When 9/11 happened, it did not result in the enlistment offices being filled.
Many of us older freepers will tell how we tried to reenlist but were told we were too old, but the young didn’t show up, and black and female enlistment clearly dropped when we started fighting.
Things got so desperate that the Army actually started allowing in 42 year old grandmas in 2006.
I'll defer to you on that. I thought there were plenty who showed up to enlist after 9/11. Bush (warts and all) had the respect of those who did.
I did not serve, and I believe you did. So thanks. That said I would not encourage young kids to sign up with this treacherous regime.
The military made a conscious decision, under the civilians in control, to NOT expand the Army much. Expanding it enough to handle the demand would have required money, and it would have signaled that we would be there a long time.
During my tour in Afghanistan at 49 (in 2007), I was serving with guys who were on their third & fourth rotation. That was obscene. But GWB didn’t want America to be disturbed from its comfortable lifestyle...