Big drop in Seattle for Army recruits (Blue state recruiting)

Seattle Times ^ | June 6, 2005 | Nick Perry

[68skylark]

Kim Wrzeszcz laughs as she and her son Sam, center, chat with Navy Cmdr. David Schiffman, who visited Kamiak High School to present Sam with a Navy ROTC scholarship.
ROD MAR / THE SEATTLE TIMES

[68skylark]

There are good, patriotic & spirited young people in every part of this country -- red and blue. I'm sorry that the numbers seem a little smaller in blue states -- maybe due to parents and teachers more than to the young people themselves.

Anyway, that just means that those of us in red states need to help get the word out a little more. We can handle this challenge.

[George Oh Well]

What ever happened to all those gays who wanted to serve in the military?

[rlmorel]

I tried to re-up in the reserves, and they said I missed by one year...:(

Wonder what my wife would have said to me if they said yes!

[T.Smith]

"Having them show up at a school implies a tacit endorsement of the war by that school, she said."

Public school = government institution. The school endorses the war by definition. A public school administrator who protests against the war - and against the government by extension - is biting the hand that feeds him/her.

[68skylark]

Raise the age limit to 45 and I'm back in.

Depending on your state, you may be able to do military service in uniform in a state defense force. I put in 9 years with the one in Indiana -- helping to mobilize National Guard and Army Reserve troops out of Camp Atterbury, Indiana for service all over the world. It's not glamorous, but it's useful work -- and they can often take non-prior service folks up to age 50 or so (with higher limits for those who have prior service).

Just click here for more info: State Guard Association links.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary and Civil Air Patrol also have opportunities to serve, I'm told.

[68skylark]

I don't know if you're interested in my comment #7 -- it might be a good "fit" with someone who's willing to put in a bit more service again in uniform.

[caisson71]

A drop in investing in our freedom in Seattle is no surprise. Many there feel they are entitled to their freedom simply because they feel that way. I also recognize that many in liberal cities like Seattle are the first to moan, groan, bitch, yell, scratch and scream when their "rights" are violated.
I say screw them all, bring back America's best and let the rest defend themselves in our own streets. Let them talk their way out a beheading on 4th and Pike.

[Non-Sequitur]

"There are a variety of reasons, and one of them is the war,"

Ya think?

[middie]

The rationale' that there are a variety of reasons is pure, unadluterated baloney. The conflict in Iraq is the sole reason for the reluctance of high school grads to enlist. We are missing the community spirit that was extant after Pearl Harbor. My view is that the balme for that can be laid at the feet of the stupid concept of an all-volunteer force in time of war; that's just plain crazy. All of the whiz-bang, really neat-o, high priced stuff that Rumsfeld and his yes-guys prefer over boots-on-the-ground has deterred this administration from stepping up to the plate and decalring the obvious namely, that we need a compusory military service act to cover our operational requirements. All of the clap-trap about involuntary servitude is a fool's rationale'. When the chips are down and the nation says it needs the young men, while a few cowards will flee to Canada, the vast majority of those called will answer, train and perform.

That's true as long as: (1) There is no short (like 2 year) period of service; it's for the duration; (2) there is no short and announced rotation policy like the one that lost the SEA dust-up for us; and, most important, (3)no exemptions for students, young married guys, etc. like the ones that caused the public discontent and dissent among those poor and lower socio-economic young men in the Vietnam draft.

Like so many aspects of this administration, it speaks tough and carries a small stick without the resolve to "get 'er done!"

[investigateworld]

LOL, add ten to that, and we'll make up old guys dragging the rear. They are picky about 33 year breaks in service.

[68skylark]

I respectfully disagree. While I have no disagreement with a draft in theory, or with people who were drafted and served very honoroably, there will be no draft for this war. No one in the military wants draftees around them today.

[bayourod]

Have they tried the Home Depot parking lots?

[ambrose]

We are missing the community spirit that was extant after Pearl Harbor

There was a draft during World War II.

[middie]

The navy aviation community is not over-manned, it's under resourced. Squadrons are short aircraft, air wings and depots are short on spare parts and the deep water role is not applicable to the current crisis. The worst SecDef in 40 years has allowed the 300 ship Navy that was the floor only a few years ago to deteriorate to less than 240. Our sealift capacity is virtually non-existant and we have allowed the merchant fleet to become a mere recollection of the past. We now rely on foreign flagged vessels; a hell of a way to fight a war and have readiness in the Far east.

Our airlift capacity is likewise reduced to reliance on commandeering civilian airliners to transport troops and critical strategic and tactical supplies. Air Force wings are suffering the same fate as naval aviation support units. SecDef has abandoned the idea of there ever being another conflict calling for main force maneuver units to supply the punch that follows-on the stike forces that special ops provide. The guy is a puppet of the high tech, money contributing, industrialists who can sell him big ticket gadgets at the cost of the eyes and tigger fingers of real soldiers, Marines and sailors. He tolerates no dissent or suggestion that anyone of his bizarre changes in conflict doctrine perhaps may be erroneous and have a dangerous potential for the future.

In 1939-40 we were painting signs declaring a truck to be a "tank" at which soldiers "shot" at it with a broomstick and artillery tubes shooting bags of baking flour. Troops were aiming WW I Springfields and shouting "Bang" because we were without ammo suppliers. Ladies and gentlemen, we are very close to the same status today. We limit aviators (Navy) and pilots (AF) to live firing on very few training flights and ground troops to only live fire for qualification.

Meanwhile, we cut taxes for the wealthy, allow our southern border to be an open door for, who knows what sort of enemy, and examine grandmothers in wheel chairs at airports while allowing all manner of avenues open to anyone intend on killing Americans.

This administration and the idiot in the SecDef chair has turned our priorities on their proverbial heads....

[ThreeTracks]

I'm a bit surprised an article on recruiting in Seattle didn't mention this incident:

http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-861303.php

- ThreeTracks

[Mark17]

The pentagon is getting rid of as many people as it can in the Navy. Funny how this has not been raised in the media.

I was USAF, and I hear it is dumping people also.

[Swiss]

The SecofDef and Administration knows what is going to happen around 2009. Social Security will start goobling up the other revenue in the budget and Bush's Medicare plan will take a big chunk as well. You can't support a world class military and massive social programs. As Europe and Canada shows the military gets the shaft because voters favor the government spending on them instead of the soldiers.

Unless I see massive cuts in our social programs then I see no other outcome than a massive reduction in our military and the ability to wage war. The Chinese will get everything they want if they just wait.