Hi, I am your local recruiter....

news.yahoo.com.../usatoday/20050303/pl_usatoday/armymissesrecruitinggoal


So it seems that people are not signing up in the numbers expected.

In what could be a troubling sign for the military, the active-duty Army missed its February recruiting goal by more than 27%. It was the first time in almost five years that the Army has failed to meet a monthly target.

Now, the strange thing is, my fiance, who is 24, has gotten 3 phone calls from the local military recruiter now. This is all in the last 2 or so months. She says she has NEVER gotten a cal, ever. This is also a cell number, that they would not have access to. There is no reason for them to contact and ask her. She took the ASVAB when she was 15, which is over 9 years ago. Are they reaching back that far to try to find potential recruits? DEP seems to have screwed them last year.

Last year, the Army rushed several thousand recruits in the delayed entry program into basic training to meet its 2004 recruiting target. Normally, those recruits would have been available this year to boost recruiting numbers.

Even the Marines found it tough.....

The Marine Corps missed its monthly target in January for the first time in nearly 10 years, but it met its February goal.

I just found it odd that she should be getting calls from the military. Anyone else experience anything similar.

Not for nothing, The United States Military has been digging real deep into the barrel, since 9/11/2001 I have recieved 3 phone calls asking to
re enlist. I have been out since 1992 but am only 34 now, so I guess Im trained and not to old.

Charlie Company
158th2nd bat
Ft Benning, GA

Go Ninja's..............

I would expect that. I know many people who have been asked back for certain 'specialties'. However, my fiance has nothing to do with the military. ASVAB scores from the mid-90's is reaching WAY deep in the barrel.

Yeah, but taking the asvabs, is basically saying "Hey do I qualify for enlistment? Besides Normally you would not take this test unless you had a true interest in joining, especially when you normally go to a Meps station to take this.

I think that if was not for the 911 and the Iraq war...people would not be so reluctant to sign up...

A solution to this recruitement problem could a...Draft, which is not so favorable right now...

Here is the Reality, We have been at peacetime for so long that it was a no brainer to Join the Military because basically you recieve a free education and pay while you are learning, free exercize classes and room and board. Now you might actually have to fight for your country.. Everybody always wants something for nothing, but now when asked to be willing enough to give your life for our country people are just saying " I think Not". No way, Im not gonna join... Well what about all those benifits???

Yeah, but taking the asvabs, is basically saying "Hey do I qualify for enlistment? Besides Normally you would not take this test unless you had a true interest in joining, especially when you normally go to a Meps station to take this.

Not so fast...some states made it MANDATORY to take this test a while back (when I was in High School). It was overturned, but for a couple of years, you had to take it... (I was one of those...) I got calls for a few years after graduating (as I scored really high on it), but then I moved and didn't have a phone for a bit when younger, hehe....

It will be due to the conflict in Iraq. Although a high percentage of jobs in the army do not need you to be in a combat zone, the first image likely to come to mind is images of being in Iraq. Or something similar at least.

I have read studies on people in combat. They say around of 98% of troops shoot to miss. 1% enjoy the killing so shoot to hit and 1% try to do their duty and shoot to hit. It is a natural instinct in humans not to kill another human. Obviously everyone has a natural instinct to survive, in other words not get shot at.

I think the constant news of deaths over there is making people face the reality of what could be involved in signing up. Not suprisingly, people do not want to be in that position and just want to get on with there life.

I am not surprised the recruiters are finding it hard.

I have a question for you guys in the US. Do they only contact people who have expressed an interest or have joined before? Or do they contact random members of the public also?

Gazrok,

Im sorry, I was unaware of this. I was only replying to this on my own personal experience. Back in the Day, the only people who took this test where the ones who wanted to see what branch of Military they qualified for.

Originally posted by Kriz_4
...question for you guys in the US. Do they only contact people who have expressed an interest or have joined before? Or do they contact random members of the public also?

Yes and only if you fall into a certain age group. I wouldnt say "random" contact is the word for it. They get info from recrutes or depers Delayed Entry Program, schools are another but only high schools.

Oh almost forgot, the only random part I could think of is when recruters are in malls and age specific gathering places.

[edit on 3-3-2005 by ADVISOR]

Thanks for the reply Advisor. So it is done on leads and visits to high schools and malls. Thats pretty much how it is done here too. Thanks for the clarification, I just had an image in my mind of random phone calls.

Originally posted by Kriz_4

I have read studies on people in combat. They say around of 98% of troops shoot to miss. 1% enjoy the killing so shoot to hit and 1% try to do their duty and shoot to hit. It is a natural instinct in humans not to kill another human. Obviously everyone has a natural instinct to survive, in other words not get shot at.

Not sure of the above study, I would like to read it. As a former Marine, I know that this is not true of Marines. I know that all 0311's (infantry) are trained to effectively kill the enemy.

The ASVAB is nowgiven to anyone unlike how it used to ne admin while your MEPS was done. many kids in High school take it now just to get out of class. When i took it as sophmore (only those in JROTC could) you were guaranteed to have a recruiter call you. My senior year was filled with a different lunch each week from either the AF, USCG or the Marines. THe Army wasn't as proactive as those 3.

I just found it odd, that she took this sooo long ago, and when in college she was a music major, so I see no connection. I was looking more for people who have been contacted, rather than why hte recuriting is not up to speed.

The armed forces used to be an outlet to leave home and find yourself, but in the post baby boom generation, most Gen X/Y kids are content to live at home till 25 and eat moms food and play the Xbox.

Originally posted by wloch
Not sure of the above study, I would like to read it. As a former Marine, I know that this is not true of Marines. I know that all 0311's (infantry) are trained to effectively kill the enemy.

I am not doubting the training or ability.

In reality, most people do not want to hurt other people. It is an instinct.

[edit on 3-3-2005 by Kriz_4]

[edit on 3-3-2005 by Kriz_4]

I got a call and a few visits, even re-took the ASVAD again with disappointing results for me, stupid 94 when I had bad case of diarrea. The poor recruiter thought he had another recruit until I tested positive for marijuana like I knew I would. I guess the gov't doesnt need any potsmokers.

The poor recruiter thought he had another recruit until I tested positive for marijuana like I knew I would. I guess the gov't doesnt need any potsmokers.

Well How did you answer the question on your application before you even made it to that point. ( Do you or have you used illegal drugs?) I personally know that is asked while filling out your application at the very beginning of the proccess. Oh yeah, you go Pot Head............. thanks for wasting the US taxpayers dollars and thier time......... what a J/o.. oh yeah, besides being burnt, you can also be responsible.

I told the guy I've smoked before, i just wasnt clear on when was my last time. As far as im concerned its the governments problem for having the marijuana ban. Guys get in regularly and stay in who do are regularly do coke, speed, opiates(painkillers and herion) and get away with it because how fast those substances get out of the body.

They are the ones who are missing out, im not a fan of aptitude tests but when I can always test in the top 6% even when possibly high on pot and my body hurting(the diarreah i had on the test day )and cant get in because of a stupid pee test, just shows that they are missing out.

A long time ago when I was in Amsterdam going out to the clubs they were full of American GIs from Germany doing ecstasy but said they couldn't smoke pot because it stayed in the body too long and would be detected.

Originally posted by djohnsto77
A long time ago when I was in Amsterdam going out to the clubs they were full of American GIs from Germany doing ecstasy but said they couldn't smoke pot because it stayed in the body too long and would be detected.

Exactly!

I dont feel bad about what I did because I was the one that getting a called all the time and was annoyed by their persistance. And I do think I made a point of how pointless the marijuana prohibition is.

Originally posted by jrod
They are the ones who are missing out, im not a fan of aptitude tests but when I can always test in the top 6% even when possibly high on pot and my body hurting(the diarreah i had on the test day )and cant get in because of a stupid pee test, just shows that they are missing out.

That is why they didn't get me 20 or so years ago when I actually wanted to join. They asked me if I had ever been arrested, and since I had been for possession of Cannabis when I was 15 they wouldn't even let me test.

Although I didn't know it, I actually had an uncle who was a Full Bird at the time, and he could have gotten me in. Also, I didn't actually have to tell them about my prior arrest since it was before I was 16 and had been expunged.

In hindsight, I'm pretty glad that I wasn't allowed to enlist. The inflexability of military life wouldn't have done much for me.