Army to dress down its recruiters

[coylh]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3176619

Enlistment work suspended a day after recruits — including one here — complain
By MICHAEL HEDGES and DALE LEZON
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Already failing to fill its monthly recruiting quotas in the face of the Iraq war, the Army will suspend enlistment efforts for one day later this month to address a rash of incidents in which recruiters harassed prospective soldiers, an official said Tuesday.

On Friday, May 20, the Army will observe a "values stand down" during which recruiters will be told the right and wrong way to pursue people considering enlisting, said an Army official who asked not to be identified.

"It is a reaction to a combination of events in various cities across the country. No one event made us do this," the official said.

But an incident in Houston in which a recruiter threatened to call police to arrest a man resisting recruiting efforts was among the incidents that triggered the suspension, the official said.

...

 

[Lone_Gunman]

The Army and National Guard are not meeting their goals, and havent for a couple of months, I guess the recruiters are feeling desperate.

Hard to carry out a war without soldiers.

 

[dustind]

But an incident in Houston in which a recruiter threatened to call police to arrest a man resisting recruiting efforts was among the incidents that triggered the suspension, the official said.

Do they mean a man trying to stop them from recruiting other people, or someone that was resisiting their sales pitch?

 

[Devonai]

But an incident in Houston in which a recruiter threatened to call police to arrest a man resisting recruiting efforts was among the incidents that triggered the suspension, the official said.

Maybe the recruit had already been given the oath of enlistment and went AWOL from MEPS or his ship date. If so, the recruiter wouldn't have been out of line.

 

[pwolfman]

Yes, all the recruiters are having a stand down day to reaffirm our oath of office and to re-train on the right and wrong ways to get recruits.

For the record, we can not threaten kids with police action to get them to ship. We can not make diplomas for them, clean them out for the drug test, promise them they won't go to Iraq, cover up medical disqualifications, and various other infractions.

Used to be the sex that got recruiters in trouble...go figure it is now diplomas...

 

[Chipperman]

"But an incident in Houston in which a recruiter threatened to call police to arrest a man resisting recruiting efforts was among the incidents that triggered the suspension, the official said."

What I heard last night on NPR stated that the recruiter threatened calling the Police if the man did not show up for an INTERVIEW.

If that is accurate, it's obviously way out of line, and he should be severely punished (the recruiter).

 

[jefnvk]

But an incident in Houston in which a recruiter threatened to call police to arrest a man resisting recruiting efforts was among the incidents that triggered the suspension, the official said

Yep, if he were threatening a person whom he just called, he was way out of line.

I always wondered how long the recruitment boom would last. Common sense tells you that you can't have month after month of record enlistment rates. I know people will try to tell me that dropping enlistment rates are due 'to kids realizing the truth about Iraq' and whatnot, but I think that after years of record enlisment rates, you just don't have the pool of people to draw from anymore.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Jefnvk, I think the war has a good bit to do with declining enlistment rates, especially for national guard.

 

[possenti]

OK, I'll be the first to ask...

Could we see a draft soon, so we can continue "spreading democracy" all around the world?

 

[Lone_Gunman]

No, there will be no draft. It would be political suicide for whoever proposes it.

Getting re-elected is much more important that "spreading democracy". So we will just curtail our efforts.

 

[jefnvk]

I'll go with Gunman on this one. No Draft. Remember, the last time a draft bill came up, it was by a Democrat, before the election, supposedly to make Bush look bad.

Now, if NK or Iran lets loose with a nuke, the whole game could change. But for now, no draft.

 

[dustind]

How can we have a draft when drill instructors are not allowed to slap around people who do not fall inline?

What would keep someone from acting incompetent and unable to preform anything that they where tested on?

 

[Delmar]

"What would keep someone from acting incompetent and unable to preform anything that they where tested on?"

Let me read you your rights under Article 15 of the UCMJ. Basically, you have none, and we are going to restrict you and fine your pay heavily, and give you extra duty.
If you refuse a lawful order, welcome to our game show-Courts Martial! If it is determined that your inaction is deliberate, you get a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge-good luck buying a firearm after that.

Of course, if it turns out you cannot actually follow the order, then you will be released for the good of the service.

I admit that I was skeptical when I heard the drill sergeants could not lay a hand on a trainee, but I saw the light a couple of years ago when my oldest son went through BCT at Ft Sill, Oklahoma. Smokey the Bear is alive and kickin, and the intimidation factor is still very much there.

The modern view is that if you do not want to do what is expected of you, they don't want you in uniform.

 

[spartacus2002]

If the folks in DC don't understand any other reality, they understand this: a draft will mean blood in the streets. That's the ONE THING I can see that would make anti-gun liberals pick up a gun and march on DC, because they don't want their kids being cannon fodder.

Based on abysmal recruiting, I would expect to see a total stop-loss of the Army, particularly if there is no summer surge from the HS grads, before I would see a draft.