Parents - the Anti Recruiter

[RickSp]

Two interesting stories today. With the Army managing to attract less than half of its quota, the Army recruiters are finding that parents are active in opposing their signing up their children. From this morning's NYTimes front page: "Growing Problem for Military Recruiters: Parents"

"A Department of Defense survey last November, the latest, shows that only 25 percent of parents would recommend military service to their children, down from 42 percent in August 2003. Parents," said one recruiter in Ohio who insisted on anonymity because the Army ordered all recruiters not to talk to reporters, "are the biggest hurdle we face." Legally, there is little a parent can do to prevent a child over 18 from enlisting. But in interviews, recruiters said that it was very hard to sign up a young man or woman over the strong objections of a parent. The Pentagon - faced with using only volunteers during a sustained conflict, an effort rarely tried in American history - is especially vexed by a generation of more activist parents who have no qualms about projecting their own views onto their children.

From Slate, the other side of the picture - the Army is now making it more difficult for commanders to force out the drunks, druggies and unfit from their commands. When short of bodies they want to keep everyone, even fat drug addicts.
Dismissed!

Now comes a new Army directive that attempts to alleviate the personnel crunch by retaining soldiers who are earmarked for early discharge during their first term of enlistment because of alcohol or drug abuse, unsatisfactory performance, or being overweight, among other reasons. By retaining these soldiers, the Army lowers the quality of its force and places a heavy burden on commanders who have to take the poor performers into harm's way. This is a quick fix that may create more problems than it solves.

In a just world, young people voting by not signing up to fight in an immoral and pointless war would cause the politicians to rethink their policies. Of course this is not a just world. My fear as the father of two sons is that if the Army continues to unravel, King George and his minions will push through a draft. I'll be damned if my sons will be use as cannon fodder for the empire.

What do you think will happen if the current recruiting shortfall continues?

[Prometheus]

What do you think will happen if the current recruiting shortfall continues?

Our commander in chief will be forced to take a good hard look at what conflicts we *have* to be in. US aggression will decline.

[RickSp]

Quote by: Prometheus Our commander in chief will be forced to take a good hard look at what conflicts we *have* to be in. US aggression will decline.

Is this an expression of your sense of humor again or are you really that optimistic?

[belverron]

I don't have to fear a draft. I just have to be flambuoyant for a day. A draft might finally force them to allow gays in the military, somehow. I don't know how I feel about that :eek:

*Drags himself back on topic* So, I honestly think a draft would come before we toned down our war efforts. Well, Bush would back a draft before backing out. I don't think he'd have much luck convincing congressmen to go along. They'd all be out on their asses come the next election, so they'd almost have to oppose it.

[belverron]

Oh, and my stepbrother was going to go into the Navy. His mother wasn't too crazy about it, but she wasn't going to stop him. His father, on the other hand, threw him out when he changed his mind.

[Prometheus]

Quote by: RickSp Is this an expression of your sense of humor again or are you really that optimistic?

Of course i'm optamistic, if I can't expect our commander in chief to make sound military decisions, what *can* I count on?

[Prometheus]

Quote by: belverron I don't have to fear a draft. I just have to be flambuoyant for a day. A draft might finally force them to allow gays in the military, somehow. I don't know how I feel about that :eek: *Drags himself back on topic* So, I honestly think a draft would come before we toned down our war efforts. Well, Bush would back a draft before backing out. I don't think he'd have much luck convincing congressmen to go along. They'd all be out on their asses come the next election, so they'd almost have to oppose it.

John Stewart had something to say about gays in the military:

"While fighting a war against religious fanaticism, how can we afford to allow our soldiers to violate the laws of God?"

[belverron]

I love him. I really need to read America. I have a copy, but my reading list is already full up. I need to start reading the funner ones to shorten it up.

[tman_ndsu08]

I believe that the government desperately wants to install some sort of draft but won't because they know that is equal to political suicide not only for themselves, but with Clinton the likely '08 Dem. presidential candidate, the entire Repub. party.

[Athena]

Our federal government has the ability to track us through education, No Child Left Behind made sure of that, banking- mandates requiring we validate our addresses and use our Social Security numbers , and all medical services, do to the Privacy Act that gives government the right to track us. I think it is only a matter of time before military service is required of everyone who comes of age. I think we have fought every war for nothing, because our nation is threatening to be the worst tyrant in history.