percent of the U.S. Military budget is spent
securing and safeguarding the transport of petroleum. As the United
States begins pursuing a renewable energy strategy in earnest, we
must consider whether an expanded military is at all necessary -- if
not a backwards notion.

Table 1: Educational Attainment, FY 2008
http://nationalpriorities.org/militaryrecruiting2008/army2008edattainment
Table 2: High Quality, FY 2008
http://nationalpriorities.org/militaryrecruiting2008/army2008quality
Table 3: Active-duty Army Recruits per 1000 Youth, by Region, FY 2005 - 2008
http://nationalpriorities.org/militaryrecruiting2008/Army2008region
Table 4: Active-duty Army Recruits Per Thousand Youth, by State, FY 2008
http://nationalpriorities.org/militaryrecruiting2008/staterates2008
Table 5: Active-duty Army Recruits: Top 100 Counties, FY 2008
http://nationalpriorities.org/militaryrecruiting2008/countyrank2008
Table 6: Active-duty Army Recruits: Top 100 Counties by Recruitment
Rate, FY 2008
http://nationalpriorities.org/militaryrecruiting2008/countyrates2008

.

Religion, economy cut into number of Utah's Army recruits

Religion, economy cut into number of Utah's Army recruits

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11529454

By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 01/23/2009

Utah continues to put fewer recruits into Army uniforms than most
other states, according to a report from a nonprofit that has been
tracking military volunteerism since 2005.

And recruiters expect the state's recent economic downturn to give
only a modest boost to recruiting.

In the latest report from the National Priorities Project, Utah
ranked 43rd out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia for its
rate of active-duty Army enlistment.

The Beehive State is among the most conservative in the nation and
polls indicate Utahns support the military and its missions at rates
far exceeding the national average. But no western state ranked lower
for enlistment.

One often-cited reason is Utah's most common religious affiliation:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sends many of its
recruitment-age men and women on religious missions.

Professional recruiters see another factor in Utah's low numbers --
the state's relative insulation from the economic woes that other
parts of the country have been facing for the past few years.

Speaking from Nevada, where he oversees several recruiting companies,
Salt Lake City Recruiting Battalion Commander David Clonts noted that
Las Vegas' unemployment rate is about twice the rate in Utah. Perhaps
not coincidentally, Nevada ranked second in the country for enlistment.

Utah's economy may be changing, however. The state's
seasonally-adjusted jobless rate rose to 4.3 percent last month -- up
0.6 percent from November, according to the Department of Workforce Services.

Utah's rate still remains well below the U.S. unemployment rate of
7.2 percent, but Clonts said the rise might play a small role in
increasing recruiting.

He noted, however, that the Army doesn't simply accept everyone
willing to join.

"It's not just a matter of if they don't have a job anymore they can
join the Army," Clonts said. "We have people walk in all the time and
they've lost their job, so they're interested, but they also have
legal issues or they're overweight -- we can't take them."

That might change, too: The Army's top recruiter said this week that
the nation's largest military branch is talking about starting a camp
to help overweight recruits slim down before boot camp.

Accepting the cultural realities that make Utah a poor place to troll
for teenage recruits, the Defense Department in 2005 specifically
asked Utah to increase its efforts for the National Guard -- which
tends to attract older recruits and offers furloughs for religious missions.

Utah now draws an above-average number of recruits and last month, it
was recognized as one of only three states to meet all of the
National Guard Bureau's goals for recruiting and retention in 2008.

Prior Salt Lake Tribune reviews of recruiting data show that's not
enough to make Utah's overall military burden equivalent to
surrounding states, but Clonts believes it's worth noting that Utahns
do tend "to find other ways to serve their country" beside joining up
straight out of high school.

The regular Army is trying to do its part, too, he said, noting the
number of Army recruits from Salt Lake City and Ogden in the last
fiscal quarter increased 26 percent over the same period a year
earlier. That might account in part for Utah's moderate jump in the
enlistment rankings from 49th last year.

The economy might also be affecting service members' decisions on
whether to stay in the military. Currently, only about half of the
airmen at Hill Air Force Base choose to continue their service after
their first enlistment.

"There are lots of reasons they might be getting out," said Julie
McQueen, who advises enlisted airmen on retention at Hill. "It can be
family, it can be education and it can be opportunities -- better job
offers on the outside."

McQueen said the souring economy didn't seem to make a dent in
reenlistment numbers last year, but she has started to hear some
voice concerns about the civilian economy. "A few do say, 'Yes, I'm
staying in because of that,' " she said.
--

mlaplante@sltrib.com

.

Calls for hearings on Army recruiter suicides

[2 articles]

Army recruiter suicides could be focus of Congressional hearings

http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/houston/stories/khou090123_mh_recruiter_suicides.2251c1a8.html

January 23, 2009
By Mark Greenblatt / 11 News Defenders & Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO -- U.S. Sen. John Cornyn on Thursday called for a
congressional hearing on suicides among Army recruiters, saying a
recent group of deaths in an East Texas battalion show the strain on
an all-volunteer force fighting two wars.

"I was very concerned, starting with the four suicides in the Houston
Recruiting Battalion," Cornyn told the 11 News Defenders. "I
ntimidation, humiliation should not be part of the recruiting practices."

An Army investigation attributed the four suicides over three years
in the Houston Recruiting Battalion to a combination of work
environment, stress and personal issues.

"Each of these deaths is an absolute tragedy and our sympathies and
prayers go out to their families and friends, as well as their fellow
brothers and sisters with whom they served so honorably," the Army
said in a statement.

The investigation also found the Army was violating its own
regulations by pressuring recruiters to meet individual recruiter
goals that were higher than military policies prescribed.

"As you might imagine, corners might have been cut­and they
were­given the exigency of recruiting for war," Cornyn said in a
conference call with reporters. "The concern is that this is not
isolated to a single battalion."

Four members of the 266-member battalion that covers most of East
Texas have committed suicide since 2005. Nationwide, 15 recruiters
have committed suicide since 2003; the Houston battalion was the only
one to report more than one.

Cornyn asked the Senate Armed Services Committee to schedule a
hearing to address the strain recruiters are under to fill an
all-volunteer force during wartime. Family members of some of the
recruiters who committed suicide have complained that the isolating
high-stress job crushed combat-veteran recruiters.

Cornyn's call came one day after the Army announced it had completed
an investigation into the deaths.

Brig. Gen. Frank Turner III concluded in the 2 ½-month investigation
that the Texas deaths were caused by a combination of factors.

Army spokesman Col. Michael Negard said Turner found that the brigade
covering East Texas and a large swath of the south-central United
States required recruiters to find two recruits per month when the
Army only needed them to sign three recruits every two months.

"That did, in fact, violate the policy and the reg and it also put
undue recruiting stress on the recruiters," said Negard of the way
the goals were established. "It's a tough recruiting environment out
there. There can be a significant difference between recruiting one
and recruiting two" per month.

The goals have already been reduced to comply with Army regulations,
Negard said.

Cornyn, who was briefed on the investigation, said at least one
recruiter had been humiliated by the command and all had some
personal relationship problems.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

On Feb. 13, all recruiters and commanders will suspend their
recruiting duties for training and discussions on how to improve the
command. They'll undergo training on leadership, suicide prevention
and wellness programs for recruiters and their families, Negard said.

The Army is also reviewing recruiter screening and selection
processes, provisions for soldiers needing mental health care and
access to care and support groups for recruiters who are often
isolated far from Army posts.

Charlotte Porter, the mother of recruiter Sgt. Nils "Aron" Andersson,
said the actions are good steps forward. Andersson committed suicide
in March 2007.

"There's so much pain still," she said. "It's not only the Army
that's going to have to take a stand. Other people are going to have
to take a stand. These young men fought for our rights to speak out.
When they come home, we have to find a way to listen."

The 11 News Defenders also asked Cornyn about this: How the
investigative arm of Congress has issued three separate reports on
how the Army could solve some its recruiting problems by adopting
methods the Marine Corps use. But the Army has rebuffed all three of
those recommendations.

Cornyn vowed to get the answer during upcoming hearings.

"We do need to look at recruiting practices and find out not only
where the problems exist but where we can actually do things better,"
Cornyn said.

An army spokesman at the Pentagon said he was unable to comment late
Friday on whether the Secretary of the Army will order a more formal
review of those recommendations from the investigative arm of Congress.

For now, the secretary has asked the Army to review how they select
army recruiters and to conduct army-wide suicide prevention trainings.

--------

Cornyn calls for hearings on Army recruiter suicides

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6225788.html

By LINDSAY WISE
Jan. 23, 2009

U.S. Sen John Cornyn has formally requested congressional hearings to
examine a recent rash of suicides among Houston-based Army
recruiters, saying he believes the deaths demonstrate the enormous
strain recruiters endure to sustain the country's all-volunteer force.

The Texas Republican made the request in a letter sent Thursday to
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate armed services
committee, and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the committee's ranking member.

"I strongly believe that this alarming trend, which is further
evidence of the strain on our current force, necessitates the
attention of Congress," Cornyn wrote.

McCain has read the letter and is open to the possibility of
hearings, said his spokeswoman, Leah C. Geach.

"Senator McCain is very concerned about any increase in the numbers
of suicides in the Armed Forces, and believes it's imperative that
every preventative measure be taken to end these tragedies," Geach said.

Levin's spokesman declined to comment, saying the chairman had not
seen the letter.

Four recruiters from the Houston Recruiting Battalion killed
themselves between January 2005 and September 2008. All four were
reassigned to recruiting duty after returning from tours in Iraq or
Afghanistan. Recruiting has long been considered one of the
military's most stressful jobs, especially at a time when America is
fighting two wars.

An Army investigation, requested by Cornyn in October, found that
poor leadership, job-related stress, personal matters and medical
problems were factors in the recruiters' deaths.

As a result of the findings released Wednesday, Secretary of the Army
Pete Geren ordered a rare one-day stand-down for all Army recruiters
on Feb. 13 to focus on leadership training, suicide prevention and
recruiter wellness. The Army also will assess working conditions
throughout its recruiting battalions and review recruiter screening
and selection processes, Army-wide suicide prevention training, and
access to mental health care for recruiters, many of whom are
stationed in rural areas far from military bases.

In a conference call Thursday from Washington, D.C., Cornyn said he
was particularly troubled by the investigation's conclusion that the
Houston battalion's leadership created an intimidating and
threatening environment for recruiters, verbally abusing the soldiers
and humiliating them if they failed to meet monthly quotas.

Commanders also violated Army regulations by assigning excessive
recruiting goals to individual soldiers in order to meet the
battalion's overall numbers, he said.

The recruiting goals for each of the Army's 38 battalions vary on a
monthly basis, depending on the Army's needs. In Houston, for
example, the 266-member battalion might have a goal of putting a
total of 400 troops in boots in one month, but leaders still required
each recruiter to sign at least two new soldiers during that period,
no matter what.

"The recruiters were going after two contracts a month when they
really should have been going after, say, 1.6 on average," said Brig.
Gen. Dell Turner, who conducted the investigation. "It had the effect
of increasing the workload on each recruiter," he said.

"Corners might have been cut -- and they were -- given the
exigencies of meeting recruiting goals," Cornyn said.

.He said he could not release details about ongoing disciplinary
actions, "but I have been assured that those persons responsible are
under review and that this is not limited to NCOs (non-commissioned
officers), this actually goes up the command chain to include
(commissioned) officers."

Hearings can examine if the problems in Houston extend beyond that
battalion, the senator said.

"I have received a tremendous outpouring of letters and calls
pertaining to these issues from both Texas constituents and others,"
Cornyn wrote to Levin and McCain. "These individuals, many of them
current or past recruiters, have informed me that these problems are
not limited to the Houston Recruiting Battalion, or even the Army,
and may in fact be widespread across our Armed Forces."

Veterans' rights activist Paul Sullivan called on the Army to release
a copy of its report to the public and echoed Cornyn's request for hearings.

"He should invite families of soldiers who completed suicide as well
as suicide experts so senators and the public can fully understand
the scope of the suicide crisis," said Sullivan, executive director
of Veterans for Common Sense.
--

lindsay.wise@chron.com

.

Armed forces exceed recruiting goals

Armed forces exceed recruiting goals

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_608623.html

By Robin Acton
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, January 24, 2009

Syd Richardson always knew she'd join the military.

After exploring her options, learning about all of the service
branches and talking to friends who are serving, the 17-year-old
Norwin High School senior enlisted in the Army National Guard.

A $20,000 signing bonus helped her to make a decision.

"I signed up because I wanted to serve, but I'm really glad I did it
because I won't have to worry about money," said Richardson, who
leaves Aug. 31 to begin basic training in Jackson, S.C. "I'm
guaranteed a job. It's something to fall back on."

Newly released figures suggest that events in recent months might
help active duty and reserve military recruiters: President Obama has
promised to bring Americans home from Iraq within 16 months, the
nation is in a recession and college loans are drying up.

Indeed, the proof is in the numbers.

The Department of Defense said each of the nation's active duty and
reserve forces met or surpassed recruitment goals in fiscal year
2008, something that has not happened since 2004, the first full year
of combat in Iraq.

"Many people join because they have a sense of service to a nation
that is at war. But, no doubt about it, the benefits are important,"
said Jack Harrison, public affairs director for the National Guard Bureau.

"Maybe the economy is tipping the balance."

Mounting war casualties and repeated, lengthy deployments challenge
recruiters who draw upon incentives such as money, education benefits
and the promise of job skills to attract people.

Benefits in the new GI Bill lure high school graduates forced to
scrap college plans because they are unable to get loans or qualify
for financial aid. Starting in August, service members with a minimum
of three years' active duty will have their public college tuition
paid by the government; those who attend private universities will
receive comparable amounts to apply to tuition bills.

Sgt. Michael Hartzell, an Army recruiter in the North Hills, said
many young people have come into his McKnight Road office seeking
help with their education.

"They're looking for help with college and enlistment bonuses," he
said. "The opportunity to get enlistment bonuses helps them to make a
decision."

Hartzell said the recruiting center met its goal for each of the past
five months. He attributes much of the center's success to weekly
"future soldiers" nights that help to prepare young men and women for
the physical and mental rigors of basic training.

"They are held to the same standards as soldiers," Hartzell said.
"They're ready when they leave here."

Recruiting efforts reaped positive results for all military branches last year.

The Army had 80,517 enlistments, exceeding its goal of 80,000, and
the Navy exceeded its goal of 38,419 with 38,485. The Marine Corps
surpassed its goal of 37,967, with 37,992 enlistments. The Air Force
exceeded its goal of 27,800 with 27,848 enlistments.

The Army National Guard brought in 65,192 recruits, exceeding its
goal of 63,000, and the Army Reserve reported 39,870 enlistments,
well above its goal of 37,500. The Navy Reserve had 9,134
enlistments, slightly above its goal of 9,122. The Marine Corps met
its target of 7,628.

The Air National Guard reported enlistments at 10,749, well above its
target of 8,548. The Air Force Reserve had 7,323 enlistments,
exceeding its goal of 6,963.

"The success of our all-volunteer force begins with recruiting.
Recruiting is always a challenge, but a tighter job market provides
more opportunities to make our case," said Lt. Col. Almarah Belk,
Pentagon spokeswoman.

To boost numbers, the Army last year relaxed enlistment requirements
and began taking recruits with criminal records of misdemeanor and
felony convictions, high school dropouts and those who earned low
scores on entrance exams.

Marine Corps recruiters instead relied on a message that offers the
branch itself as a destination rather than a means to gain an
education or financial stability. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Robert E.
Milstead Jr. told the American Forces Press Service last year that,
"We only make one promise: that you'll be a United States Marine."

For Pfc. David Quinn, 18, of Latrobe the bad economy and few job
prospects factored into his decision to enlist in the Marine Corps
upon his 2008 graduation from Derry Area High School. Quinn, who
received a $15,000 signing bonus, hopes to gain experience and job
skills before attending school on the GI Bill.

More than anything else, becoming a Marine is a matter of personal
pride, he said.

"No one in my family has been a Marine since my grandfather, Joe
Quinn," said Quinn, who wants to become a state trooper someday. "I
wanted to get more respect for myself."

Although Obama promised to lower troop levels in Iraq, recruiters
tell prospective enlistees that the likelihood of deployment is real.
Hartzell said he explains they have at least a 50-50 chance of being
sent to war.

Quinn said the reality of deployment is something all enlistees take
for granted.

"You know signing up that you're going to have to go and do it, so
you might as well look at it in a positive way," said Quinn, who is
stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Richardson looks at her military career positively.

After basic training, the volunteer emergency medical technician
hopes to complete medic training in Texas as the first step to a
career in the medical field. She said she'd welcome overseas deployment.

"I'm an EMT, and I absolutely love it. I know I'll enjoy being a
medic because you can do so much more and have a real impact on
people's lives," Richardson said.

"I'm not worried at all about going to Iraq."
--

Robin Acton can be reached at racton@tribweb.com or 724-830-6295.

.

In tough times, military service draws attention

In tough times, military service draws attention

http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_11551408

Wesley G. Hughes, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/25/2009

When times get tough, the tough put on a uniform and pick up a gun.

No. Make that a weapon or a rifle. A gun in military lingo means
cannon, something too heavy for even a tough GI to lift.

The Army has a little verse of doggerel that they use to teach young
recruits the difference but it's a little too off-color for a family
newspaper. Ask your Uncle Charlie.

Sometimes the weapon they pick up is a computer, maybe a wrench or
the video game-like controls of one of dozens of UAV's, unmanned
aerial vehicles, like the Predator, the Warrior or the Vigilante,
that are sent into combat by a pilot, who could be 7,000 miles away.
Or possibly a frying pan and a chef's hat or ammo to feed a 155 mm
howitzer in a field artillery unit.

Back to the hard times. With Inland Empire unemployment hovering
above 10 percent, that's more than one out of every 10 in the
unemployment lines and a number of others are stuck in part-time or
low-paying jobs they are overqualified for, a few years in the
military begins to sound better and better.

Despite the hard times the big reason for enlisting in the Army is
still patriotism, says Sgt. 1st Class Osmil Sazon, acting station
commander at the Army recruiting office in San Bernardino. Heartening news.

Each of the services that responded to calls for information on
enlistments chose to downplay the economy and enhance the qualities
of enlistees. Sazon said, "We have a lot of patriotic people here.
They come seeking occupational enhancement or experience or they want
to be a leader. We have a lot of gung ho men coming in."

The Air Force, so far, has not felt the impact of the economy on
enlistments, said Christa D'Andrea, chief of public affairs for the
Air Force Recruiting Service. "There is increased interest but no
significant increase in enlistments," D'Andrea said.

Navy spokesman Petty Officer First Class David Mckee said he had no
specific numbers on enlistments in the Inland Empire. "Obviously,
when the economy is in a downturn, some people who wouldn't have
normally considered the Navy as a first choice do think again about
the opportunity to serve and we eagerly encourage that," McKee said.

The Marine Corps did not respond to repeated calls seeking information.

Sazon says he seeks recruits who are physically, mentally and morally
fit. The age range is broad, from 17 with parental permission up to
42 years old.

Another bit of good news for the enlistees is that there are some
interesting inducements in the pay and benefits category.

A recruit, who hasn't completed basic training is paid $1,245.90 a
month. Not bad. When this reporter was in that bracket well past half
a century ago, the pay was $60 a month. At the beginning of World War
II, it started at $21.

Pay for a staff sergeant with 10 years service today is almost $3,000
a month and a sergeant major, the top enlisted grade is almost $5,000
and there are a host of benefits on top of that, such as food,
housing, medical care, recreation, low prices in the commissary or
the post exchange. It's a lot more than the "3 hots and a cot"
soldiers used to call it.

On top of that, it's possible to negotiate a signing bonus of up to $40,000.

And a soldier can complete a college education, while on active duty.

Sazon did. Degrees are available from such well known schools as
Central Michigan University, St. Leo's, the University of Maryland,
Texas Tech or others. There are centers right on base where classes
are offered. The GI Bill offers four years of college when you get out.

Sazon, whose MOS (military occupation specialty) is pharmacy
technician, is proud of his work as a recruiter. Since October, he
has enlisted 18 men and women.

He has a pledge that he tells potential recruits, "Catch me one time
lying to you and I will book you a hotel room and I will pay for it."

The sergeant has been in San Bernardino for 2 years. He supervisors
eight other recruiters, all sergeants and above. The 27-year-old
Sazon has been in the Army almost nine years and in the San
Bernardino post for 2 . He was born and raised in the Philippines and
moved to Guam when he was 14. He finished high school there and
decided to enlist in his senior year. His duty assignments have
carried him to Germany, Atlanta, Ga., and now California.

Four of Sazon's recruiters were in the office on Friday. Staff Sgt.
Faheed Alajmi, 27, of El Paso, Texas, who says his MOS,
reconnaissance, is the best; Sgt. Willie Foster, 26, of Gaffney,
S.C., is a cargo specialist; Staff Sgt. Rubette Riggins, 42, of Los
Angeles has 11 years on active duty, six years in the Army Reserve
and two years in the National Guard, says her MOS is supply, a
specialty all the others can't do without, she said with a grin; and
Sgt. Dean Radonte, 28, of Charleston, S.C. Airborne artillery is his
specialty.

Alajmi fervently described the Army as a brotherhood, something that
can't be found on the outside in civilian life.

.

Military recruitment up for 2008

Military recruitment up for 2008

http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090115/DCP01/901150307

As unemployment rises, enlistment does too

By Kristen Smith • Staff Writer
January 15, 2009

GEORGETOWN -- With hundreds of people in the unemployment line, some
say the military is becoming an attractive job option.

Though recruitment is typically low in the month of December,
officials from the Delaware National Guard said the opposite was true in 2008.

"It's definitely (because of) the economy," Sgt. Terry Handy of
Selbyville said. "We pay all right and it's a corporation that's
never going under, which means a steady pay check."

Nationally, the U.S. Army recruited 80,000 soldiers this past fiscal
year. And for the third year in a row, the agency has met its recruiting goals.

"It makes sense to join the military right now," said Chris Karps,
who is stationed with the U.S. Coast Guard in Ocean City, Md.
"There's a guaranteed pay check, money for college, health benefits
and so much more."

For Dezsaray Anthony, 18, of Rehoboth Beach, that was the appeal. She
entered basic training while in her junior year at Cape Henlopen High School.

"I wanted to do something with my life and make my family proud," she
said. "I work at Great Beginnings daycare in Lewes right now and make
$7.50 an hour. There's no money out there and no guarantee of a job,
but the U.S. Army is always hiring."

Anthony, who signed on for the next eight years, said her passion for
serving began in high school while participating in the Junior
Reserve Officer Training Corps.

"Eventually, I want to go to college and become a special education
teacher," she said. "Having my tuition paid for is a real plus."

And the enlistment bonus of $20,000 is also great incentive to join,
Handy said.

"To a young man or woman, that's a lot of money," he said. "If
they're wise, they can start a nice savings account."

Reality of a soldier

The peace of mind that comes with good benefits and a regular
paycheck seems to be overcoming concerns about the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.

In the past 12 months, the unemployment rate has jumped from 4.8 to
more than 7 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics. During that time, the ranks of the unemployed grew from
2.8 to 10.1 million.

But folks joining the service for a steady income still need to be
prepared for deployment. According to Handy, it's no longer a matter
of if they'll be deployed, but when.

"We tell them that going (overseas) is a reality," he said, noting
that 99 percent of recruits are mobilized within six years. And
getting the recruits ready for that reality was the thought behind
the creation of the National Guard training site on Route 1 in Bethany Beach.

From mass casualty drills to urban operations mount sites, the
grounds are equipped to prepare recruits for war abroad.

"The only time you rest here is when you're eating or sleeping," said
Pfc. Angela Morris, 22, of Seaford. "This is like a mini-boot camp."

On a mission

Since joining the military, Morris said her confidence has skyrocketed.

"I joined for my education and to better myself and my family," she
said. "The military offers a lot of money, benefits and
opportunities. I wasn't happy with my job waitressing and I like
coming here every weekend. This place has taught me so much about
myself. When I go back to school, I want to become a veterinarian."

Pfc. Jael Perez said she plans to become a psychologist someday, but
wants to remain in the military all the while.

"I joined for my education, but I also want to serve my country," the
22-year-old Milford resident said. "I'm the first in my family to
join the military and I hope to make it a tradition. My sister is
already thinking about joining the U.S. Air Force ... I like to think
I inspired her."

Morris and Perez's unit will be deployed in June, but the two women
have more training to undergo before they can be sent overseas.

"It's a reality," Morris said. "We could go any time after basic (training)."

Michael Gerhard, 19, of Millsboro said although he thinks highly of
the "shot at college" the Army offers, he plans to make a career out
of his service.

"College wasn't for me and this guarantees a stable income," he said.
"I want to become a Bourne Ranger in the active Army. That's every
little boy's dream, right?"

While some people join for the money or benefits, Bruce Carroll, 25,
of Bridgeville said the lack of job security, as well as his faith,
was calling him to join.

"The values you learn here can help you grow as a person and those
skills can be applied in the real job world," he said. "Even teaching
doesn't promise job security anymore, but being in the Army
guarantees me a paycheck."
--

ksmith@dmg.gannett.com
302-537-1881, ext. 203

.

Recruiters banned at RIT

Recruiters banned at RIT

http://socialistworker.org/2009/01/19/recruiters-banned-at-RIT

By Adriano Contreras, Rochester Institute of Technology Antiwar
January 19, 2009

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--Members of the Campus Antiwar Network (CAN) at the
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) are celebrating a significant
victory after the director for Campus Life issued the order to stop
allowing military recruiters in the Student Alumni Union.

On January 15, CAN members were promoting an upcoming meeting calling
for the U.S. to immediately withdraw from Afghanistan when an ally
who works at the information desk told us that military recruiters
were arriving in half an hour. An emergency message was immediately
sent out to CAN members for a counter-recruitment action.

When two members of the National Guard arrived, one of them laid out
their tablecloth and the other went to reserve a table. CAN members
went over to one of the recruiters and asked him questions about
Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. The recruiter portrayed the National
Guard as "the good guys," who "help out with Hurricane Katrina and
stuff." He also claimed that the National Guard is not deployed
overseas, which is false.

When the other Guardsman returned, he said that they couldn't have a
table because of "something that happened before with the Marines or whatever."

The recruiters may have been clueless about why they couldn't have a
table, but CAN members were very much aware. On October 24, CAN at
RIT held a counter-recruitment action with over two dozen protesters,
including members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War. Antiwar
protesters chanting prevented recruiters from recruiting, and even
talking. We forced them to pack up.

When the National Guard took off this time, our ally from the
information desk told us that her supervisor told the National Guard
recruiters that they and other branches of the military were not
allowed to recruit in the building because the administration didn't
want "another riot."

They may have been banned from the busiest place on campus, but they
will find an alternative location to recruit. CAN has no problem with
changing accommodations. We'll keep fighting.

This victory for the CAN chapter is also one for the student antiwar
movement because this is what it means when we say activism matters.
Organizing matters. Educating ourselves matters. Protest certainly
does matter because it's the best weapon we have in combating budget
cuts, recruiters, war profiteers, discrimination and any struggle
that lies ahead.

.

Army recruits mainly in South

Army recruits mainly in South

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20090122/NEWS02/301229943

NEW STUDY: Only two of top 100 counties found in Northeast

By MARC HELLER
TIMES WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2009

WASHINGTON ­ If U.S. soldiers seem to speak with a slight drawl, that
is no coincidence: the service continues to recruit mainly from
Southern states, a study released Wednesday indicates.

The National Priorities Project, a research organization, reported
that the highest Army recruitment rates were in Southern counties and
that only two of the top 100 counties for Army recruitment rates were
in the Northeast.

The group's report, which also questioned the Army's methods for
counting recruits, reinforces an old trend in the military's
geographic tilt and suggests challenges the Army will face as it
continues to expand by tens of thousands of soldiers a year.

Researchers said the findings indicate a "significant gap" in the
Army's goals for numbers and quality of recruits.

Rep. John M. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, the ranking Republican on
the House Armed Services Committee, said that the Army ought to
reflect the population at large and that the committee has asked the
Army to respond to the report.

A spokeswoman for Mr. McHugh said the Army is disputing at least part
of the report. Army officials refute the part that takes issue with
the way the recruits are counted.

According to the report, New York ranked 44th among the 50 states in
Army recruitment among 15- to 24-year-olds, with a rate of 1.06 per
1,000 people in that age group in 2008. The national rate was 1.6 per 1,000.

Jefferson County, the home of Fort Drum, was an exception in the
state, however, with a recruitment rate of 2.8 per 1,000 ­ which was
greater than that of the top-ranked state, Alabama, at 2.53. All of
the top 100 counties had rates higher than 4 per 1,000, however, and
the number one county in the United States was Clinch County, an
extremely rural county in southern Georgia, at 10.09 per 1,000.

Other north country counties were more in keeping with the state's rate.

Two upstate counties, Onondaga and Erie, made the list of the top 100
counties in total number of Army recruits.

The Army's tilt toward Southern recruiting is not new, and its
significance is a point of debate. A spokesman for the Association of
the U.S. Army, John Grady, said the disproportionate number of
Southerners dates at least to the beginning of the all-volunteer
force following the Vietnam War but doesn't really matter.

Mr. McHugh said the geographic tilt is important "when taken to the extreme."

Some critics of the Army say the Southern flavor reflects that
region's lower income and education level, generally, but Army
officials strongly reject the notion that Army recruits are less
educated than the public at large. In fact, the opposite is true,
they say, even with the Army's increasing willingness in recent years
to sign up soldiers who have not completed high school or have had
minor brushes with the law.

Mr. McHugh, who has led the Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel,
said the key question is whether geography is a reflection of the
Southern and Northern populations' attitude toward the military, or
the military's tendency to focus on the South.

"My gut instinct is it's probably a combination of the two," Mr. McHugh said.

The congressman has made the case in the past for geographic balance,
using that as one argument for the Pentagon to spare Fort Drum from
closure. It is the only large Army base remaining in the Northeast,
where an absence of military installations could dampen recruitment, he said.

"It puts a distance between the people and the military," Mr. McHugh said.

The report also took the Army to task for reporting recruitment of
people with high school diplomas before they had actually enlisted.
The recruits with diplomas were listed as "contracts," which could
mean people who signed up at a recruiting station but did not
ultimately enlist.

If recruits in that age group were reported as "accessions" ­ or
actual enlistees ­ the Army would have missed its recruiting goal,
the NPP reported.

The Army insists, however, that its count is correct and it did meet
recruitment goals.

.

Low morale, stress blamed in Army recruiter suicides

Low morale, stress blamed in Army recruiter suicides

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6223087.html

By LINDSAY WISE
Jan. 22, 2009

An Army investigation into a string of suicides among Houston-based
recruiters has found that poor leadership, job-related stress,
personal matters and medical problems all contributed to the deaths.

As a result of the findings released Wednesday, Secretary of the Army
Pete Geren ordered a rare one-day stand-down next month of all Army
recruiting efforts in order to focus on leadership training, suicide
prevention and recruiter wellness.

"This is a significant action," said Brig. Gen. Dell Turner, who
conducted the investigation. "It's rarely implemented, and typically
only after some significant event. It's a day for the unit to stop
what it's doing on the mission side and review policies and practices."

In addition to the stand-down, the Army's Inspector General will lead
an assessment of working conditions throughout the nation's 38
recruiting battalions.

The Army is also reviewing recruiter screening and selection
processes, Army-wide suicide prevention training, and access to
mental health care, especially for soldierswho, like many recruiters,
work in areas far from the resources of a military base.

Turner said his investigation found evidence of a poor command
climate inside the Houston battalion, which has lost four recruiters
to suicide since 2005, including two who hanged themselves within
weeks of each other last year. All four had served in Iraq or
Afghanistan before being reassigned to recruiting duty, a job
considered one of the most stressful in the Army, especially in wartime.

Turner concluded that there was no single cause for the deaths, but
he said the leadership problem at the Houston battalion manifested
itself in different ways, including poor morale, long work hours and
unpredictable schedules that restricted recruiters' time with their
families and strained their personal relationships. In at least one
instance, he said, commanders inappropriately humiliated Staff Sgt.
Larry G. Flores Jr. during an Aug. 2 "low-production counseling
session" in which Flores and other recruiters who failed to meet
monthly quotas had to defend their work ethics before a panel of superiors.

Flores' friends and colleagues have said the 26-year-old station
commander later told them the battalion's command sergeant major had
pressured him to admit he was a failure and that he wanted to quit,
so it would make it easier to kick him out of recruiting or even out
of the Army. Turner said he believes the humiliating episode played a
role in Flores' suicide a week later. "It was very personal rather
than being focused on performance improvement," Turner said.

He said disciplinary actions are being taken against specific
leaders, but declined to comment further except to confirm that the
consequences extend beyond the Houston battalion.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn had requested a "thorough and unbiased" probe
in October after the Houston Chronicle reported on the suicides.

Studied each death

Later that month, Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commander of U.S.
Army Accessions Command, appointed Turner to scrutinize the
circumstances of each death, as well as allegations that the chain of
command tried to cover up a toxic leadership climate at the battalion.

"I'm very impressed with how seriously the Army took my request for
an investigation," Cornyn said Wednesday. "I'm encouraged by the
depth and breadth of the review and the candor with which they have
acknowledged the problems."

The Texas Republican said he wants to hold hearings to determine if
similar problems extend to the Army's 37 other recruiting battalions.

At least 17 recruiters have killed themselves nationwide since 2001.
The deaths come at a time when suicides among all active duty
soldiers have hit record highs. In 2007, 115 committed suicide, the
highest number since the Army began tracking such statistics in 1980.
By October of last year, 117 soldiers had reportedly killed themselves.

Recruiters interviewed by the Chronicle have said they commute long
distances to isolated stations and regularly work 12 to 14 hours a
day, six or seven days a week.

If they don't meet their monthly quotas, they said, they're
criticized as failures, punished with even longer duty hours and
threatened with losing rank, receiving bad evaluations or being
kicked out of the Army. Seeking mental health treatment is difficult
because recruiters have little free time or access to doctors and therapists.

Amanda Henderson's husband, Sgt. 1st Class Patrick G. Henderson,
became the latest Houston-battalion recruiter to commit suicide when
he hanged himself in a shed Sept. 20. His widow welcomed news of the
Army's report Wednesday.

"Even though I can't bring him back, I'm glad something's going to be
done," said Henderson, 32. "But is there really going to be a change?"

Bob Andersson's son, Sgt. Nils "Aron" Andersson, shot himself in
2007. The 25-year-old Bronze Star recipient had served two combat
tours in Iraq before being reassigned to recruiting duty in Houston.
His father said he told Turner during a phone conversation Tuesday
night that the Army needs to do a better job caring for its veterans.

"I said, 'I was hoping (that sharing Aron's story) would make a
difference for even just one family. Now here you have the
opportunity to save a lot of people a lot of grief.' And I said, 'I
hope to God you can do it.' "
--

lindsay.wise@chron.com

.

More Americans Joining Military as Jobs Dwindle

More Americans Joining Military as Jobs Dwindle

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/us/19recruits.html

By LIZETTE ALVAREZ
Published: January 18, 2009

As the number of jobs across the nation dwindles, more Americans are
joining the military, lured by a steady paycheck, benefits and training.

The last fiscal year was a banner one for the military, with all
active-duty and reserve forces meeting or exceeding their recruitment
goals for the first time since 2004, the year that violence in Iraq
intensified drastically, Pentagon officials said.

And the trend seems to be accelerating. The Army exceeded its targets
each month for October, November and December ­ the first quarter of
the new fiscal year ­ bringing in 21,443 new soldiers on active duty
and in the reserves. December figures were released last week.

Recruiters also report that more people are inquiring about joining
the military, a trend that could further bolster the ranks. Of the
four armed services, the Army has faced the toughest recruiting
challenge in recent years because of high casualty rates in Iraq and
long deployments overseas. Recruitment is also strong for the Army
National Guard, according to Pentagon figures. The Guard tends to
draw older people.

"When the economy slackens and unemployment rises and jobs become
more scarce in civilian society, recruiting is less challenging,"
said Curtis Gilroy, the director of accession policy for the
Department of Defense.

Still, the economy alone does not account for the military's success
in attracting more recruits. The recent decline in violence in Iraq
has "also had a positive effect," Dr. Gilroy said.

Another lure is the new G. I. Bill, which will significantly expand
education benefits. Beginning this August, service members who spend
at least three years on active duty can attend any public college at
government expense or apply the payment toward tuition at a private
university. No data exist yet, but there has traditionally been a
strong link between increased education benefits and new enlistments.

The Army and Marine Corps have also added more recruiters to offices
around the country in the past few years, increased bonuses and
capitalized on an expensive marketing campaign.

The Army has managed to meet its goals each year since 2006, but not
without difficulty.

As casualties in Iraq mounted, the Army began luring new soldiers by
increasing signing bonuses for recruits and accepting a greater
number of people who had medical and criminal histories, who scored
low on entrance exams and who failed to graduate from high school.

The recession has provided a jolt for the Army, which hopes to
decrease its roster of less qualified applicants in the coming year.
It also has helped ease the job of recruiters who face one of the
most stressful assignments in the military. Recruiters must typically
talk to 150 people before finding one person who meets military
qualifications and is interested in enlisting. Dr. Gilroy said the
term "all-volunteer force" should really be "an all-recruited force."

Now, at least, the pool has widened. Recruiting offices are reporting
a jump in the number of young men and women inquiring about joining
the service in the past three months.

As a rule, when unemployment rates climb so do military enlistments.
In November, the Army recruited 5,605 active-duty soldiers, 6 percent
more than its target, and the Army Reserve signed up 3,270 soldiers,
16 percent more than its goal. December, when the jobless rate
reached 7.2 percent, saw similar increases in recruitments.

"They are saying, 'There are no jobs, no one is hiring,' or if
someone is hiring they are not getting enough hours to support their
families or themselves," said Sgt. First Class Phillip Lee, 41, the
senior recruiter in the Army office in Bridgeport, Conn.

The Bridgeport recruitment center is not exactly a hotbed for
enlistments. But Sergeant Lee said it had signed up more than a dozen
people since October, which is above average.

He said he had been struck by the number of unemployed construction
workers and older potential recruits ­ people in their 30s and beyond
­ who had contacted him to explore the possibility. The Army age
limit is 42, which was raised from 35 in 2006 to draw more applicants.

"Some are past the age limit, and they come in and say, 'Will the
military take me now?' " Sergeant Lee said. "They are having trouble
finding well-paying jobs."

Of the high school graduates, a few told him recently that they had
to scratch college plans because they could not get students loans or
financial aid. The new G. I. bill is an especially attractive
incentive for that group.

The Army Reserve and the National Guard have also received a boost
from people eager to supplement their falling incomes.

Sean D. O'Neil, a 22-year-old who stood shivering outside an Army
recruitment office in St. Louis, said he was forgoing plans to become
a guitar maker for now, realizing that instruments are seen as a
luxury during a recession. Mr. O'Neil, a Texas native, ventured to
St. Louis for an apprenticeship but found himself $30,000 in debt.
Joining the Army, his Plan B, was a purely financial decision. With
President-elect Barack Obama in office, he expects the troop levels
in Iraq to be lowered.

Going to war, although likely, feels safer to him. "I'm doing this
for eight years," he said. "Hopefully, when I get out, I'll have all
my fingers and toes and arms, and the economy will have turned
around, and I'll have a little egg to start up my own guitar line."

Ryen Trexler, 21, saw the recession barreling toward him as he was
fixing truck tires for Allegheny Trucks in Altoona, Pa. By last
summer, his workload had dropped from fixing 10 to 15 tires a day to
mending two to four, or sometimes none. As the new guy on the job, he
knew he would be the first to go.

He quit and signed up for the Jobs Corps Center in Pittsburgh, a
federal labor program that would pay for two years of training,
figuring he would learn to be a heavy equipment operator. When a
local Army recruiter walked into the center, his pitch hit a nerve.
Mr. Trexler figured he could earn more money and learn leadership
skills in the Army. Just as important, he could ride out the
recession for four years and walk out ready to work in civilian construction.

Although the other branches of the military have not struggled as
much as the Army to recruit, they, too, are attracting people who
would not ordinarily consider enlisting.

Just a few months ago, Guy Derenoncourt was working as an equity
trader at a boutique investment firm in New York. Then the equity
market fell apart and he quit.

Last week, he enlisted for a four-year stint in the Navy, a military
branch he chose because it would keep him out of Afghanistan and
offer him a variety of aviation-related jobs.

"I really had no intention to join if it weren't for the financial
turmoil, because I was doing quite well," Mr. Derenoncourt, 25, said,
adding that a sense of patriotism made it an easier choice.

The Army has struggled to attract the same caliber of enlistee that
it did before the war. In 2003, 94 percent of new active-duty
recruits had high school degrees. Last year, the number increased
slightly from 2007, but it was still 82 percent. The percentage of
new recruits who score poorly on the military entrance exam also
remains comparatively high. The same is true for enlistees who need
permission to enter the military for medical or "moral" reasons,
typically misdemeanor juvenile convictions. Last year, 21.5 percent
of the 80,000 new recruits in the Army required a so-called medical
or moral waiver, 2 percent higher than in 2006. Fewer recruits needed
waivers for felony convictions, though, compared with 2007.

.

Re-enlistment, recruitment on rise as soldiers seek economic stability

Re-enlistment, recruitment on rise as soldiers seek economic stability

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/01/reenlistment_recruitment_on_ri.html

by Ted Roelofs | The Grand Rapids Press
Sunday January 11, 2009

Army Spc. Alex Stewart had a choice: Roll the dice with a dismal
economy or put his life on the line and extend his military commitment.

The Grand Rapids resident concluded the Army is a safer bet.

"I want a stable life for my wife in a very shaky economy," Stewart
said. "There were no other options."

And so two years after he joined Army and shipped off to Afghanistan
with the 82nd Airborne Division, Stewart signed up for five more.

The 32-year-old did so even though the division suffered 87 deaths in
2007, highest toll in the 20,000-member unit since fighting in Iraq
and Afghanistan began.

"I figure if I do another five or 10 years in the Army, the economy
will turn around and I can get a truck-driving job," Stewart said.

He is stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., while awaiting assignment to
Germany. But Stewart is aware he could be sent again into combat, a
chance he is willing to take.

Drop in casualties figures in
Thousands of other soldiers are making the same decision, as bad
economic tidings adds up to good news for the military.

The Army's retention rate for early-career soldiers has climbed 20
percent in the past four years. In the Navy and Air Force, early- and
mid-career sailors and airmen re-enlisted at a higher rate in October
than during the same period in 2007.

In 2006, the Marine Corps' retention rate was 24 percent. Two years
later, it jumped to 35 percent.

Similar trends apply to new recruits. In Michigan, Army and Army
Reserve enlistments have grown from 2,614 in fiscal 2006 to 2,978 in
fiscal 2008.

Army Maj. Joel Heath, in charge of recruitment for the Grand Rapids
region, said a military hitch is a much easier sell when the market
is tumbling and job losses mount.

"They want the educational benefits the military provides. Some are
seeking adventure and just to get away from Michigan," Heath said.

"We are seeing quite a few individuals enlist that are in their 30s
and have a family and are looking to provide a better form of
stability for their family."

At the same time, the drop in casualties in Iraq has made the
military seem less risky.

In 2008, 314 U.S. troops died there. It marked a significant drop
from the 904 who died in 2007, 822 in 2006 and 846 in 2005.

The military paid a price in those more perilous years, as
active-duty enlistment fell 6,600 short of the goal in fiscal 2005.
It was the Army's largest shortfall in 26 years.

To compensate, the Army lowered admission standards to accept more
recruits without high school degrees, pushed the maximum age for
enlistment in the Guard and Reserves from 34 to 39 and bumped its
active-duty enlistment bonus from $20,000 to $40,000.

Benefits are a lure
But the dreary economic landscape might be a more potent recruiting
tool than any of those measures. Michigan has lost more than 80,000
jobs in 2008 and the University of Michigan forecasts it will lose
108,000 more in 2009.

For Grand Rapids resident Andrew Maxim, 17, the Army seemed the best
option after he dropped out of Northview High School and appraised
his job prospects.

"I kind of wanted to do something with my life. That, and the
Michigan economy. I mean, come on."

Maxim leaves for training in March, where he expects to be schooled
as an artillery systems operator. Maxim plans to be in the Army eight
or 12 years, perhaps switching specialties to "something to do with
computers" at some point.

After that, he sees himself relocating out West.

He pins that to a Michigan economy he calls "horrible. I can't see it
going anywhere. When I get out of here, I am not going to come back."

Maxim was guided in his decision to join the Army by his parents; his
brother, a Marine; and by Army Sgt. John Maess, his recruiter.

Maess, an eight-year veteran, himself decided to re-enlist in October
for six more years. He had thought of leaving to enroll in a criminal
justice program but decided the Army was more secure.

Its generous health care coverage, housing stipend and job security
were not lost on Maess.

"Thinking of going back to school and trying a job with the economy
the way it is, actually made my choice easier of going back into the
service," Maess said.

In for the long haul
Maess, 27, is assigned to recruiting duty at the Army's office near
Celebration Cinema North in Grand Rapids until September.

But as a soldier who served a year in Iraq beginning in the March
2003 invasion, he realizes he could be reassigned to combat.

"It's part of the job," Maess said. "If I didn't know the risks when
I was enlisting, I would not have done it."

Maess said he might stay in for 20 years, when he could retire with a
half-pay pension.

He said he found the right fit.

"Honestly, I feel for the people in the state of Michigan and all
over the United States," Maess said. "The unemployment rate has just
jumped through the ceiling.

"It is very, very trying out there," he said.

At age 51, Wyoming resident Richard Lovegrove faced a different calculation.

Lovegrove racked up 17 years in the Navy, leaving in 1997. But he
never attained the economic security he hoped for in civilian life,
moving from work as a paramedic to several retail jobs.

He joined the Army National Guard in November, a three-year
commitment that should qualify him for military retirement benefits.

"The economy had a lot to do with it," Lovegrove said. "That and
seeing the value of my 401(k) dive like crazy."

Like other military couples, he and his wife, Lori, are girding
themselves for the prospect he could be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan.

"There is a concern in the back of my mind that that could happen. As
a family, we are preparing for that."

Grand Rapids resident Anna Jonkman joined the Army National Guard for
six years in late 2007, as she completed her final year at Hope College.

Back then, the job market didn't seem particularly enticing for her
major -- dance performance and choreography.

It might be worse now. Jonkman, 22, is convinced she made the right choice.

"It looks even better than it did before. I get health care, dental,
a regular paycheck that you can count on," she said.

"I can go active military if I want to. I can stay in the Guard."
--

E-mail Ted Roelofs: <mailto:troelofs@grpress.com>troelofs@grpress.com

.

The military enjoys a boon in recruitment

[2 articles]

'Be all you can be':
The military enjoys a boon in recruitment

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_4212.shtml

By Howard Lisnoff
Online Journal Contributing Writer
Jan 9, 2009

Two disparate sectors of the economy in the U.S. are experiencing a
"boon" during the economic depression that has swept much of the
world. Businesses that repair items such as shoes, clothing, and
automobiles are enjoying a surge in customers. And so is the military!

Just four years ago the military fell short of monthly quotas for
enlistees. A booming economy, the unpopularity of the Iraq War, the
poor medical treatment that veterans received after serving in Iraq
and Afghanistan, and the scandals of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay
prisons were turning people away from military service. So-called
"moral waivers" were a mechanism used by the military to fill its
ranks with people who had a wide range of police and criminal records.

In "Military recruiters having no trouble filling quotas," (The
Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 20, 2008), a typical case is cited as
an example of how the economy has acted as an impetus for military
recruitment: "Working for low pay on the evening shift at a West Palm
Beach International House of Pancakes influenced Cheyenne DaSilva's
decision to enlist, even before the 17-year-old completes her senior
year at Forest Hill Community High School. DaSilva received an $8,000
signing bonus when she enlisted for three-and-a-half years. She chose
the military police as her specialty. 'It's something exciting, and a
guaranteed job,' DaSilva said."

An Army recruiter in Florida, Captain Robert Brown, interviewed for
the same article said, "There is no question that the economy and the
unemployment rate have been driving traffic into the recruiting
station. We put a mortgage broker in the Army the other day. These
are people looking for that stability, the paycheck and health benefits."

The article goes on to describe the plight of a financial advisor at
Bank of America who enlisted as a means of earning money to pay for a
mortgage after her finances turned sour in the malaise of the current
economy. The majority of recruits will find, however, upon leaving
the military, that most jobs in the military are not transferable to
the civilian economy.

And the new spurt in enlistments may come just in time for the
expansion of the war in Afghanistan that is in the works in the
incoming Obama administration.

"As president, I would pursue a new strategy, and begin by providing
at least two additional combat brigades to support our effort in
Afghanistan," Obama said in an op-ed published June 14, 2008, in The
New York Times, the day before he gave a speech in Florida on his
vision for Iraq and Afghanistan. (Obama campaign website)

Even in bad economic times with the potential for more recruits for
the so-called "good war" in Afghanistan, the military is leaving
nothing to chance. In "Urban Tool in Recruiting by the Army: An
Arcade," (The New York Times, January 4), an old recruitment method
with a modern twist is highlighted in an example of recruiting
techniques used in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: "At the Franklin Mills
mall here, past the Gap Outlet and the China Buddha Express, is a $13
million video arcade that the Army hopes will become a model for
recruitment in urban areas, where the armed services typically have a
hard time attracting recruits."

With these techniques and state of the economy, it is easy to see how
the Army surpassed its recruiting goal for the past fiscal year. It
recruited 80,517 people with a goal that it had set at 80,000.

With all the talk of hope and change of the election cycle just past,
it appears that foreign policy will continue to be conducted at the
end of the barrel of a gun. It will be business as usual. It's
difficult to counter arguments that the Taliban needs to be dealt
with through diplomacy with the reputation of the "good war" being
fought in Afghanistan accepted in many quarters of society in the
U.S. Afghanistan remains a country dominated by warlords, the
Taliban, and a profitable opium trade. Despite the accepted cant in
U.S. media outlets, women in Afghanistan have never been fully
accepted and integrated into its society, with great injustices still apparent.

What many recruits will discover upon reporting for military training
is that the military is a closed society whose sole purpose is to
strip the individual of all individuality and break down any
resistance to killing those who have been designated as "the enemy"
by the government. It happened in Vietnam and again in Iraq with
devastating results for both the civilian populations of both
countries and the servicemen and women who were sent to fight those
battles. Not much has changed!
--

Howard Lisnoff teaches writing and is a freelance writer. He was a
war resister during the Vietnam War. He can be reached at
howielisnoff@gmail.com.

-------

More Seek Military Careers Due To Poor Job Market

http://www.wcpo.com/content/specials/2008/economy2008/story/More-Seek-Military-Careers-Due-To-Poor-Job-Market/jODsoXpRNEuvxajqaeqetw.cspx

Reported by: Jenell Walton
Email: jwalton@wcpo.com
Last Update: 1/07/09

Some local recruiters say the poor economy has led some people to
take another look at a military career.

For some, it's the last resort because they can't find a job.

Some new enlistees are people who have been laid off from good paying
jobs, so they need to earn enough to support a family.

And the military is becoming a more attractive option.

The U.S. is fighting two wars, but that's not enough to deter some
people from enlisting in the military.

Recruiters say many are struggling to pay bills, so they're finding
more mature people at their doors.

"You have to join before your 35th birthday, if you don't have prior
service," said Sergeant Robert Williams, of the Ohio Air National
Guard. "I've got people that are 28, 29, 30-years-old looking for
full-time work. Looking for training. Looking for ways to payback
student loans."

Enlisting guarantees a steady paycheck and a signing bonus from
$1,000 up to $40,000.

"No matter what you work, if you work the whole month or a couple of
days, it's automatic," said U.S. Army Recruiter Christopher Swantek
from his Glenway Avenue office. "If you're married you're going to
get a housing allowance if you choose not to live on a military post,
which that is guaranteed so you don't have to worry about a place to live."

Stephen Chaney, of Anderson Township, says he realizes there is a
chance that he could be sent to serve in a war zone, but he needs to
find a way to pay for college.

"I looked into student loans – and having a hard time getting those
to go through – so I figured I'd do this," Chaney said, from Sgt.
Williams office in Blue Ash.

Others need to support their families and say with a slow job market,
a military career is a way to learn a new skill.

"The automotive industry has hit Ohio very hard," said Sgt. Williams.
"People have come to me and said, 'Hey, I want to learn a trade.' The
Air National Guard, we have many trades from computers, to
communications satellite equipment."

.

Army lures recruits with virtual reality war game

[2 articles]

Would video games get you to join the Army?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10138411-17.html

January 9, 2009
by Don Reisinger

The U.S. Army has spent $12 million on a new facility in Philadelphia
that abandons the use of recruiters selling the Army life in favor of
video games and loud rock music, according to a Reuters report.

Dubbed the U.S. Army Experience Center, the facility at the Franklin
Mills shopping mall in Philadelphia sports 60 computers preloaded
with military video games, 19 Xbox 360 controllers, and video
displays that "describe military bases and career options in great
detail," Reuters reports.

Visitors to the center can play games that allow them to fire on
enemy combatants from a Humvee or engage in helicopter missions where
the player is firing on the enemy from an Apache or Black Hawk helicopter.

The center first opened in August as the first step in what is a
two-year experiment on the part of the Army to recruit more service
people. So far, the experiment has proven successful: Reuters reports
that 33 full-time soldiers and 5 reservists have have joined the U.S.
Army since its inception. More importantly, that recruitment tally
bests the five "traditional" recruiting centers it replaced.

For its part, the Army says it's not necessarily trying to recruit
young soldiers. Instead, it says the Experience Center is being used
as a way to inform the public.

"What we are doing here is reaching out to Americans, giving them the
opportunity to understand their Army," Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick,
head of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, said in a statement.
"Oftentimes, people have a negative perception of the Army, but the
negatives are a very small part. Our soldiers are well-trained,
well-equipped, and serving a great mission."

That's an interesting take, but one that deserves some more
contemplation. Is the U.S. Army Experience Center really just a place
to teach people about the "real" Army? Or is it a place to coax
people into joining through video games?

Perhaps the answer to that question isn't so simple. Undoubtedly,
people join the service for a number of reasons: stability, financial
aid, patriotism, and education. But it's no secret that the Armed
Forces have had trouble recruiting people in recent years, and
although the military contends that it has met its quota for 2008,
finding people to join isn't as easy as it once was.

Maybe that's why it has turned to video games to recruit new
soldiers. After all, most of the people joining have grown up in an
environment where first-person war games are the norm. Shooting a
virtual character on-screen in Call of Duty has become second-nature.

Retired Lt. Col. David Grossman has written extensively on the impact
that video games and U.S. Army simulators can have on the lives of
children. He claims that video games and similar programs like the
U.S. Army Experience Center "condition" soldiers to be "desensitized"
to killing, and he even goes so far as to call some violent video
games "murder simulators."

But an equally compelling argument can be made in proving that
violent video games do not cause children to become desensitized and
that the U.S. Army Experience isn't the first step in training
potential recruits to kill.

But I digress. Based on the Center's recruitment figures so far, it's
not a stretch to say the "experience" is working quite well for the
Army. After all, if one game-equipped facility can replace five
traditional recruitment offices, it certainly suggests that people
are warming to the idea of joining the Army through video games.

Is it right to use video games as a means of recruiting soldiers?
That's debatable. On one hand, the U.S. Army should have every right
to recruit individuals as effectively (and honestly) as possible. But
on the other hand, its use of video games suggests that it may be
trying to glorify the real business of the Armed Forces.

In the end, compelling arguments can be made on both sides. Still,
the question remains: would video games get you to join the Army?

--------

Army lures recruits with virtual reality war game

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article5489387.ece

January 11, 2009
Tony Allen-Mills

THE first flash of gunfire came from a doorway. I swivelled my
turret-mounted M4 carbine assault rifle as our armoured vehicle
lurched along a bumpy desert road. The head of an insurgent filled my
sights. I squeezed the trigger and his gun went flying as his body recoiled.

Another one dead, but there was no time to celebrate. An incoming
rocket exploded in front of us. The Humvee shook from the force of
the blast. I grabbed a rail and for a moment was disoriented. I began
to wish that I had gone shopping instead.

The Iraq war is under way at the Franklin Mills shopping centre near
Philadelphia. A few doors away from the Life in Pink lingerie store
and the Banana Republic factory outlet, the US army has installed its
most elaborate virtual wartime experience in the hope of attracting a
new generation of recruits.

The centrepiece of the $13m Army Experience Centre is a group of
full-sized simulators that allow wannabe soldiers – and anyone else
with a taste for combat – to pretend they are driving armoured
vehicles or flying helicopters into battle with faceless enemies who
behave uncannily like Al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq.

"We've found virtual experiences are an effective way to communicate
the value of army service," said Edward Walters, the army's chief
marketing officer. "We hope visitors will have a better understanding
of the high-tech nature of our institution."

The simulators are part video game, part roller-coaster, and
surprisingly intense. With a couple of teenage sidekicks last week, I
climbed into the back of an armoured Humvee and took control of the
turret gun above the driver.

In front of us, three high-resolution cinema screens offered a
panoramic view of a village in forbidding desert terrain. An army
specialist, dressed in a black golf shirt and beige trousers, offered
us some brief instructions.

"Shoot anyone with a gun and anything that looks like a roadside
bomb," he said. "Try not to shoot any civilians."

Behind the digital genius of the combat simulation lies a problem for
America's military recruiters. After six years of war in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the army has had to resort to ever more sophisticated
and expensive measures to meet its manpower needs.

In the 12 months to October the army narrowly exceeded its annual
recruitment goal of 80,000 active personnel. But it has reportedly
had to offer higher financial incentives and is recruiting fewer
youngsters who have completed high school and more with criminal records.

The Experience Centre is intended not just as an elaborate sales
gimmick, but as a recruiting laboratory where the army can experiment
with different techniques to spread the word among urban youths that
life in the military is cool.

"Most people think joining the army means being a grunt and that Iraq
equals death," said First Sergeant Randy Jennings, a supervisor at
the centre. "We try to show them that there's more to the army than
carrying a gun."

Just as well, in my case. My team fired 602 shots in our brief
exposure to battle in Iraq, but killed only 67 insurgents. I stand a
better chance of being recruited as a lingerie salesman at Life in Pink.

.

U.S. Army recruiting at the mall with video games

U.S. Army recruiting at the mall with video games

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE50819H20090109

Fri Jan 9, 2009
By Jon Hurdle

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The U.S. Army, struggling to ensure it has
enough manpower as it fights wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is wooing
young Americans with video games, Google maps and simulated attacks
on enemy positions from an Apache helicopter.

Departing from the recruiting environment of metal tables and
uniformed soldiers in a drab military building, the Army has invested
$12 million in a facility that looks like a cross between a hotel
lobby and a video arcade.

The U.S. Army Experience Center at the Franklin Mills shopping mall
in northeast Philadelphia has 60 personal computers loaded with
military video games, 19 Xbox 360 video game controllers and a series
of interactive screens describing military bases and career options
in great detail.

Potential recruits can hang out on couches and listen to rock music
that fills the space.

The center is the first of its kind and opened in August as part of a
two-year experiment. So far, it has signed up 33 full-time soldiers
and five reservists -- roughly matching the performance of five
traditional recruiting centers it replaced.

The U.S. military says it has been meeting or exceeding its
recruiting and retention goals, with 185,000 men and women entering
active-duty military service in the fiscal year that ended on
September 30 -- the highest number since 2003.

Defense officials say the recession and rising unemployment were
likely to boost recruiting.

The Philadelphia center lures recruits with a separate room for
prospective soldiers to "fire" from a real Humvee on enemy
encampments projected on a 15-foot-high (4.5-meter-high) battleground
scenario that also has deafening sound effects.

In another room, those inclined to attack from above can join
helicopter raids in which enemy soldiers emerge from hide-outs to be
felled by automatic gunfire rattling from a simulator modeled on an
Apache or Blackhawk helicopter.

The Army is not simply looking for new recruits, said First Sgt.
Randy Jennings, who runs the center. It also aims to dispel
misperceptions about Army life.

"We want them to know that being in the Army isn't just about
carrying weapons and busting down doors," said Jennings, who wears
slacks and a polo shirt rather than a uniform. About 80 percent of
soldiers are not involved in direct combat roles, he said.

GLAMORIZING WAR?

Jesse Hamilton, a former Army staff sergeant who served in Iraq in
2005 and 2006, said the use of video games glamorized war and misled
potential recruits, calling it "very deceiving and very far from realistic."

"You can't simulate the loss when you see people getting killed,"
said Hamilton, who left the Army after his Iraq tour and is now a
member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

"It's not very likely you are going to get into a firefight," he
said. "The only way to simulate the heat is holding a blow dryer to
your face."

The center is an experiment in boosting urban recruitment, which has
traditionally lagged behind that of rural areas.

Eddie Abuali, 20, who was waiting to take an Army aptitude test, said
he felt more comfortable in the center than he would in a traditional
recruiting office. "It's a more relaxed environment," said Abuali,
who plans to join the Army when he graduates from college. "You don't
feel like you are being pressured."

Project manager Maj. Larry Dillard said recruitment was more
difficult about two years ago when the United States was struggling
in Iraq and jobs at home were easier to get.

"Now the news coming out of Iraq is better and we are in an economic
downturn. It will be easier," he said.

.

Lawsuit part of national debate on recruiting

Lawsuit part of national debate on recruiting

http://www.journalpatriot.com/fullstory.asp?id=1016

[January 2009]
by Jule Hubbard

A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in Wilkes
Superior Court Monday is part of a national debate related to federal
legislation giving military recruiters the same access to students in
federally funded high schools and colleges as other entities offering
career or educational opportunities.
The suit raises the question of whether equal access for
recruiters includes talking to students about another
entity-particularly if it's negative.
The suit was filed against the Wilkes school system and Dr. Steve
Laws, school superintendent, on behalf of N.C. Peace Action Inc.
member Sally Ferrell of Boomer and its director, Bill Towe of
Raleigh. It claims the defendants violated the plaintiffs' first
amendment rights to free speech by denying them meaningful access to
schools to offer perspectives on military service and other career
opportunities for over three years.
The suit seeks an injunction allowing access to the high schools
for Ms. Ferrell, Towe and N.C. Peace Action. It also seeks a judgment
letting them present truthful information about military careers,
even if the information presents disadvantages of military careers.
Ms. Ferrell, a pacifist, said she wants to talk to students about
things like length of military service and conditions because
military recruiters don't always share an accurate picture.
Laws said he wasn't aware of any other complaints about military
recruiters in the high schools, but he added, "I want this community
to know that it isn't that we won't compromise."
Laws said school officials compromised with Ms. Ferrell by
approving two policies in 2006. One allows her the same access to
students as military recruiters. The other is for "non-school
sponsored" printed materials, including brochures reflecting
negatively on military service, at a designated location in each high school.
The matter began when Ms. Ferrell wrote a letter to Laws in March
2005 seeking permission to share materials and speak to students in
the high schools about alternatives to military service like Job
Corps and AmeriCorps. She said military recruiters in the Wilkes high
schools presented "biased, incomplete information" on military
service, including to her son over 10 years earlier at Wilkes Central
High School.
After Laws denied the request, the ACLU said on Ms. Ferrell's
behalf in a letter to Laws that she was turned down solely due to her
viewpoint, in violation of her First Amendment right to free speech.
A policy completely denying access of employment or educational
recruiters to schools was presented to the school board in early
April but not approved. A revised policy approved by the board in
July 2006 lets spokesmen for each military branch, N.C. Peace Action
and other established entities talk to students in high schools about
educational and/or employment opportunities in two scheduled
recruiting visits per semester.
An amendment to the policy, approved in April 2007, said
recruiters couldn't discourage students from choosing a career or
educational option by denigrating it because of its nature or
purpose. "Accurate information which some might interpret as
criticism or discouragement is permissible; however, exhortative and
denigrative presentations for the purpose of denouncing certain"
entities or job opportunities is banned, it stated. Recruiters must
sit at designated recruiting tables during lunch at the high schools.
Ms. Ferrell visited all of the county high schools in the spring
of 2007, but was denied access in the fall of 2007 and the fall of
2008 due to "complaints about her trashing the military with
literature and what she said. Students and adults complained," said Laws.
"In no way will someone come in and denigrate another job
opportunity. It's like going to a college and telling students they
don't want to become teachers because it will cause you psychological
trauma. The access to students is only for recruiting. It's not for
stating political positions," he said.
The suit said Ms. Ferrell received no complaints from parents,
students or teachers and that 470 students stopped at her table and
picked up one or more items.
The school board told Ms. Ferrell in a February 2008 letter that
she couldn't hand out literature in person. The letter said the
literature could instead be placed on a table in each school for
"passive distribution," without her being able to explain the
material or answer questions.
The suit said the military isn't limited to "passive distribution
of literature containing truthful, job-related information on
military careers."
The suit said that when Ms. Ferrell sought permission to speak to
students in the high schools this past Sept. 12, she stated in an
e-mail to Laws that she wouldn't distribute, in person, the
publication he most strongly opposed. Ms. Ferrell said she wanted to
distribute other materials previously rejected by Laws while speaking
to students about military careers.
Laws denied her request in a Sept. 14 e-mail, saying the school
system wouldn't allow "negative or counter recruiting" at student
recruiting tables.­
Attorney Fred Johnson, Wilkes school board attorney, said the
school board and administration tried in good faith to accommodate
Ms. Ferrell and extended to her the same opportunities provided to
military and all other recruiters.
Spokesmen for the Wilkes schools and the ACLU all said they
regretted going to court, but that they would vigorously defend their
positions.
Military recruiters were given the same access as other
recruiters to students in federally funded high schools and colleges
under an amendment approved as part of the No Child Left Behind Act
in 2001. The amendment also mandated that military recruiters be
given students' names, addresses and telephone listings upon request.
The legislation said parents could require that this information
not be released without their consent. Schools also must notify
parents of their right to make this request, but even the form and
clarity of these notices have been debated.­
At the first of each school year in the Wilkes high schools,
students in every grade level receive an "opt out form" with places
for both a parent/guardian and student to sign after indicating with
a check mark beside, "I request that this student's name, address and
telephone number not be released to Armed Forces and Military
Recruiters or Military Schools."
The forms also have a place for a check mark to request the same
with colleges, universities or companies seeking employees.
Laws said he wasn't aware of military recruiters speaking to
students who turned in forms asking that this not occur.
The U.S. Supreme Court in 2006 ruled that recruiters for the
military and other employers must have equal access to students in
universities and law schools. The Supreme Court would likely say the
same for high schools, according to a 2007 American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU) question and answer sheet on military recruiting in high schools.
The ACLU Q&A sheet said a group with information about jobs in
the peace movement couldn't be denied equal participation in a
designated recruiting forum. "It is less clear whether the school
could keep out a booth that did not offer jobs of its own, but
instead did nothing but criticize job opportunities described by
others. The answer would depend on specific facts and history of the
school," stated the ACLU Q&A sheet.
According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, a
public policy research arm of Congress, an estimated 95 percent of
the nation's school districts comply with the equal access provision
enacted as part of No Child Left Behind. The report said military
recruiters already were allowed to contact students within most high
schools before this.
The report said schools implemented the equal access provisions
in different ways, ranging from letting military recruiters freely
approach students anywhere on campus to denying access unless
recruiters have appointments with individual students. The Wilkes
schools policy on on-campus recruiting appears to be somewhere in the
middle between these two extremes.
"Schools are allowed to place as many or as few restrictions as
they wish on military recruiters, as long as schools treat such
recruiters the same way they treat other entities that wish to
contact students," the report stated.

.