General: Guard Won't Meet Recruiting Goal

[joefree1]

Posted on Thu, Sep. 23, 2004

General: Guard Won't Meet Recruiting Goal

ROBERT BURNS

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Army National Guard will fall short of its recruiting goal this year, in part because fewer active-duty soldiers are opting to switch to part-time service, the Guard's top general said Thursday.

It will be the first time since 1994 that the Guard has missed its sign-up goal.

Army Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said in an interview at his Pentagon office that the shortfall for the budget year ending Sept. 30 is likely to be about 5,000 soldiers. That is a little more than 1 percent of the total Army Guard force of 350,000.

"This is something that can't be ignored. I've got to watch it every day," he said. "But it's not something that I would say indicates that we're breaking. I think it indicates that the recruiting climate has gotten tougher, and that means we need to adjust to a tougher market."

The Guard had set a goal of 56,000 recruits for the year but is likely to end up with about 51,000, he said.

As a result, Blum said he will increase the number of recruiters and put more effort into targeting young people in high school and college who have not previously served in the military.

More ...
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/9740550.htm

Now who would pass up a trip to exotic Iraq?

[eaprez]

1. Gee...I wonder why that is?

any speculation on the cause? I mean don't we have a slew of impoverished young people wanting health insurance and educational opportunities? Whats coming of this country when the poor are no longer willing to risk their lives for a chance to better themselves.

[Wright Patman]

4. You forgot burial insurance

eom

[eaprez]

6. ohhhhhhhhh that's a good one too!

what the heck is wrong with these people?

[mike_c]

2. "because fewer active-duty soldiers..."

...are opting to switch to part-time service...." Right.

[Arianrhod]

12. I have no problem believing that.

I stayed in the Army 10 years to make sure I fulfilled my 8-year requirement, because I knew that, when I got out, I wanted all the way out. I wanted no strings attached.

I don't blame today's soldiers for feeling the same way.

[UpInArms]

3. adjusting to a "tougher" market

is that like Sadr City?

Who wants to go? Why all those Young Republicans, of course! /sarcasm

This is such crap - they wonder why "enrollment" is down and blame in on active duty not signing up for part-time? Huh?

I heard that they called up 5,000 IRRs in Missouri yesterday - won't that make their "enrollment" quota work?

[UpInArms]

7. here's the call-up on IRRs

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2004/Sep/20040922News027.asp

Ready Reserve soldiers head to Leonard Wood

FORT LEONARD WOOD (AP) - Sgt. Jason Rublaitus had been out of the Army for more than three years when the notice came that he was being involuntarily recalled to active duty and could be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Rublaitus said yesterday he was initially surprised that he was among the more than 5,600 former soldiers being called up in the first large-scale use of the Individual Ready Reserves since the Gulf War. But that feeling turned to determination to help in the war effort.

He arrived Sept. 11 at Fort Leonard Wood for administrative and medical checkups, as well as refresher training as a truck driver. It was the terrorists attacks three years ago that made him ungrudgingly report for active duty for at least the next 18 months - even though he had only eight months left on his military commitment. The move also means a $40,000 a year pay cut from his civilian job.

<snip>

Fort Leonard Wood is among five posts helping to prepare the former soldiers who recently left the Army but are now needed as replacements. They are eligible for call-ups in emergencies because they have not finished their reserve commitments.

The military’s Human Resources Command in St. Louis decides who will return to active duty. The call-ups are being done in three increments through December.

<snip>

It is the Army’s first major use of the Individual Ready Reserve since the Gulf War in 1991, when 20,277 soldiers were mobilized, Army officials said. The only other such use was during Vietnam.

...more...

[trogdor]

16. gun::38spec.shoot(foot, left);

Thank God I'm in the RETIRED Reserve, and not the IRR. That would truly suck. I probably wouldn't pass a physical anyway.

[gratuitous]

5. Well, leading economic indicators are down for a third straight month

And starving, penniless people can often be induced to do just about anything, even sign up for hazardous overseas duty. I see the situation as self-correcting. More desperate people looking for a way to avoid or escape poverty = more recruits for the military.

[liveoaktx]

8. In response, targeting more HIGH SCHOOL and college students

[joefree1]

9. Yeah, what they really meant was poor and rural schools

The Bush twins won't have anything to worry about.


Download the free poster/bumper art here:
http://ediablo.com/eDiabloGallery.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Hiold it, the daugher of Michael Ledeed did get

an all paid vacation to Iraq, as part of the Recnnstruction Authority

If the bush twins did not live in such a "traditional household" they may have gotten the chance to go screw it up as well

[Bandit]

11. Why would someone join the Guard today?

If they want to go to war why not join the Army? They can not be guaranteed they will stay close to home so why bother? I think this is going to become a serious problem for all fifty states. I know many employers will not hire a National Guardsman now because of fear of them being called away for an extended period of time and the job has to be kept open for them when they return. That means holding a job open for maybe two years or so. It is not a way to run a business. Most small Ma and Pa operations can not afford to do that.

[Arianrhod]

13. With the * record against workers

that "holding the job open" requirement should soon go away.

[llmart]

14. Are they visiting the prep schools.....

like Andover (where our privileged idiot-in-chief went) to find new recruits? Let's see them start there first and see how many sign up. Yeah, that's the ticket.

[Ezlivin]

15. I know a guy who didn't finish his Guard duty...

...and maybe the Guard can reactivate him so he can do his patriotic duty.

After all, he's already tried on flight suits.

[Supersedeas]

17. Feed the poor war--increase the # of poor to meet recruiting goals--simple

Gotta be pretty poor to follow that leader.

[chromotone]

18. Remember how Freepers will use enlistment numbers to show patriotism?

I seem to recall after the start of Oil War I and Oil War II (post 9/11), right-wingers would point to the increase in enlistment numbers as a sign of strong patriotism, and approval of the (Bush) President's policies. If that's the case, the the right-wing corporate media needs to address the NG decline. How are they going to spin this decline in new recruits as a referendum on *'s Iraq War???

[Zorra]

19. Bu$h is destroying our country, and the war is leaving us defenseless

against real threats (not made up threats like Iraq).

Who would want to join the military after Bu$h lied us into an unjustifiable war in Iraq?

If Bu$h is re-selected, he will have to have a draft because we will be at war forever for no reason.

If Kerry is elected, people will again start joining the military because Kerry will quickly and satisfactorily solve the Iraq conflict, and Kerry will not go to war unless the US is in danger.

[Earth_First]

20. It's getting awfully drafty in this country...

nt