EXCLUSIVE: Army Missed Recruiting Goal Again

Interesting, the country is at war but you don’t feel you or your kids should be a part of it. Did you also agree with the surge, or stay the course? Are you supporting the troops withdrawing?

I’m not suprised at all. The polls say it all. The nation’s confindence in the President and the wars have dramatically fallen. The fear of loved ones coming home wounded or not coming home at all are overwhelming.

My oldest son was thinking of putting off college for a couple of years and enlisting after high school. I told him he would have my blessings only–and I mean ONLY–when one of the Bush twins signs up first! Let those who preach patriotism the loudest practice it the most meaningfully. Do YOU hear ME Mr. Bush?

I totally agree – Mr. Bush, why dont your twins volunteer? Do they really believe in your war? Anyone who supports Bush and his war, should encourage their family members to sign up. Let’s see just how many really support him when their loved ones are over there dealing with suicide bombs and IED’s everyday.

“At least when you’re slinging burgers at Mickey D’s no ones trying to blow you to bits with IED’s”
What part of America do you live in? In our part it’s mini-subs, fists, 9mm… not a far stretch from an IED. The whole world is violent, there is no doubting that. War is what you get when Peace fails. Lasting War is what you get when Peace continuously fails. Want Peace? Find a solution other then ending War.

It’s sorta foolish to say that a politician’s children should or shouldn’t enlist.
It’s a volunteer army. No one is forced to enlist and a making correct policy decisions has nothing to do with whether or not your children are involved.

“It’s a volunteer army. No one is forced to enlist…”
Yeah, if these enlistment numbers keep dropping it might not be voluntary for long. Bush and his cronies need warm, young bodies to feed the military industrial complex and keep them and their buddies at Halliburton flush in cash! If we dumb ole’ common people decide we don’t want to play ball anymore, you’ll hear the word draft suddenly mentioned alot more on Fox News and Republican talking points memos. By that time, you’ll probably already be picking out where in Canada you’d like to settle down in until it all blows over! LOL!

why would anyone want to willingly DIE for a lie?
nothing about this IRAQ war has any pluses for the United States. We have lost the battle, the war, the hearts and mind of the Iraqis as well as the American people.
The idea of controlling the oil in Iraq and giving up the Saoudi oil was at best wishful thinking. we have lost all credibility in the Middle East it will be decades before the world will trust us again.

We in THIS family have agreed to and vowed not to have ANYTHING to do with any form of the federal government until there is a regime change in America. I have stopped my volunteer position at our local BLM museum, no one will be enlisting nor will we contribute in any way to any thing even remotely tied to the federal government. Not as long as our nation remains hijacked by the Cheney/Bu$h cabal. And likely not for a good deal of time into the next administration when, prayerfully, reparations to our once great nation have begun and are ongoing. That just seems like common sense to me and mine.
siri

“Thank God that there are brave men and women that choose to protect these pathetic examples of Americans who have more in common with our enemies and put them and the rest of us in greater risk each day.”
Dictators and charlatans have always historically counted on sheep who cloak themselves in patriotism and blind themselves to reality in the name of God and country! Unfortunately, cemeteries bear the names and bones of far too many young people you’ve been led to their deaths by the lies of politicians and arrogance of their parents! Michael proves that point well!

My solution to address missed recruiting goals: use conscription of all those chickenhawk Republicans’ children who wanted this war in the first place. This has got to be an extraordinary fertile recruiting field and since those people believed in Bush-Cheney’s war plan and imperialist objectives (Operation Iraqi Liberation) aka OIL, they’ll make the best soldiers to fight the Neo-Con’s crusades.
If the ranks can’t be filled with these people, then let’s ask George Bush and Dick Cheney to set an example for recruiting: have THEIR children enlist and demnad to serve on the forward operating bases outside of Baghdad.
No matter how generous the recruiting bonuses have become, the American teenager and even the 43 year old seeking a career change recognizes poor policy equals their death or permanent disability.

I would never, ever let my children risk their lives or limbs for the likes of Karl Rove, George Bush or Dick Cheney! If you need bodies for the military, lift “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and draft Mary Cheney!

I wish I could enlist again so I could help the United State of Iraq become the USA’s 51′st state.

Everyone talk about not allowing my son to do this or not allowing him to do that. What do you plan to do when there is no military left to protect you?

My son took the oath and joined the Marine Corps two and a half hours ago.
He is on his way to San Diego now. He’s just an immature, ignorant 18 year-old. No kind of persuasion would keep him from going. The recruiters were too crafty. I’m a mother in hell.

jerry, there will always be a military to protect us, in fact i believe every american will take up arms to defend the United States if it came down to it. the problem most americans have is waging wars built on lies and falsehoods.

Love how these phony headlines change as nuttier liberals come into the office and rewrite them! Sounds like you’re celebrating any problems experienced by your own Armed Forces. …oh, I forgot, you “support the troops”. Gag. Go democrat fraud reporters!!

All you people who like to keep throwing the Regime word around are showing your intelligence. Just because apresident does something that you do not agree with does not make him a dictator or his administration a regime. Next November when the people vote, guess what…a new administration will be elected without so much as a single life lost. There won’t be people blown up going to the polls, the election won’t be rigged and the following Jan, the new administration will begin. So cool the evil Regime crap…be thankful you live in a country where you can even make a comment like that and not be killed for it.

Reputation? …you mean a country who follows through on it’s commitments and doesn’t waffle around like a bunch of cowards waiting for the next democrat pole to tell them what to do next? That reputation? How about the world’s only SUPER POWER with the courage to enforce the lame UN Security Council’s demands when corrupt countries like France, Germany and Russian are collecting BILLIONS in profits from circumventing the OIL FOR FOOD program? …in addition to the UN secretary’s son. Were they worried about their “reputations”? Think for yourself for once…….

Do any of you all REALLY CARE about anything in Iraq???? Be honest now. . . Are you willing to give yours or anyone in your families life for a lot of rocks and sand. And people who have no future and who will kill themselves FREELY because of the very fact that they HAVE NO FUTURE. Their life only exists to serve whatever god they are worshipping at the moment. They are born with nothing and nothing is what they will end up with. Go ahead. . . send your kids over there for a bunch of hooligans like Bush/Chaney et al. You will never see any of their children go. . . that’s a fact!

“Yeah, if these enlistment numbers keep dropping it might not be voluntary for long.” Oh God, here comes the liberal paranoia wave again. With each new day comes another left wing conspiracy for what the Bush Administration will do to us. You were never supportive of troops when they went in, don’t act like the war’s failure has brought you to anti-war opinions now. There are brave Americans fighting over there right now, the last thing they need is for you to try to bring down the effort even further with your doomsday ideology.

The people of the United States are just now realizing Bush’s invasion of Iraq was a very bad move, and now the people who would normally be enlisting in the Army do not want to be just target practice for the insurgents in Iraq. Another similarity with Vietnam, immediately after completion of basic training, off to Iraq, in the killing fields. One gets to wonder if Black America doesn’t have more sense than whites and others, when it comes to joining the Army. One cannot deny seeing a lot less Blacks in the Army these days.

“Oh God, here comes the liberal paranoia wave again”
why wait just sign up don’t wait for the draft, fulfill a dream, keep the liberals from whining.

I heard that man say the goverment can have the lives of his sons as long as he is free to posess his guns.Im a shamed to admit that was one of the reasons I voted for Bush in 2000.I would now try and redeem my earlier mis judgement by trying to have the tyrrant impeached if I could.

A person has to be crazy to sign up at this time. The iraqis want us out. Let them have their civil war. Our soldiers need to come home.

My son is going into the Navy. I’m constantly questioned by other parents…”Doesn’t that scare you? Don’t you just hate that? Don’t you just want to keep him home and safe?” Well….yes to one & three is a good answer. It does scare me, I don’t hate it, and I would absolutely love to keep him home and safe. But guess what? That is not my decision to make. It is his decision. I know someone who “refused” to allow her son to sign up. Give me a break! If they are 18, no amount of refusal will work, cut those strings and let them use their own mind, make their own mistakes, or reach their own goals! Make men out of them, not boys tied to apron strings! OMG. Some mothers just kill me. They “refuse to allow” their grown sons to join the military, but they sure do like those privileges other people’s sons have died to give them. Encourage your young ones to give something to their country, don’t discourage them. Come on people! Are we just going to lay down and quit because somebody might get hurt??? Where would you be if your great-grandparents and grandparents had done the same thing? I’ll tell you where….you’d be in a communist country only dreaming of those freedoms that you so easily abuse now.

Its incredible that these supporters of the Bush Civil War describe themselves as patriots.The patriot protects liberty,they dont extinguish it.Bush has taken away your liberties in the guise of making you more secure,that is closer to facism than democracy.Any people who send their children to this civil war to fight for these cooperate pigs may have to reconsile their conscious someday when their loved one is taken away from them.

I respect the right of those who criticize, that is what makes America what it is… “Free” , however let’s not forget those who FIGHT for your right to criticize. My husband is an Active Duty member of the United States Army; both sides of our family have made great sacrifices for our country. War is never easy and I dont think there is ever a clear line of reasoning for war however if you dont join and fight who will and then what would happen to our freedoms. We have a 14 year old son who wants to serve his country when he becomes of age not because it’s something we have suggested but because he see’s the clear importance of serving your country; I would NEVER discourage any of our children from serving their country and neither should anyone else in America. To maintain the freedoms and security that we enjoy self sacrifice is needed …. Step Up!

To all you who keep calling this a “corporate war” where the rich get richer and we are only fighting to keep their pockets lined, let me ask this? Have you studied history at all? Do you not know that major corporations ALWAYS have economic gain during wartime? It has been so since WWI, look back economically and you will see that this country’s most properous times for all were during and immediately after a war. This is no different. Sure, some companies are benefiting, but that is not why we are there. We are not over there to make sure the rich stay rich or get more. The way I see it, we are there to keep terroristic strikes in this country at bay. We are there trying to weed out the bad seed so that country can live more peacefully. We need to stay THERE and fight the terrorists THERE so they will not come over HERE! No, Iraq and Afghanistan or their governments themselves hold no direct threat to the US, but those countries (and others) are where the terrorists live. Let us strike them there before they kill any more American civilians on this ground.

And now, for the rest of my response. I do not give time to fear mongering or dooms-day scenarios. However, I do think we should learn from history because history does repeat itself. If we sit back and ignore the terrorist threats that the people in those countries have against us and other “free” countries, then we are going to sit back and watch our neighbors die in another horrible attack like what we witnessed on 9/11. Our good soldiers are over there trying to keep the worst of those people from achieving their goals, one of which is the annialation of Christians world wide. Nothing good will happen over night, we must be patient and stay the course. (And, again…that is just my opinion. There is no reason for name calling just because you don’t like it. Argue the point, I like a good debate, but be an adult and quit with the name calling.)

to Michelle & ARS SailorMom: sorry you people are so disallusioned. I am a Wounded Vietnam vet so don’t give me any of that flag waving crap. If you got kids/family in the military sorry for your luck & or their stupidity. The fact is they are fighting in a sectarian civil war that will be going on for years to come & we need to get out of country and let them resolve the issue. Do you think if we sent troops into Isreal we would stop the fighting between the Jews and the Palestinians? Open your eyes to the reality people. These people will be killing each other long after we are all dead and brried.

Jason good post but serving in the military is not about you or whom ever serves it’s about a collective force to protect the United States paid for by Americans who agree or disagree with wars that are fought for the survival of the United States or wars that make someone feel good or just to line someone’s pockets. All americans contribute to the wellbeing of America not just those that take up arms.
ain’t democracy a sweet thing?

I do not blame young people for not volunteering to be cannon fodder in this administration’s pointless and dangerous war. Of concern, however, are the numerous radio spots I have heard from Selective Service…

When the reason of two people are on opposite poles, it would be hard to draw each to the center unless both were willing. I’m willing, but you have given me nothing but “government bashing”.

If recruiters call my house I get really mad at the thought they are out to get my boys and I suggest they call the White House to see if the twins want to fight their father’s war.

hehe..
only too true……
tell it like it is Sara B.

Exclusive huh ABC? I bet you guys were foaming at the mouth to get this online. You guys put more ideas and thoughts into terrorist minds than any hardline cleric ever could. Maybe you should change your name to reflect your true colors, Aljazzera Broadcasting Corp. sounds a little more like it

Big Al: You have no respect for me because I am not a Bush Hater? Or because I believe we are doing good in Iraq? You have no respect for people who have different opinions than yours? That is rather shallow of you.

sorry mr. marine sgt…
the fact is we are out of Iraq in another year…
The american people have had enough and they have the intelligence to see what a corrupt group of politicians can do to this country..
get off you high horse and admit it was all a big waste of life and for nothing…
sorry you can’t live up to it…
come back & talk to me 5 years from now…

My grandfather served and fought during WWI; my uncles did their duty in both the European theater and Pacific theater during WWII; my father saw action for three years in Korea. As for me, I served my nation honorably during the end of the Vietnam war. As you can see, generations of proud Americans who did their duty and came home. As for my son, no! Add up the years of service of one family and compare them to the years of service of those who got us into this mess in Iraq. Hell NO! When their sons and daughters enlist and go from house to house in Iraq looking for terrorists, then I will gladly encourage my own to do the same. Until then, we did our time – let them do their patriotic duty.

jay posted: “Assuming that Iraq counterinsurgency operation winds down soon (a good bet)”
How much are you willing to put up for that bet? If you’re smart: $0.00

ccordero…it’s one thing to “DEFEND” our country, it’s a complete different thing to “INVADE” a country under false pretenses. Just because a psycho President invades a country for personal interests you expect every American to support that with the blood of their children…WAKE UP and get a clue!!!!

I have done no research on my own, but according to this article, a decrease in enlistments is the norm during a war/conflict. If that is the norm, then why is everybody pushing that the reason enlistment is down is because the “majority” of people are against this particular engagement and this particular president. It would seem to me that, if what the article states is true, the majority of people are against any conflict. Therefore, this lower enlistment has nothing to do with the particular president we have at this time and nothing to do in particular with this conflict. I don’t love Bush, I don’t hate him…he’s screwed up in some places and in others done fine. He’s better than what we had the previous eight years, and hopefully we’ll get somebody better when his term is over. But, I will say this till the end of time, this is NOT all about Bush, it is not HIS war, it is not to line his pockets. I hear Bush-haters constantly saying that, but they offer no proof…they just say that’s the way it is and expect everyone to believe that Bush is the Big Bad Wolf. Offer some proof, something other than the overly quoted WMDs thing, some actual company end-of-the-year report that all corporations have to publish that prove that Bush and his lackies are in this for mere profit, then I’ll be more open for reasons other than fighting terrorism being what this war is about.

*********************
GEORGE VREELAND HILL SPEAKS!
Don’t serve your country!
Your country is using you!!
If you need good medical care after you leave the military, you will not get it.
They don’t care and will not fix the problem either.
You know about VA hospitals!!
Iraq?
Why?
Bush laughed at WMD once, and in doing so, laughed at you!
Bush himself went AWOL while in the military, but he does not think twice about sending you to die.
Military pay?
A joke.
Education?
You can’t go to college in a casket.
The military lied to Pat Tillman’s family, and they will lie to your family after you die.
Get ready for much longer stays in Iraq.
That is why you joined, right?
To be used!
Let this be a lesson to the rest of you.
Don’t serve your country, because your country is not serving you!
In fact, you are being used!
I am,
George Vreeland Hill

More than 30 of my great-grandfather’s decendents have fought in world war I, II, Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, and now Iraq. Almost a third of them got the purple heart, one was killed, there are four sargeant majors, one captain, one major, one Lt.Col., Two academy grads. Three of my uncles were career service men. The other three fought and came home. I had three family members in Iraq at the same time. I have two different ones there now. There are no cowards here and we love the troops like family because that is what they are to us. But this is a bad war and I hate been lead by a draft dodger. That includes Bush and Clinton.

we are not at war-we invaded a country and have been attempting to pacify the residents for the sake of middle east stability(read oil) no war has been declared

I serve 20 years in USMC from 62 to 82. I refuse to stand up for the National Anthem because American citizens spit on me in uniform. You people want respect, you have to earn it. So far the Bush team has earned no respect just death for a lot of people both Americans & people of Iraq. I wonder how many of you voted for Bush, dont lie if you did. But Americans are dying for no reason. Al Quida is the organization that attacked us, not Iraq. So why did we invade them in the first place. I served so that you would have the priviledge to do the bitching you are doing. But do not call our service personel dumb or stupid, that is the same as spitting on them in uniform. Get on you elected representatives for approving this mess and not having the guts to stop it. Mr. Bush (he is not my president) can not carry on the war if congress got some guts an stood up to him. The problem with the VA is also their responsibility for not proper funding.
Thank You All, you all are still spitting on the uniformed personnel.

Never, never elect a president who has not served honorably in one of our military services. People who have served would know how to properly wage war, Mr. Bush does not & has not learned to this day. We needed 500,000 personned to do the job right but doing the job right means Mr. Bush would have to raise taxes. Our military is to small to properly wage war. Get on your elected representatives to properly fund our military & veterans. We need people in charge who know how to wage war not play patty cake like Cheney & Bush. By the way this is my real name not some made up one. If you are going to shoot your mouths off at least have the guts to do it in the open.

One more thing Urban-no matter where you served or why you joined, you can never be blamed for the stupidity of your leaders. Blind patriotism can be very dangerous.

We should be bringing back the draft right now. Then if you don’t want little Joey to go just send him to Canada or Mexico for the rest of his life. Bring back the draft and watch the mamas little boy cowards run.

Quite understandable why the military might be having a problem, what with Bush’s Iraq Strategy: “Drive Around Until You Get Killed”.

look, i agree with the fact that this is a voulenteer army, the bush kids dont have to enlist. i live less than a mile from Fort Drum in new york. this place sees the most deployees out of ANYWHERE in the world. i know the soldiers who fight in this war. most grew up in places where the only option was to enlist. so to hear that these people who enlist are “fools” makes me sick. the people who say that are of the most ignorant kind of people. they have no idea what goes on behind the scenes at the bases around the world. and there are those people who really care about this country, after all is said and done, they are the ones that are risking their lives for the potential freedon of others. that in its self is the greatest sacrifice that anyone can ask for. and to those that ask that those people who voted for bush send their children off to war is ridiculous. its almost like saying that everyone who voted for Gore in 2000 should kill their kids becuase their future pollution will lead to global warming… which is against his “policy”… just cause someone voted for Bush dosent mean that they agree with the war. this war follows every footstep of every war ever entered into by the Us with the exception with both world wars… take a look at the spanish american war… the cubans were revolting… in korea and vietnam, the communists were invading, creating an opressive government… (sound familiar saddam?)… then again in the balkins… we were defending other muslims who wanted to have their own country… and that worked… then guess what… Iraq, revolution, destruction of a tyrantical governement and the beginning of a new democratic system. which is the basis of our freedom. If our troops come home, a more opressive government will go back into iraq, someone who is more of a fundamentalist and someone who hate the US more then the last guy. the reason you people hate bush, and hate his policys is due soley to the media. take a look at the body counts… very similar to vietnam… as soon as the body counts surfaced in vietnam the acceptance to the war DROPPED… the media knows that this interests people. and as soon as this war started they began working this death count. after 9/11 patriotism ran high in this country. what happened? the people in this country are too soft, war is war… it is death, its not the best thing but appearently its the one thing that works, becuase with the expection of vietnam all the wars that the US has entered the goal was achieved. Cuba, korea, the balkins… all achieved relative peace after we interveaned. those that wanted a country got one, those that wanted freedom… got it… all i ask is that if you arent apart of this war in some constructive way then you need to keep your opinion to yourself. you play into the role of the media, you know nothing and say what you see… a distorted vision that is presented by the media.

I for one salute all those in uniform, past and present. I went to see the “touring wall” monument in Houston last summer and ran in to a Screaming Eagles’ vet. All I could do was to shake his hand, my voice would not carry any words but I hope the look in my eyes told him enough of what I wanted to say. As has been noted before, not supporting the war is a completely different thing than to supporting the troops. That being said my own view of the war is not important in the matter, what is important is that all our men and women out there keep checking their six and make it home to their loved ones.

Duty, Honor, Country! As less and less of the Country supports the President’s plans in Iraq, there is less and less Honor accorded to being in uniform; therefore, fewer of our best young men and women feel the Duty to enlist. The president can’t ignore this. The generals won’t let him. When we have a new president who can rally the country, a sense of honor and duty will return. The long green line will grow long again.

I always wondered how history repeats itself, the lies of the Bush administration and the acceptance of the lies without question by the people can only be the demise of our constitutional
republic. Does anyone believe that if this was a country that did not have resorces that corporations covet, we would be there? Great men warned us, but we failed to learn and understand history:
“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.”
– U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864
“Perhaps it is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad.”
– James Madison, writing to Thomas Jefferson, May 13, 1798
A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, falsely believing that he has the gods on his side. — Aristotle

I EXPECT every REAL AMERICAN to bear the uniform to make our country safe to WHATEVER! Military service is the highest honor given to a citizen. It is a truly SAD moment when there are non-American citizens serving right now, while you enjoy the benefits given to you from the backs of the Soldiers of past and present.
My feelings about this particular war is no consequence, the United States have other interest than Iraq. Perhaps if more Americans actually marched in the same boots as Soldiers, our leadership might not make some of their choices, because they truly understand the sacrifice of this war. You tell me to WAKE UP…I did every freaking night when the Iraqis mortared my base camp. I was UP when my family and friends were at the beach, the park, Disney Land while I feared for my life. I am UP now, when I just received news that one of my own Soldiers was just killed in Baghdad.
But even though I was delivered a painful “clue”, I still believe it is MINE, YOURS, and anyone who calls themselves an American to bear arms against our wonderful Nation.
I am amused that you were offended because of my questions. I was actually wondering if you were part of the Bush/Cheney crowd who won’t send their kids, but still want to continue on with this war.

They are counting in their May recruits my 36 year old brother who just gave up a 7 year heroin addiction in January, track marks and all.