Enlistments grow despite wavering support for war (pre-Saddam capture)

Houston Chronicle ^ | Dec. 13, 2003 | PATRICK S. PEMBERTON

[Shenandoah]

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Lisa Fay doesn't agree with the war in Iraq, but she's joining the Army anyway.

A four-year stint, the Oceano teen said, will allow her to receive the training she needs to become a mental health specialist, which could lead to a career in social services.

When he enters the Army next spring, Jason Scaroni already will have a degree in computer science from Cal Poly. But he would like the Army to pay off his student loans.

The Army will pay up to $65,000 in school loans. Scaroni has around $30,000.

"So that will take care of all of my loan debt," said the San Luis Obispo resident.

Even though support for military involvement in Iraq is waning (the country is now evenly split, according to several polls conducted last month), all branches of the service are meeting their enlistment quotas.

"Things have been going very, very well," said Douglas Smith, a spokesman for the Army Recruiting Command in Georgia. "We've made our recruiting mission for the year."

Last month, the Army's goal was to recruit 6,400 new enlistees nationwide. It signed up 6,594.

Critics say the war in Iraq has been too costly, has resulted in further instability in the Middle East and -- worst of all -- has resulted in the deaths of more than 430 U.S. troops.

The possibility of encountering danger has sparked questions from potential recruits and their parents, Cromer said. But the odds of getting killed in Iraq are slim, he said.

"It's concerning to a lot of people, of course," Cromer said. "But I don't see a big impact as far as enlistments."

To help keep the military supplied with troops, the federal government has increased expenses for recruiters.

This fiscal year, the Army spent $321 million -- up $146 million from a decade ago -- on travel, cell phones, laptops and other materials for recruiters. Meanwhile, its advertising budget has nearly doubled -- to $227 million -- in the past four years.

And the military has boosted incentives to join.

The Army, which has targeted college students and college-bound high schoolers, started experimenting with 15-month terms of service to appeal to those reluctant to commit to the previous minimum commitment of two years.

Meanwhile, the G.I. bill will pay more money for schooling (up to $50,000) once a soldier finishes a stint. And those who already have graduated from college can have up to $65,000 repaid by the service.

In addition to that, some recruits receive cash bonuses of up to $20,000 (depending on factors such as prior education and assignment), and many will receive training that could make them more marketable in civilian life.

All that can be appealing, especially when the economy is recovering from a 2001 recession that put 2 million people out of work.

"Basically, the military is my last resort in life," said Jamie Gooch, 25, of Atascadero.

Gooch, who has a wife and 3-year-old daughter, said he can't find stable work or afford to go to school. So he'll get training in aircraft repair in the Army.

"Right now it's so tight with money -- with all the bills and stuff -- the Army is basically it."

The economy made significant gains in the third quarter of this year, but economists say job growth is still slow.

And many high school graduates are wary of having to spend years paying off loan debts.

While Lisa Fay, 17, is enlisting to receive training for a career, her 18-year-old sister, Susan, enlisted in the National Guard reserves last summer to earn money for school.

"We kind of looked around and were like, `Darn, school's expensive,' " said Susan Fay's mother, Kelly.

Kelly Fay's husband took out a loan to pay for his own classes and spent 10 years paying off the debt. So it made sense to have the military pay for her daughter's education, she said.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, 64 percent of students have to take out loans for college. The average debt upon graduation is roughly $17,000.

Susan Fay hopes the National Guard will pay for her to become a psychiatrist.

While the Army will pay Scaroni's loan debts, he also will receive a $20,000 signing bonus and training as a linguist. He's hoping to learn Arabic.

Scaroni's friends and family initially had a difficult time accepting why a college graduate with good prospects would possibly put himself in harm's way by joining the military.

"It took my parents a little while to warm up to it," he said.

The downside, of course, is that he could be sent to a troubled area, and his life could be in jeopardy -- generally not a concern for computer programming grads.

"I know what could happen," he said. "But if the Army decides they need me to go to Iraq, I'm fine with that."

[Vaduz]

Another free lunch bum.

[cynicom]

"Darn, you mean I might get shot at if I join the Army"?

[Shenandoah]

"I know what could happen," he said. "But if the Army decides they need me to go to Iraq, I'm fine with that."

[angcat]

we had a freind visit last night he returned from Iraq last month after 8 months of duty (army) he had some facintating stories and we made sure he was pampered, we made him dinner and drinks. Anyway he was kind of down on President Bush and I tried to talk to him kindly about this. To me he was brainwashed by the Democratic System, he said Bush Sr. was running the country and things were great with Clinton. I was livid and my husband was telling me to calm down. But I did and had more wine!

[VOA]

I was livid and my husband was telling me to calm down. But I did and had more wine!

I would have needed heavenly intervention to not at least say to the young soldier...
"I laud you for your service and sacrifice. And hope you return to civilian life
as soon as possible, rather than to serve under such awful leaders. Before you are
irreversibly committed to the same path as Jimmy Carter, Wesley Clark or Al Franken."

Your spouse got you to do the right thing.
Even if I'd have been embarassed by saying my piece, I don't know if
I could have stopped.

[gcruse]

Critics say the war in Iraq has been too costly, has resulted in further instability in the Middle East and -- worst of all -- has resulted in the deaths of more than 430 U.S. troops.

Here we go, again.  The ubiquitous, yet seldom named 'critics' worm their way into the unwary reporter's notebook (make that  google bar, as it allows one to sit at home and write boilerplate without attribution ), and wend their wares.

1.  If the cost of warfare is a function of time, which it largely is, this was not an expensive war.
2.  The ME is always unstable, and yet the attacks on Israel have dropped.  Part of this is due to the wall, part is due to the drop in funding available as result of the war.
3.  The poll showing an even split in the country regarding the war is out of date.  Even the author admits it is a month old.  Saddam's capture turned polls upside down. This isn't reporting, it's not even a good a high school assignment.

[Shenandoah]

There's nothing wrong with joining the military with the goal of improving your lot in life. This article focuses on people who are doing just that. I'm sure there are a also a great number of enlistees who want to serve their country.

The point is, enlistments are up - and this, the day before Saddam was captured. I posted this article because I was curious as to the state of enlistments in this country, and so, I did a search.

I have two Marine nephews who recently returned from Iraq, (unscathed, thank God. And they were in the thick of it, as well). They both are proud to have been there and fully support the war and President Bush.

[angcat]

I stopped because he seemed to be brainwashed and not really have his own opinion. Can you imagine praising Clinton for the economy, I asked him "how did Clinton keep you employed for eight years?). Anyway I did not want to spit my Scorpion venom at him, it's Christmas!!!!!!!!

[gcruse]

Can you imagine praising Clinton for the economy,

Flame away, but yes, I can.  It happened on his watch.  Presidents seldom deserve the  blame or the credit for what the economy does.  It's just too big a deal and not really in anyone's control.  But Clinton kept his hands off the Federal Reserve which is a temptation most presidents are unable to resist.  I give him credit for leaving Greenspan alone.  And that's as good as most diddling that only makes things worse in other sectors. 

Bush's tax cuts helped spur this economy, but the spending on bloat and pork are inexcusable.  On balance, where the economy is concerned, I'd say they are even, or tilted toward Clinton at the most.

[angcat]

No flame here, but Clinton was such a disgrace and a trader and people just don't seem to know or remember that. Also a remark was made about Bush being a failure of a businessman, I said "at least Bush worked and did not steal his money from the people; Clinton was and is a white trash hillbilly.

[gcruse]

I agree. But the comment I responded to was strictly on the economy. Other than that, the man is a raping traitor with a trail of death and drugs that go all the way back to Hot Springs, Ark.

[angcat]

I don't think he would have believed me if I did start with my list on Clinton! He also said that Saddam was not a threat because there were eight other countries on the list that were a bigger threat. I argued that also. He said the Army was a mess and he should have joined the Marines. Their was a food and water shortage sometimes and lots of extra marital affairs allot of his peers were court marshaled. He was also pissed with Jessica Lynch getting attention, he said Larry Flint bought pictures of Jessica posing naked in the dessert, I did not believe that. He also said there were other soldiers that saved Jessica and that convoy and they were ignored.

[TomGuy]

Last month, the Army's goal was to recruit 6,400 new enlistees nationwide. It signed up 6,594.

This can't be right. Those figures must be in error.

At one of the Dem Presidential Candidates' debates a couple of months ago, Sharpton and a couple other candidates were decrying GWB and Rummy and saying we had to re-institute the draft because the military couldn't get enough recruits to fill the needs.

[end sarcasm. Watch--this report will not be lauded by the Dem Candidates or liberal media.]

[gcruse]

Larry Flint bought pictures of Jessica posing naked in the dessert, I did not believe that.

Larry Flynt 'protects' topless Jessica Lynch photos

Porn king Larry Flynt, casting himself in the unlikely role of white knight to US Army private Jessica Lynch, says he bought semi-nude photos of the former POW "to keep them out of circulation."

[Our man in washington]

In my almost two years as a reservist, I learned the military will improve your life even if that's not your goal. I joined to serve my country, and thought I didn't need any major improvements in my life. I was very wrong.

I soon discovered I was really out of shape, and more importantly, I needed more discipline and backbone to be truly successful in life. People may think all that yelling and criticism and regimentation of the military is pointless, but many good things come out of it.

I hadn't realized I had gone through my life placing artificial limits on what I was capable of, and not standing up for principles when it was necessary to do so. A few weeks of boot camp made me realize I could do a lot more than I thought. Also, being yelled at by drill instructors gave me some backbone. Once I learned I could survive blunt and truthful criticism, I became more courageous in standing up for principles back in my civilian life.

Okay, I suppose this is all a tangent, but I'm now convinced that most young men could benefit a great deal from a military experience. The goal of a military is national defense, but the citizenry also gains from the fact that military service can help people.

[angcat]

I don't believe Larry Flint!

[gcruse]

I've seen the pictures. It's Jessica.

[angcat]

Oh ok well if you have seen them. What the hell goes on in the Army? They have time for that!

[gcruse]

I must be thinking of something else. It has been a couple of months since I saw what I am recalling. But in looking for info on the web, I find descriptions of the photos as being taken inside a barracks. My memory is of outdoor pix, so I am misremembering. We seem to have to take Flynt's word for it, and that's a judgement call.