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Recruiting numbers are low enough for the Army to cause real concern at the high command. The Army’s recruiters are no worse than any other service’s - the problem is (I think) the Army’s recruiting strategy with its heavily civilianized marketing influences.
Hence this email today from reader Matt Holmes:
I was considering joining the Army and know just about nothing about that, so I went to the goarmy.com website and filled out the “Request Info Pack” form on the main page. At the end of the form, the last entry was the following:
(8.) I am most interested in (check all that apply):
( ) Money for college
( ) Skill training
( ) Travel and adventureWhere is “Serving my country”? And what’s up with “adventure”? I was looking at the site because I am tired of wanting to do something and feeling like I wasn’t doing enough, and I’m presented with these options that made me feel like even the Army doesn’t care.
I thought you might find that interesting.
Yes, it mirrors my own son’s experience with the local Army recruiter. That’s why he is a US Marine lance corporal. At least the Marines don’t hide what they’re about.
The Army recruiter here - no kidding - told my son that their monthly meetings before going to basic training would feature pizza parties. I wrote more about our personal experiences with Army and Marine recruiters two years ago.
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June 29th, 2005 at 7:09 pm
Veggie?
June 29th, 2005 at 7:25 pm
My Marine recruiter had a good day when I walked in. I’d already decided to join the only REAL service, the USMC. Didn’t even consider any of the lesser branches. I had to keep telling him to skip the cute “organize these words from most important to least important”-type games (team, duty, brotherhood, action, etc).
He gave me a practice ASVAB that took me 10 minutes to complete (aced), and I signed the initial paperwork right there (once I chose an open MOS).
And I tell you… the bi-weekly “Poolee Meets” were a pretty good preparation for actual bootcamp. Every other Saturday before you shipped out the recruiters took all the Poolees to a local park and gave them the business for four hours. Actual DI’s at MCRD San Diego were no shock to me.
June 30th, 2005 at 12:34 am
1 - in june the army neat its numbers/goals.
2 - the marines, air force, and navy are ahead - have been all year
3 - re-enlistment is ahead - has been all year
so: the prob is the perceived value of ARMY enlistment and not the war.
and yes: it will take more than pizza to get recruitments up whee they need to be.
i say: let’s pass a bill making mortgages to ARMY vets who have college degrees and are buying their FIRST HOMES REAL REAL CHEAP.
like a variable rate pegged at 35% BELOW wherever the market is at the time.
June 30th, 2005 at 7:05 am
Peggy Noonan wrote of the same thing over three years ago:
“Last summer I went on a U.S.Army Web site, a recruiting site actually. I’d gone there because I wanted to write something about Medal of Honor citations, and I wanted to read them. I found to my surprise that when you go to a U.S. Army Web site what you mostly see is how much money they pay and how they’ll put you through school. That’s good and needed information, but there wasn’t any of the deeper meaning of serving-no history of the U.S. Army, no Medal of Honor citations, no essays from Bosnia. It was all slogans and salaries. It was all about pay. Which recruitment specialists apparently think is the prime motivator for joining up. Surely it’s part of it, but it couldn’t be all, and if it is we’re in trouble”
This Army recruiting problem today is strangely similar to the one experienced by the Army from the late 90s until September 11th. I’m not so sure it’s all that related to the war. Instead I fear it just might be a sympom of an Army culture still stuck in a rut.
June 30th, 2005 at 9:33 am
TO: Donald Sensing
RE: Based on This Report…
….and some of the reports offered by others on this thread….
….the PC environment of the Department of the Army is taking it’s toll. Their recruiting program sounds like it’s geared towards wusses and corporate cretin wannabes. Not the sort of men who could (1) destroy the enemy by shock and firepower, let alone (2) close with the enemy by means of fire and maneuver to kill, capture and destroy them.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience. — George Bernard Shaw]
P.S. Based on Shaw’s comments, Stephen demonstrates great potential.
June 30th, 2005 at 12:15 pm
TO: Donald Sensing
RE: Errata
Left out the part about “and close assault” in item #2 (above). Should come immediately after the phrase “fire and maneuver”.
July 1st, 2005 at 8:31 am
You are right on it as usual Don. I remember exactly the poster/ad that got me thinking about the Army as a 16 year old. It had Uncle Sam pointing a finger right at me and stated “If not you, WHO?” That struck me to the core and nearly 25 years later i was in Afghanistan and proud to be there. Seems to me that message would resonate all the more today. Young men aren’t as shallow as we sometimes make them out to be. Your son is the prrof of that.
July 4th, 2005 at 10:49 am
[…] changed its recruiting methodology from peacetime to wartime. See my previous post, “Army’s bad recruiting strategy means low recruiting.” But that’s not the only reason. There […]
July 7th, 2005 at 5:09 pm
[…] arter reported in the NYT about the US Army’s recruiting problems, which I have also written about. But it seems our Army isn’t the only ones having problems getting young men to sign up […]
August 26th, 2005 at 3:58 pm
As a former recruiter, I agree that the Army is missing the boat on its mission statement. However, the Army has employed a PR agency and has done its homework, the number one reason soldiers say they chose the Army was for college money. It goes back to the old saying, “if you build it, they will come”. So, the slogans are Money for College, Bonus Money to Sign up and etc… The Marines have always been about duty, honor and country. The Army figures if you are asking about sevice, you already know about “serving your country”. Will it ever change? Probably not.
August 29th, 2005 at 11:13 am
[…] stop fighting. I don’t, and I am not alone.So why hasn’t the Army changed its recruiting pitch? I wonder whether a lot of men and women join the Army these days in spite of its recruiting […]
August 31st, 2005 at 11:01 pm
When I walked into the Armed Forces Recruiting center in my hometown, the first office was the Army. As I walked up to their door, I noticed all the soldiers there in their dress uniforms with their feet up on the desks, smokin’ and jokin’. Next was the Navy, and the sailor in there must have weighed 300 pounds and was poppin’ out of his summer whites … that made me cringe. The Air Force office was dead quiet and immaculate with no potential clients in sight. But the MARINES - All in Blue Dress Deltas with the red blood stripes running down their trousers, firm handshakes and professionalism all around. That is what sold me and continues to sell me on the importance of the Marine Corps’ philosophy of “Honor, Courage and Commitment”. Semper Fidelis!
September 30th, 2005 at 2:56 pm
The Marines are essentially the largest professional fraternity around. They live and die by their ethos and whether in uniform or out, they always stand out and are well respected in their communities. This is because Marines work hard to not only maintain the image but to live according to higher standards. So it’s unfortunate to see that the media and others want to make it seem like the Marines are taking part in, or condoning the same type of behavior unfortunately displayed by some Army recruiters in order to bring in recruits. I dont think Marines lie to recruits or compromise morals or their integrity to meet recruiting goals. I’m sure there are some but for the most part Marines sleep better knowing they are bringing in the kind of recruits that will keep the ethos alive and that they are doing it with honesty. Semper Fi.
October 18th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
I am so sick of the USMC saying they are so much better than any branch and the public constantly complaining about military recruiters. As an Army recruiter I feel like this is the hardest Job
aside from actually serving over in Iraq(which I already
have). The marines always down the Army on all our benefits. Thats because the USMC gives the least amount of money for college, the promotions for enlisted personnel is the slowest of all the branches, adventure well the your lucky if you leave North Carolina or California on your way to Iraq. Oh and not mention we train the Marine on 75% of the jobs. So Rick and Conright before you talk anymore smack why dont you volunteer to be a recruiter if you think your so high and mighty.
March 17th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Well said SGT Cooley. The US Army recruiters are forth right. People today have more knowledge of the situation in the world today than ever before. One thing I find interesting is that US Army recruiters are the only ones that changed from a dress uniform (like the other services) to sell jobs to the BDU’s. When a person see’s BDU’s it screams combat. There’s nothing to hide there… unless they are just blinded by a sellers uniform. Some people will just naturally migrate to something that looks good. I have the greatest respect for a person who feels compeled to join any branch of service. Most American’s now, seemed scared to move out of something that takes them away from their comfort zones. We (the military) can use them, no doubt there. I just think people see it doesn’t matter what service they join, as long as they join. It contributes to the all over goal of protecting American interests. If a potential recruit wants the truth… they need to talk with all branches and see which ones really give you the guarantees. I’m sure the Army will be the only one that guarantees anything in writing. However, should you be a uniform admirer…. continue about your due course, the other branches need you there too. Hell, this country needs you.