Recession Means Recruiting Boom For Army

CBS Evening News: Growing Number Finds That In Uncertain Times, Patriotism Pays

(CBS)  In downtown Dallas Friday, new recruits pledged to protect and defend their country.

They're just part of a growing number who found that in uncertain times, patriotism pays, CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers reports.

"Unemployment rates are [skyrocketing], and when you are looking at how bad unemployment rates are going, I think you find yourself going, 'What do I do now?"' said Army recruit James Stabile.

The troubled economy has even become part of the recruiters' arsenal. And the pitch may be paying off. The Army led all four branches of the military, exceeding recruiting goals.

And it's not just new recruits. The Army also surpassed its goal for retaining men and women already serving by 14 percent.

Kevin Bonds signed his re-enlistment papers Friday. The Sgt. First Class could have retired tomorrow after 20 years in the Illinois National Guard.

"Until the economy changes and turns turn around, I'm in for the long run," he said.

Sgt. Mathew Steen has also re-signed. He says patriotism means more than a paycheck, but admits the Army is a great place to prepare for any career.

"You've got good benefits, your medical, you've got your dental, and you're getting the skills to lead people," Steen said.

The military says the economic downturn is too recent to be the sole reason behind the recruiting surge - but acknowledges that it helps.

"What difficult economic times give us, I think, is an opening to make our case to people we might not otherwise have," said Undersecretary of Defense David Chu. "And if we make our case, I think we can be successful."

That success comes at a critical time for a military stretched between two wars, and for soldiers hoping to security their country - and their own economic futures.

[harbinger09]

All potential enlistees still have to qualify mentally, morally and medically. Just because you want to serve your country doesn''''t mean you will. Hence the saying, "best and brightest".

Posted by talk2chief at 09:24 PM : Dec 06, 2008


No they don''t. Since 2004, the stds have loosened with convicted felons often getting commuted sentences in exchange for service. With the exception of murder or treason, almost any felon convicted of a nonviolent crime is eligible toi serve--in addition new offenders are often told either serve or go to jail--this includes drug dealers. Palin''s son is reputed to be an offender given just such an ultimatum--in addition a GED will get you in and there are a lot of soldiers who barely have that (I know a few of them and some are almost illiterate) So much for the "best, brightest, or moral" It is now the last refuge of the scoundrel and the military is no longer "picky" about who they take, keep or force into service.

[harbinger09]

better than the draft. It worked in ww2 take the money give them a gun then pay their families to build the guns.... happened before folks

Posted by raskal_2 at 11:54 PM : Dec 05, 2008


When it happened before, we were the relief team in both world wars (they had been raging for YEARS with out our participation) and more importantly, we possessed the resources, technology and factories to build the guns and bombs. Now, we farmed out most resources (most proprietary rights to the steel mills, textile and plastics firms have been sold to China as well as the factories dismantled and shipped there) To profit from war, one must have a strong mfg base and access to cheap resources. We no longer have a strong mfg base (outsourced--even most parts of "American" cars are made elsewhere than shipped back here for assembly) and we even sold the rights to much of our resources.

so it is not the same--then there is the nasty fact that we are not the relief team to weary allies in a just war--we are aggressors in a DRAWN out battle based on our lies--and it is a war that yearly costs us billions while it costs the people we have to defend against a few million and a lot of lives.

[harbinger09]

The main problem with W. and Cheney is that they haven''''t the foggiest idea of what they are doing, not that they don''''t have some legitimate constitutional arguments on their side.

Posted by Jim1348 at 05:16 PM : Dec 06, 2008


The main problem with Bush and Cheney is that they never read or respected the Constitution, particularly, the 11th amendment (article 9) which was ratified in 1797. This amendment said that America MUST abide by all international treaties, conventions, agreements that we sign and that neither Congress, The Supreme Court or the President could override those treaties AND that we had to submit to any international tribunal over that treaty if we breached it--further--no American court could/woild have jurisdiction.

That alone should have been enough to preempt the war (in violation of the UN pact of nonaggression) should have nixed the idea of torture, rendition, etc (violation of the Geneva Conventions. and should have prevented Bush from declaring that if any American was held in the Hague due to Iraq war crimes, he would send fighter jets to free them.

If America had no intention of obeying the international treaties we signed, we should have removed our names first, further, we should not have declared such a removal to be retroactive nor denied the jurisdiction and onus as outlined in our own Constitution.

[harbinger09]

Here is an observation and a warning for those crowing about lower gas prices--though welcome it is NOT a good sign.

This little hiatus from gas pain may end up making us worse off than before. An ominous sign in my state are the number of gas stations that were closed today. Wonder why? (it was the middle of a Saturday afternoon)

1. those who operate many gas stations buy gas at a fixed cost based on prices. The longer they hold a gas or oil contract, the cheaper the rate.

2. The shortest time to hold a contract is 90 days, I believe.

3. 90 days ago, there was no economic crash and gas was over 4.00/gal. Gas stations who could lock in a price of say,2.50/gal probably did so and purchased gas for maybe a year or 2 in advance.

4. Gas is now about 1.49/gal in Kansas. This means all those locked in cannot sell their gas and stay afloat much less make a profit.

I hope Obama and others are paying attention--it appears station owners may be closing and hunkering down--waiting for prices they can live with to return. (above 3.00/gal) If they don''t get that--lots of stations will close--and our limping economy will crash or at least come to a nasty halt.

The gas lines this year in Atlanta will have nothing on the rest of the country when this occurs--it is already starting (and if they are forced to sell their gas at prevailing rates, they close anyway)

THINK ABOUT THIS.

[talk2chief]

Let''''s remember, the next time we''''re told the military is stocked with the "best and brightest," that it is apparently being stocked today with the "hopeless and unemployed."

Posted by bobgee_1999

All potential enlistees still have to qualify mentally, morally and medically. Just because you want to serve your country doesn''t mean you will. Hence the saying, "best and brightest".

[bobgee_1999]

Growing Number Finds That In Uncertain Times, Patriotism Pays:

What does this have to do with "patriotism?" Sounds mercenary to me. Let''s remember, the next time we''re told the military is stocked with the "best and brightest," that it is apparently being stocked today with the "hopeless and unemployed."

[denn034]

Duh.

[whitemale08]

Recruitement for the army is really a casting call for the reality show version of the movie "Childeren of Men".

The Bush/Hannity/Limbaugh-Depression has already called for the Northcom to deploy 20 thousand troops to patrol America for security against anticipated unrest by the massive unemployed and desperate populace.

[Jim1900]

What Constitution? According to Bush it is just a GD piece of paper. Starting an illegal war, based on lies--unconstitutional (UC)

Wiretapping Americans--UC

Eliminating habeas corpus--UC

Ignoring the Geneva Conventions--UC

Posted by harbinger09 at 02:13 PM : Dec 06, 2008


While I agree with some of what you say, I don''t think W. is entirely off-base constitutionally in what he does. For example, a lot of people are bent out of shape because of the Patriot Act. But a Commander-in-Chief has to have intelligence to fight a war, and if you buy into the notion that terrorism is a war, then he must be able to monitor communications with foreign adversaries. That is, if a U.S. city is nuked by Bin Laden because we did not intercept his phone and email directives, I think at least a few people will be upset about it. And Abe Lincoln "suspended" habeas corpus too (or we wouldn''t be here discussing the matter). The whole point of holding the prisoners at Guantanamo is so that they don''t get such rights anyway. Why should they? Of course they should be treated humanely in accordance with the Geneva Convention, but I don''t think importing them into the U.S. will necessarily solve that problem, and could cause a lot of other problems.

The main problem with W. and Cheney is that they haven''t the foggiest idea of what they are doing, not that they don''t have some legitimate constitutional arguments on their side.

[sprinkles08]

oh yeah, lets start making jobs and stop sending them over seas.

[sprinkles08]

For all those who support Bush are idiots!!! You all cannot not blame Obama for anything because he isn''t president! Let him get into office first and see what he does to fix the situation that Bush and the congress has made, if doesn''t do a good job, okay blame him too, but blame Bush first. Screw Bush! He is the worst president ever and he has screwed America over and its time everyone start thinking about the actual hard workers.

[harbinger09]

Also, he appoints the governors of various boards and regulatory agencies. It is his responsibility that they are doing their job, and not gambling with the public money. But some people are so accustomed to thinking that W. knows nothing about economics that they overlook his constitutional duties.



Posted by Jim1348 at 08:59 PM : Dec 05, 2008


What Constitution? According to Bush it is just a GD piece of paper. Starting an illegal war, based on lies--unconstitutional (UC)

Wiretapping Americans--UC

Eliminating habeas corpus--UC

Ignoring the Geneva Conventions--UC

Outing a CIA agent--UC

Subverting the DOJ process --UC

Threatening to attack the Hague if any Americans were held there, charged with international crimes--UC

on and on and on--Constitutional duties are irrelevant when the CIC thinks his own ****** is golden and floral and already uses that document as so much theoretical toilet paper.

[harbinger09]

"What difficult economic times give us, I think, is an opening to make our case to people we might not otherwise have," said Undersecretary of Defense David Chu. "And if we make our case, I think we can be successful."


Actually, what it gives the military are a lot of desperate people, willing to become potential cannon fodder for an illegal war--just to secure a paycheck.

[saraplumber]

You do understand that these commies have been teaching you to be angry and hateful and make demands on our government that it can''''t possibly keep so as to break it totally down...as you''''ve just witnessed...in the housing market crisis.

Your government cannot support your every want and need and give it to you FOR FREE! And yet these commies keep demanding it! Why did they do this?

What an easy plan to destroy a nation that supports individual freedomes and individual achievement and make it''''s citizens totally dependent on a communist government.

Posted by RowdynTex at 11:16 AM : Dec 06, 2008
--------------
You are right. George Bush is a communist.

[saraplumber]

By the way, those WMD''''s were in the same place they were when Clinton screeched about them for 8 freaking years...and had UN inspectors chasing after them for FIVE YEARS!

Posted by RowdynTex at 10:53 AM : Dec 06, 2008
----------------------
Bill Clinton was the best president this country has had.

[debinok1]

This has nothing to do with patriotism or deperation, Its all about job security, where else right now can you find a job that will be there every 4 years as long as you reenlist, you wont get laid off, good health insurance and good pay. The military has always been a safe haven when the economy is on the rocks.

[downtowner97]

I mean is an enemy of the state. (last sentence. No glasses, and no coffee yet)

[downtowner97]

I find it impossible to blame Obama for the horrible state of the country since he isn''t president. Bush is the commie. He''s gutted the bill of rights, spent $10 trillion we don''t have, weakened the military to the point where we don''t even have enough guard troops to hand out water and food in an emergency, and he''s nationalizing banks and corporations like Hugo Chavez. McCain was an even bigger commie suggesting the government take over all the failed mortgages.

You Bush supporters have turned things around to a point where anyone who doesn''t condone the accelleration of the downward spiral we''re in isn''t an enemy of state.

[downtowner97]

Is it desperation, patriotism, or do they just feel better about joining when there isn''t a mad fool running the country?

[mikthegreat]

This is the only way anyone will join under Obama. This is how Obama plans to control the people. Starve them.

Posted by mr12258 at 10:42 AM : Dec 06, 2008


Nah George Bush starved them. Obama is going to give us better opportunity to eat.