Military Recruiter Violations up Sharply!, page 1

posted on Aug, 15 2006 @ 05:37 AM

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Is the pressure getting to the military recruiters, to the point where rules are being broken? Allegations of wrongdoing are on the rise. The percentages of reported cases of wrongdoing have risen sharply in fiscal 2005 leading many to question the tactics of recruiters.

www.washingtonpost.com
The number of alleged and substantiated violations by U.S. military recruiters increased by more than 50 percent in one year, a rise that may reflect growing pressure to meet wartime recruiting goals, according to a Government Accountability Office report released yesterday.
Allegations of wrongdoing by military recruitment personnel rose from 4,400 cases in fiscal 2004 to 6,600 cases in fiscal 2005, with substantiated cases increasing from 400 to almost 630, according to the report. The number of cases found to be criminal violations more than doubled, from 33 to 68. The increase in violations was noted despite a significant decline in the number of people who joined the military. The number of new recruits fell from 250,000 in fiscal 2004 to 215,000 in fiscal 2005, even as recruiting efforts were significantly boosted, according to the GAO report.

The report noted that part of the increase in violations could be due to the Air Force's improved ability to track wrongdoing. But GAO officials concluded that because the Defense Department does not have an appropriate method of tracking violations across all the services, the total is likely to be higher.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

If we are to believe that the increase in numbers of allegations is simply a improvement in the tracking process, we must have had a serious problem with the tracking process before the changes.

Or could it be that the pressure of meeting the demand for new recruits is overwhelming the recruiters?

[edit on 15-8-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

JIMC5499

posted on Aug, 15 2006 @ 12:05 PM

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To be perfectly honest I don't like the way that allegations are lumped into this statistic. This shows nothing. Show me that actual violations are on the rise then you might have something. This is just the Washington Post jumping at another chance to slam the military and by default the Bush Administration. Military recruiters in my area have had their homes and vehicles vandalized and their families threatened.

I understand that there are recruiters who will do anything to meet their goals so that they can look good and gain promotion. One of these is why I went into the Navy instead of the Army when I got out of high school. I also saw what happened to the recruiter when the Army found out.

Regenmacher

posted on Aug, 15 2006 @ 05:33 PM

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Here's the US Government Accountability Office report:

GAO-06-846 Military Recruiting: DOD and Services Need Better Data to Enhance Visibility

Lack of screening would also give the rise to post-traumatic stress syndrome in the military. Crack troops are less likely to crackup. There's a reason why you don't take highschool droputs, felons, deliquents, head cases, and addicts....guess when you need cannon fodder to die for the farce war, you make exceptions.

PTSD cases up and THIS is how you support the troops?

the_sentinal

posted on Aug, 15 2006 @ 09:18 PM

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I remember how I was mislead when I joined the Airforce, dont get me wrong I enjoyed my time in and made the most of it, but when I read this article I remembered all the promises that were made by the recruiter and how things were very different than the way that they were presented to me, all those feelings came back. I learned the hard way that they only painted half the picture.

Oh well, I guess the recruiters are under pressure to make a certain amount of recruits happen no matter what they have to do, it's the "nice guy's finish last" syndrome. With the war on terror coming into full swing they are under alot of pressure to produce what the military needs.

WyrdeOne

posted on Aug, 15 2006 @ 09:29 PM

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There's another angle to consider...

While official recruiters are bound by a number of strict regulations, and can't be offered a bonus based on performance, and can catch Hell for stepping out of line (just because they can doesn't mean they do, it appears that sometimes the offenders are just transferred), the same cannot be said for private contractors acting as headhunters for the military.

They are under fewer obligations, and they don't answer to a CO, they answer to a manager. The manager, first and foremost, wants results. The trend is small, but growing. I think before long all of the military's recruitment needs will be handled by private contractors.

Of course this means the recruiters can expect a bonus based on performance, and they can expect dismissal if they fail to meet their quota. This encourages 'cheating' in a number of ways.

I found this and posted it to ATSNN a while back, it's still relevant. It documents underhanded recruitment methods, and explores some of the reasons (which are obvious to most, but interesting nonetheless).

www.abovetopsecret.com...