Army Recruiter Used Scare Tactics

(CBS)  From NASCAR to bull riding, Army recruiters are pulling out all the stops and have had remarkable success meeting their quotas despite two wars. But one recruiter was caught in a tape-recorded phone call doing it with threats, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

As CBS affiliate KHOU in Houston first reported, Irving Gonzalez signed a non-binding contract that left him free to change his mind about joining the Army up to the moment he reported for basic training - which is exactly what he did.

"I'd rather just stay here," he said. "Go to college."

But listen to what his recruiter, Sgt. Glenn Marquette, told him would happen.

"As soon as you get pulled over for a speeding ticket, they're gonna see you're a deserter. They're gonna apprehend you, take you to jail. So guess what, all that lovey-dovey 'I wanna go to college' and all that? Guess what? You just threw it out the window 'cause you just screwed your life," Marquette said on tape.

"Then guess what, you're AWOL. Absent without leave," Marquette said.

Not only is none of that true, but it also violates regulations that prohibit the threatening of potential recruits.

Seventeen-year-old Eric Martinez says he was told the same thing when he changed his mind.

"You can go to jail, put out a warrant for you and spend your time in jail instead of in the Army," he said they told him.

Marquette has been suspended from recruiting pending an investigation and both young men have been told they are free to get on with their lives. But this is not the first time this particular recruiting station has been caught using unethical tactics.

Three years ago, KHOU overheard Sgt. Thomas Kelt leaving a threatening voice mail for a young man who wanted to cancel an appointment he'd made to meet with him.

It said: "you fail to appear and we'll have a warrant."

Kelt did receive a reprimand, but he has since been promoted and put in charge of another Army recruiting station.

[plainjean]

Who can blame these 18 year olds for backing out of their verbal commitments to unscrupulous recruiters? These kids do not want to end up like more than 4,000 military personnel in Iraq: BUSH ROAD KILL!

[poet-heart-2009]

Dartnriss- You''re an idiot; these''s not been one reported case of so called "raped warbabies." None of your koolaid drinking rants make any sense; but what shout one expect from a brainwashed liberal; rowup & learn to think for yourself; instead of what your brainwashers tell you to think.

Maybe you''ll get lucky, & they''ll re-institue the draft; if history is any indication; if the Dems win this year; the war will escalate (Vietnam- LBJ escalated the war to an outrageous level after he took office; & he was aDem.); and the Dem led Congress will re-institute the draft; guess what Bubba; you''ll be Iraq bound as soon as your lottery number comes up.........

[ofra-2009]

Okay, I''m not sure who is more stupid? The recruiter for thinking that this wouldn''t get out, or the kids for thinking they had to sign without considering that this might not really be kosher and thoughts of busting them out by sharing with the press???? Sounds like college is a wise choice!!

[babooph]

Clearly desperation.If they trick the poor fools in,new policy is a "life" sentence-the propaganda system has been told not to report they will only get out dead,badly injured, or when younger suckers can be sold the lie.

[patriot12436]

cheetahman
I served with pride and trusted my govt. I love my country, but no longer trust the govt. I am disabled from nam, my oldest son is disabled from army rangers, my daughter is being evaluated now for disability from Iraq, my youngest son just joined the army. I think my family has done its share for our country. I am not complaining, just stating the way i see it.

[citizenproud]

Oh, one more thing-I think we need to bring back the DRAFT. Then no one, no one- including our soldiers (who volunteer to protect our country) have to humiliate themselves as recruiters trying to get LAZY, SELF RGHTEOUS, SPOILED, GREEDY AMERICANS to "join" the UNITED STATES MILITARY. The DRAFT would prevent any future SCANDALS!!! AMERICANS want the freedoms, but they are "to good" to serve in their own military. Mandatory two year military commitment after high school is just what America needs. That would take the pressure off of these soldiers/recruiters to convince Americans they should serve their country. It should be an honor for EVERY American to serve their country, then we would not be so quick to judge the efforts of those trying to maintain a strong military for AMERICA.

[citizenproud]

RECRUITERS are U.S. SOLDIERS TAKING ORDERS TO PERFORM IN THIS MANNER!!! THEY DON''T CHOOSE TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS!!!!
It is time the U.S. Citizens look to see what is driving recruiters to behave this way!!!! IT IS THE COMMANDERS IN THE RECRUITING COMMAND USAREC (GENERALS, COLONELS, MAJORS, CAPTAINS, & STATION COMMANDERS!!!!) I know this first hand because my husband was FORCED into recruiting and it was three years of absolute HELL for him and our family!!! They are called losers & useless daily, punished by being kept from seeing their families, forced to work 16-18 hours a day / 7 days a week etc.

[citizenproud]

The NUMBERS are all that matter to the higher ups and our soldiers are put through HELL to fulfill the goals for them and Congress. I can''t believe the US citizens sit back and let this happen to their soldiers-it is communistic. Most of these soldiers have served in Iraq, went to defend our country and are then forced into recruiting-because the higher up brass know that after many years of serving the soldiers can''t get out and throw away all those years. It is horrible what they make these recruiters do and then the recruiter is hung out dry over these scandals. RECRUITERS are "ORDERED" to make the numbers no matter how illegal, scandalous, or outrageous the behavior has to be. What- are they going to tell their commanders no and defy orders to make the numbers--their careers would be ruined and life would be terrible. I ask you to look beyond the behavior and ADDRESS what DRIVES the behavior. USAREC / Congress should be in the hotseat---they don''t even respect the existing recruiter/soldier and abuse them, and they expect these people to "SELL" the ARMY.

[citizenproud]

My family has been in the ARMY for over 20 years and I had no idea that RECRUITERS were abused daily and walked on by their government, I did not know that there was a division of the military that does not respect your/their soldiers-but there is-it is USARC. AS A TAX PAYER-I ASK YOU TO HELP THESE SOLDIERS, not BEAT THEM DOWN--they are serving your country and making sacrafices in the RECRUITING HELL ENVIRONMENT--DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THEY WANT TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS??? MAKE THE COMMAND ANSWER FOR THIS, NOT YOUR SOLDIERS!!!!!!
**My spouse is out of recruiting and back in his regular Army unit-his fellow soldiers don''t even believe the recruiting stories because they can''t fathom that there is a division of the Army that would behave disgracefully! IT IS TIME TO EXPOSE RECRUITING COMMAND FOR WHAT THEY REALLY ARE AND DO TO OUR SOLDIERS IN ORDER TO MAKE THEIR NUMBERS-IT IS NOT AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!!! BY THE WAY, it is NOT just the ARMY RECRUTING do this-IT IS ALL THE BRANCHES!!!!!

[frankbowers]

Well let us think their teachers were Carl rove, GW bush, a deserter hisself and a winnie, dic cheney, the one who was too busy to go, and don rumsfeld who all thought the Constitution, Bill of Rights, GC was *** paper. Gonzalez the man who is still out looking up the words dishonest, corrupt, & torture in the dictionary these boys were doing what they had to do so as not to go to Iraq, without deserting themselves. Frank Bowers