WASHINGTON, July 5, 2007
About Face In National Guard Recruitment
A Change In Strategy Is Boosting Enrollment, Despite Wartime Dangers
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National Guard Ranks Swelling
The National Guard is building up its ranks, partly thanks to a program that pays members to help recruit new troops. David Martin reports.
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New recruitment strategies by the Army National Guard are boosting enrollment to levels not seen in years. (CBS)
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He is part of a dramatic turnaround in what had been a losing battle to fill the ranks. With the National Guard serving — and dying — on the front lines in Iraq, those ranks had fallen to a new low by the summer of 2005, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports.
"We had to take some different actions because what we were doing was not working," said Col. Mike Jones, the Guard's head recruiter.
Jones now pays members of the Guard $2,000 for every recruit they can deliver to basic training.
"That absolutely turned the corner," Jones said. "We’ve had over 35,000 people brought into the National Guard in the last 19 months as a result of the recruit assistance program."
Tabitha White is a private in the Guard and now a part-time recruiter. She’ll get $1,000 for bringing Caceres in, and another $1,000 when he reports to boot camp.
For her, it's easy money.
"You can just walk into a store and you just stop somebody and tell them about the program," she said. "Very simple; it's just all about communication, about talking."
The Guard has also doubled the number of full-time recruiters to 5,000 and increased the enlistment bonus from $10,000 to $20,000. Surprisingly its ads emphasize the risks as much as the rewards.
One says: "We know the sacrifices. We know the consequences. We don't have a safe job and we're all willing to accept that."
"We're very candid that serving in the National Guard today is sometimes a dangerous business," Jones said. "Believe it or not, that message is selling."
It will have to keep selling because the Guard plans to add another 7,000 soldiers in the coming months.
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See all 76 CommentsMessage to our troops:
"Do not fight for a dying regime. It is not worth your life." GWB
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxKpeKQA6B4
There is no honor whatsoever in participating in the illegal, fraud-based war of aggression against the people of Iraq. It is the obligation of each of our military members to resist complicity in the crimes of the Bush regime.
www.couragetoresist.org
www.ivaw.org
Do not allow the disgrace of the Bush regime become your disgrace. Resist complicity in the crimes and atrocities of the Bush regime!
Re: "Jones now pays members of the Guard $2,000 for every recruit they can deliver to basic training."
Attention potential recruits:
Your lives and your dignity are worth far more than $2,000.
Don't waste your life in exchange for these crumbs!
How's it going in Iraq?
"Women, children among dead"
"Several women and children were among the dead and injured, according to Lt-Gen Shakarchi. Three women have also disappeared during the raids; witnesses said they were arrested by some Iraqi police officers. The body of one of the women was found on the morning of 1 July in the outskirts of the city. She had been sexually assaulted before being shot, Shakarchi said."
%u201CPeople are scared to leave their homes to buy petrol for their generators or fetch water. Many families will soon start to run out of food and many shops are closed. Locals are desperate and prefer to stay inside their homes rather than get killed while walking on the streets,%u201D said Fatah Ahmed, a spokesperson for the Iraqi Aid Association (IAA).
How's it going in Iraq?
"The US military said on 1 July that it had conducted two pre-dawn raids in Sadr City the previous day, killing 26 "terrorists" who had attacked troops with rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs, but an Interior Ministry official, Lt-Col Mahmoud Shakarchi, said all the dead were innocent civilians."
%u201CSpiteful%u201D US action
%u201CThe action taken by the US military was spiteful; they cannot conduct raids without our agreement. It is against our rights and orders. The killed people were only civilians and many locals have started to flee the neighbourhood searching for safer places in the southern governorates,%u201D said Shakarchi.
%u201CI%u2019m fleeing my home today and won%u2019t take anything with me. I cannot see my children dying. We need protection and we cannot get it in Sadr City any more. US troops are invading our houses, shooting at our doors and killing innocent people and I don%u2019t want my loved ones to be the next victims,%u201D said Mamun Ali, 45.
%u201CThey made it clear during their raid on 30 June that they were going to return to finish the militants and surely dozens of innocent Iraqis are going to die just for remaining in their homes,%u201D Ali said. %u201CWe are going to Najaf today with the hope of finding a camp for the displaced to stay in and save our lives.%u201D
%u201CWe cannot cope with the number of casualties. They should send us materials to fully equip our hospital before people start to die for lack of medicines. I know there weren%u2019t many casualties but militants and locals are revolted by the recent actions by US troops and they might take revenge any time,%u201D said Hassan Khalif, a physician at Sadr City Hospital.
www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73049
Re: "About Face In National Guard Recruitment"
Bribing potential recruits, increasing the number of recruiters, and lowering eligibility standards are hardly new tactics, and whomever considers this to be an 'About Face' is badly lost, and/or does not understand this term.
It seems to me the US beat your Army, won the war and is occupying your wretched country. "Without your agreement?" You must be out of your ever loving head. We should take every drop of your oil -"To the vioctor goes the spoils".
Re: "It seems to me the US beat your Army, won the war and is occupying your wretched country. "Without your agreement?" You must be out of your ever loving head. We should take every drop of your oil -"To the vioctor goes the spoils".
This was the comment of an Iraqi "official", not from me.
It sounds like you think that the currently installed 'government' of Iraq lacks legitimacy and sovereignty.
We agree on this point.
Things don't look good for these puppet-officials, when the illegally invading U.S.-led forces are finally kicked out of Iraq.
###
Are you a member of the same death-cult as Reverend Ted?
aisat2666,
I am sorry, but your comment is not understandable.
Are you a recruiter?
"The Guard has . . . increased the enlistment bonus from $10,000 to $20,000."
Whatever happened to that "volunteer army"?
They sound more like mercenaries than volunteers.
Didn't Saddam Hussein pay families of suicide bombers $10,000?
What an amazing coincidence. . .
We have an amazing deal for YOU!!!
Give us your life and we'll give YOU $20,000!!!
Such a deal.
And, to think, in a few short months, these people will be walking the streets of a city near you with loaded, automatic weapons.
No, wait, they will be in Iraq. Now why would Iraqis not want desperate people with loaded, automatic weapons kicking in their doors and forcing them to disrobe at gunpoint?
The "war on terror" as being conducted by the Bush administration is the biggest debacle in this nation's history.
"The Guard has . . . increased the enlistment bonus from $10,000 to $20,000."
Whatever happened to that "volunteer army"?
They sound more like mercenaries than volunteers.
Didn't Saddam Hussein pay families of suicide bombers $10,000?
What an amazing coincidence. . .
Posted by tuckerndfw at 08:36 PM : Jul 05, 2007
What a poor comparison.
If this person has not shipped out yet, it may be possible for her to back out with few, or no, consequences.
One in 3 millitary women report rape or attempted rapes by their male collegues, and commanders routinely either do nothing about these incidents, and/or blame and punish the victims.
%u2022 Started a "buddy program," in which members earn $2,000 for every recruit they sign up and who enters boot camp. The Guard says the program has brought in 35,000 enlistments since December 2005.
%u2022 Sent recruiters to more high school sporting events, NASCAR races and shopping malls
If it works, it works..(sounds alot like mercenary to me, too)...or desperation...or both...oh, could be 'bought' patriotism, too...or, just plain patriatism, with fringe benefits...who knows...
feelfree1, short and simple. I have read a number of your comments over the months and frankly, some of them I agree with totally. However, (always a however, huh?) a few seem somewhat childish when you feel you have to comment on the present political elected officials. Yes the Bush bunch. Let me just ask you 3 simple questions.
1. Why do you feel you have to BASH the BUSH bunch? (you know I am right when I tell you, you are walking a very tight line in this area, short of being criminal)
2. How would you replenish our military forces? (Bottom line, recruits over the century gave you the freedom to live as you do)
3. From where do you draw your knowledge? (Military, civilian, or %u201CCO?%u201D)
You know you can completely ignore this comment / request whatever you wish to call it, a person never knows who is at the other end of the pen.
1) His failure--and the failure of the AG and the State of New York--to conduct a criminal investigation of the crimes of 9-11 and probable complicity in those crimes.
2) His failure, and the failure of his staff to do due diligence on the case for war presented by elements of the US intelligence establishment and his failure to hold those who presented the obviously flawed assessments. (I would argue that the case for war was made out of whole clothe and the 'intelligence' was merely cooked to give him a rationale for his crimininal attack on Iraq.)
3) His failure to protect the border of the United States.
4) His stated contempt for the Constitution he swore to uphold.
5) His regime's over-reaching of the Executive's assigned Constitutional powers. The Bush Regime is a regime of crass usurpers and stands against everything this country was founded upon.... and that is only a few of the reasons why Bush and his supporters should be held in absolute disdain.
aisat2666,
Re: "I have read a number of your comments over the months and frankly, some of them I agree with totally."
Wow! A secret admirer! Go figure?
Re: "Why do you feel you have to BASH the BUSH bunch?"
I am opposed to leaders that seize power by way of election fraud, who wage fraud-based illegal wars of aggression, who slaughter hundreds of thousands of people, who use torture and secret prisons, who wipe their arses with our Constitution, who transfer the public wealth to war profiteers, mercenaries, and other terrorist groups, I oppose the pardoning of treasonous felons like Scooter, and I oppose the squander of our nation's blood and treasure for the benefit of pro-Israeli extremists.
Those are a few of the main reasons, but I also consider our pathetic 'opposition' Party to be complicit in many of these crimes, not just the unelected Bush pirates.
Re: "How would you replenish our military forces?"
Why the hell would I want to do that?
Re: "From where do you draw your knowledge?"
Military, civilian, yes, also common sense.
'Prinzowhales' also lists some very good reasons.
Am I to assume that you are both a fan of our illegitimate puppet-Fuhrer (heil), and of my comments?
During the draft era, the military demographic was at least closer to the aggregate, even if Bush declined a chance to go with his Texas ANG unit to Vietnam.
So, now that the Guard is losing a few dozen a month, it finds that more money and the scent of danger will draw innocent men like moths to a flame.
Furthermore, you need to keep in mind that the Iraqi citizens DID NOT start this war. I believe that crime falls directly at Bush's feet. You also need to recall that the American citizens were fed lie upon lie upon lie about all the terrorist activities being conducted in Iraq. Well, guess what, they weren't happening then, but they d a m n e d sure are now! That, too, you can lay at Bush's feet. What an idiot. I won't call him a dictator, but he's certainly attempted to be one. We don't want our soldiers in Iraq, and that's not where they should have been sent. Bin Laden wasn't there!
Re: "The enemies we engage do not regard human life and hide behind civilians."
The only group that we know FOR SURE that has a routine policy of hiding behind 'human shields', are the Israelis- proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, before their own Supreme Court.
www.adalah.org/newsletter/eng/oct05/1.php
Amazingly they hypocritically attempt to attribute this behavior to their 'enemies', as if this would somehow excuse their war crimes and atrocities.
At any rate, those who illegally invade another country based only on lies and greed, have no rights- only responsibilities. That is one of the downsides of being an illegal and unwelcome invader, and that is one of the reasons that such an attack should be avoided at all costs.
On the other hand, the people of Iraq have every right to defend themselves from brutal and illegal invaders, and from collaborators, by whatever means they deem necessary.
Them%u2019s the brakes, chum(p)!
Aftab Khan Sherpao, the Federal Interior Minister, said that a large number of women and children were being held hostage by armed men in a room. He said that Mr Ghazi was hiding in the basement of an attached madrassa with 25 %u201Cwomen hostages%u201D.
---
Actually, jdweymouth, you cannot believe everything people on Faux News Network tell you. Not even half of it...
Yet, as I recall, you are the sower of much dissent yourself. Are you not the poster who once became angry that the VA legislature might consider apologizing to its black citizens for the slavery era (in VA)? And now, you want to talk about justice, equality and patriotism?!
Patriotism, first and foremost, is taking responsibility for correcting wrongs in your country when you can see them. While you may disagree with others, your own dissenting posts are exactly what most others on this blog offer.
Not congratulating yourself that you agree with George Bush, or letting Bush tell you only what he wants you to know.
Topic :
Secret Chinese Sub Spotted on Google
abcnews.go.com
Also, these NEOCONS, when asked if they would support their God, Mister President Bush, if he were suspend elections and impose martial law in the name of "security from terrorists", then would they support it. They OVERWHELMINGLY said "Yes, absolutely"... SICK huh? Well, they're in such lock-step with this president, they're willing to suspend the constitution at a moment's notice if their GOD told them it was required for their own safety.
As to this issue with the national guard.. WOW.. offering financial incentives for them to give their lives.... riiiight... everyone knows that young kids are vulnerable to being offered a small mound of cash... they'd do anything! They feel they're invincible! This is paramount to offering candy to a baby. Sick.. simply very SICK. So much for "VOLUNTEER" army..
War, quite simply put... is stupid.
We'd ALL give our lives to *DEFEND* our country if anyone came here to try to defeat us... but to go overseas to fight in a war that was started on a FALSE premise which the LORD their GOD, George Bush fabricated.... unbelieveable.
People like you are the reason why we are in Iraq in the first place, and the reason why our troops are dying.
You claim to support our troops, yet, you'd rather leave them in the middle of a civil war that came about as a result of our invasion of Iraq.
You and other supporters of this war (generally Republicanazis who refuse to actually enlist and go to Iraq and fight in the war you support), aren't part of the solution - you're the problem.
You're so narrow minded that the only solution you can come up with is to kill more Iraqis - even if they are innocent civilians.
I guess it's easy for you cowards to sit back and tell us all how our soldiers should fight when you're safe and sound back home, sitting on your fat a$$.
You have no real plans, no solutions, no alternatives except to keep sending soldiers off to their deaths.
You and your kind are pathetic.
---
This is the signature hypocrisy of the Bush regime-- salute 'em, and screw 'em. From Walter Reed's roaches to a public statement against death benefits for bereaved families left behind.
Of course, not spending a $12,000 death "gratuity" per casket helped immmensely as Bush struggled to give lavish "tax breaks" to all his (wealthier) contributors. As Bush, himself, said at a dinner in his "honor"-- "This is an impressive crowd, the haves and the havemores. Some people call you the elite-- I call you my base!"
Unfortunately, this is not the only example of the contempt the Bush family has for America. The Bush elders share financial holdings with the Carlyle Group, and thus, indirectly profit from the same fund as bin Laden's relatives!
BLOOD MONEY.............
id7i7ot(d-t)
1. A foolish or stupid person.
2. A person of profound mental retardation having a mental age below three years and generally being unable to learn connected speech or guard against common dangers. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.
You are such an idiot!!!
And even more insulting is the Bush administration is shoveling hundreds of billions of dollars to private contractors to perform less dangerous duties than being performed by US soldiers.
Civilian US mercenaries in Iraq are being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. And that's after their Bush crony bosses skim off a few billion for themselves.
The "war on terror" as being conducted by the Bush administration is the biggest debacle in US history.
So sorry my friend, you missed the point or rather the points completely. You are sounding like a conceited, narrow-minded jerk who thinks no one is right but himself or herself. Maybe I mis-judged your character, something I do not do very often, but I miss a few here and there. I tried my best to pay you genuine and honest compliments I felt you deserved, and you just might, but not from me at this time based upon your response back to me. I guess your age for the mentality of your answers to be between 30-40 with a lot more life experiences to live or as you might phrase it %u201Ca lot more life to endure%u201D. Oh, by the way, the 3rd question reads like this :
3. From where do you draw your knowledge? (Military, civilian, or CO Stands for C-o-n-s-c-i-o-u-s O-b-j-e-c-t-o-r )
Re: "From where do you draw your knowledge?"
Military, civilian, yes, also common sense.
Re: "CO Stands for C-o-n-s-c-i-o-u-s O-b-j-e-c-t-o-r"
Yes, I understood that, thank you.
No, I have never been officially classified as a consciencious objector, and that is why I left it out of my response.
Re: "You are sounding like a conceited, narrow-minded jerk who thinks no one is right but himself or herself. Maybe I mis-judged your character, something I do not do very often, but I miss a few here and there."
I am sorry to disappoint you. Better luck next time.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Posted by FeelFree1 at 02:25 AM : Jul 06, 2007
You and I have been identified by name (alias) as "jihadists."
We must be doing something right.
The most sure way of inciting anger is to tell an unwanted truth. Obviously, we are telling truths some of these people do not want to hear.
Then we can bring all US forces home and cancel all contracts with Bush's war profiteering cronies. As a bonus, we can fire about 90% of the current US military officer corps (due to their demonstrated incompetence), as well as about half of Bush's warmongering staff.
Cancelling those contracts and firing those people would provide more than enough money to give all Iraqis far more than $20k each.
Mission accomplished, democracy flourishes and the Iraqi people are freed from their bondage to US puppets. And, US taxpayers are freed from bondage to Bush's war profiteering cronies.
Let freedom ring!!!
The US is not at war with anyone, the US is occupying a foreign nation so ExxonMobil's earnings reach historic levels. A mission accomplished a couple of years ago.
Then we can bring all US forces home and cancel all contracts with Bush's war profiteering cronies. As a bonus, we can fire about 90% of the current US military officer corps (due to their demonstrated incompetence), as well as about half of Bush's warmongering staff.
Everything is George Bush fault,
Global warming, 9/11, etc. bla ! The same ole thing we here from you people on the left. Typical. How could someone so powerful as George Bush control everything ? Absolutley senseless!
Posted by jb01201a at 02:51 AM : Jul 06, 2007
George Bush is not the "man behind the curtain." George Bush is the snake oil salesman promoting the snake oil produced by the "men behind the curtains."
I'll let you figure out who those "men" might be. But, it is always helpful to follow the money. It always leads hehind the curtain.
Is "you people on the left" some kind of religious ritual you use to ward off evil?
Approximately 70% of Americans oppose George Bush's administration and that number includes people from all political and religious spectrums.
Does chanting "you people on the left" actually have any beneficial effects? Or, is it just a habit you have, like picking your nose or biting your fingernails?
Approximately 70% of Americans oppose George Bush's administration and that number includes people from all political and religious spectrums.
Yea, is this amazing, was this poll taken on CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC - all liberal networks. And of course, lets bring down ole Fox news as you do all the time. Bla ! Bla !
You write, "The "war on terror" as being conducted by the Bush administration is the biggest debacle in US history."
Not quite yet, the Vietnam debacle was the largest and most expensive mistake in US history, depleting our gold reserve through the corruption of war profiteering companies like George Schultz's Bechtel Corp, until Nixon was forced to abolish the gold standard, because those companies literally bankrupted the US treasury.
But give this mess another two years, and it will reach the same level, because the corruption is much greater than it was during Vietnam, now that the dollar is floating on the graces of all countries who pay in US dollars for OPEC oil, the same companies are now looting the treasuries of many nations.
Don't bother about posters like jb01201a, and aisat2666, they have no way to justify legitimate facts that question the actions of their heroes, so they dismiss them as invalid. They consider anyone who questions authority as "on the left".
Analysis of their postings shows no real facts presented, only suppositions and what I like to call "extrapolation ad absurdium", such as "if we don't kill Iraqis, Al Qaeda will be living next door to you".
They present no rational explanations for their views, just simple gainsaying of yours, frequently devolving into insults, libels, and childish name calling. Such is the tactic of someone entering a debate without knowledge of the subject discussed.
Sort of like bringing a butter knife to a gunfight...
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