Military Recruitments Shockingly High Despite War

Bottom Line Up Front: U.S. troops support the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Despite the war of words over “supporting the troops” in Iraq, the troops are speaking for themselves through recruitment and retention rates, which are through the roof. The Defense Department released yesterday it’s April 2007 Recruitment and Retention figures.

Don’t think that these are high school drop out or inner city juvenile delinquents. The military is reporting a very educated, middle class enlisting to serve our country:

The DOD study Who is Volunteering For Today’s Military? reports these findings:

Myth: Military recruits are less educated and of lower aptitude than American youth. 
Fact: The opposite is true

Myth: The Military attracts disproportionately from poor or underprivileged youth. 
Fact: Military recruits mirror the US population and are solidly middle class.

Myth: A disproportionate number of military recruits come from urban areas.
Fact: Urban areas are the most underrepresented and suburban and rural areas are overrepresented.

Myth: African Americans suffer a disproportionate number of casualties.
Fact: The opposite is true.

Myth: The military is not geographically representative of America.
Fact: Military recruits are closely proportionate to the general population.

Myth: The military takes no better than an average cut of American youth when it comes to medical or physical conditioning.
Fact: About half of today’s youth are not medically or physically qualified against current, and necessary, enlistment standards.

Myth: The Military is a good alternative for youthful offenders.
Fact: Current enlistment standards bar many youthful offenders from enlisting.

This reiterates the truth about America’s fighting forces: they are the best and the brightest.  Democrats and anti-war proponents are confused by these numbers and they won’t be discussed in interviews with leading Democratic officials, but the truth is that most  soldiers want to serve and finish the missions.  In Tikrit, Iraq, 150 soldiers from ONE BATTALION with the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade have reenlisted in theater.  At Camp Taji, Iraq, the 1st Cavalry Division marked its 450th reenlistment on April 9 during this deployment alone.  Private First Class (PFC) Andrew Dubay reenlisted at Camp Taji on April 9 and said:  

“The Army has leadership traits and discipline that you just can’t find in the civilian world.  I love the Army.  I wanted to reenlist for the entire 20 years but they wouldn’t give me that option.”

“I’m privileged to be able to serve in the military, rather than a civilian job.  It like it for the military history-serving is something everyone is honored to do, and it’s nice to be a part of something where people tend to look up to us because of who we are (as soldiers)and what we do.”

HOOAH, PFC Dubay.  Now if we could just get the Democrats to stop trying to foul up the mission.

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Comments

[Blandly Urbane]

voted

It's only a shock to those that don't believe anything....I think you know who I mean.

[Eric Dalton]

This just goes to prove that even after edcades of anti-Americanism from the Left wing, young Americans are still proud to defend their nation and proud of what we stand for. if nothing else this war is creating a LOT of new Conservatives. I believe the Libs were always Libs.

[spree]

Absolutely wonderful post. Things people don't hear about in the MSM.

Thanks Amy!!!

[Elmer]

This is what we hear from the MSM:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-04-10-army-reserve-recruitment_N.htm

Not military propaganda.

[Elmer]

And this:

"The United States does not have an all-volunteer military. It has an all-recruited force. In 2003, the Army and the Marine Corps paid $174 million for re-enlistment bonuses. Last year, we learned this week, that figure had jumped to $1.03 billion. According to Pentagon figures, immigrants in the military who became U.S. citizens through their service reached 4,600, a six-fold increase from 2001.

Bryan Bender of the Boston Globe has reported on serious consideration of the idea of opening U.S. military recruiting offices overseas. Would this be the final admission that Americans are not willing to sacrifice for their country?

To meet the recruitment quotas, the enlistment age for recruits has been raised to 42. Academic requirements have been lowered. Waivers have been granted to recruits for past alcohol and drug abuse, and criminal records. Reportedly, the word has been passed that nobody is to be flunked out of basic training."

http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070417/OPINION/204170303/1030/OPINION

[Amy P]

Elmer, reserves and guard train and serve part time, so it's no wonder in a time of war they missed their goal by 5-9%, but even that isn't exactly catestrophic.

Even commanding generals are astonished by the reenlistment rate in theater and say the guys on the ground are the ones who believe in the mission the most. Soldiers who haven't been to Iraq are the ones not reenlisting at the same rate.

And what's wrong with a 42 year old serving in the military? How old do you think Petraeus is? Pace? Abizaid?

If you'd read the link to the study on Who's Volunteering in Today's Military? you would have seen YOU'RE the one believing the propaganda. You're wrong about waivers for drug users, etc...

Myth: The Military is a good alternative for youthful offenders.
Fact: Current enlistment standards bar many youthful offenders from enlisting.

Today's military requires individuals with strong moral character. One underlying purpose of moral character screening is to minimize entrance of those who are likely to become disciplinary problems in units, or security risks. Moreover, the Services have a responsibility to parents who expect their sons and daughters will not be placed into close association with persons who have committed serious offenses or whose records show ingrained patterns of misbehavior.

These are hard numbers, Elmer. When we lived at our last military post on Ft. Jackson, SC, a basic training post, we saw HUNDREDS of new recruits coming into Basic and gradutating every single week. These guys want to serve their country. They VOLUNTARILY enlist. Why are you afraid of that?

[Elmer]

I'm not afraid of that. I'm afraid of your blind loyalty to a cause and a mission that has already failed.

That piece of military propaganda you keep referring to is a year and a half old. The standards have been lowered since then. Do you really think the military recruits 42 year olds because they want to? Do you think they pay 1.03 billion in re-enlistment bonuses because they want to? They recruit immigrants because they want to?

Unfortunately, they have no choice. I want our military to succeed, I really do. What Cheney/Bush has done to decimate our military is criminal. Getting them out of Iraq, asap, is the only way to start to rebuild.

[Mavic]

Common logic has it, that if there is an ongoing recruitment push, obviously there will be an equivalent rise in enrolment. Lets hope that two plus two does equal four.

[twolaneflash]

A nation of willing Patriots! Who would think America capable of fielding a team of winners for a real-life game of winner-loser in a country where competitive "soft" sports, like rugby (where they are reported to eat their dead), extreme fighting, and cheerleading, have huge audiences, command much media time, and generate many dollars? Just kidding, partly.

This Long War changes people. My son, stop-lossed for 2nd Iraq tour, has become aware of his God-given talents when in combat, and writes that he "cannot turn his back on them". This deployment "delayed" his well-laid plan of starting college in January and trying out for the football team. I waited all night with the soldiers of his troop as they drew their weapons, formed up and marched away with military discipline and determination, none wanting to go. Then his tour was extended to 15 months. Early months of 2nd deployment have been with Navy Seals first in Ramadi, then in Fallujah, and then ?. My warrior's response to this has been to spend his military pay on high-speed combat equipment to gear-up for a year of victories. The loss of a friend on a mission has steeled his resolve for this assigned mission's success. He wrote to me that his life plans are changed now: when he leaves the Army after this deployment, he is signing a contract for Navy Seal training. I already knew something was up from the call at home from the Navy recruiter looking for Son. I believe he has a good shot at being one of the few that can complete that course and achieve the title of Navy Seal. Son knows the family motto: "No shame in failure, only in not trying".

America is at war. The celebrity-worshippers and celebrity-peddlers are not America, though they and Congress act as if they are. Hundreds of thousands of young men and women come from households for whom military service is respected above other vocations, These families know the threat to America and freedom is real. It's better to go after the enemy in their homes than in ours, and we have sons and daughters who are willing and able to do it.

May God give every one of America's warriors a free pass through The Pearly Gates when their day is done. They have fought evil with everything they had in them.

Bumper sticker of the day in Pensacola, FL:
"I'm glad your kid is a star student. My kid kills terrorists and that's way cooler!"

[Amy Proctor]

Great comments!