Military Enrollment Increases In Economic Downturn

Some of the largest investment firms on Wall Street are gone. The country's auto industry is on the verge of collapse. Banks are shedding jobs. But in these doom-and-gloom times, there is someone who's hiring: your local military recruiter.

The economic downturn and rising unemployment rate are making the military a more attractive option, Pentagon officials say. In some cases, the peace of mind that comes with good benefits and a regular paycheck is overcoming concerns about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which any new enlistee is likely to join.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[joebaggadonuts]

Response to the title:

Just another part of the plan.

[voltaire11]

Well, I guess it beats standing in the Unemployment line.

[psumarkopolo]

For a bunch of people who support the troops you all seem to talk an awful lot of bad about them.

[Ramirez]

When they talk down the military it makes them feel superior. This is a progressive site; it don't mean nothing.

[ID-TenTango]

Is that what it is?

[shockmagog]

It may seem that way to you, but we can support our troops, and be sympathetic to the predicament they've been put in; while we despise their commander in chief and his actions that put them there.

We're not mindless parrots ready to march in lockstep to the tune of unequivocal support for our government.

[luvobama]

Exactly.

[dtwoodson8]

I hope your taking this attitude into the Obama administration.

[whosyourdaddy]

Active duty soldiers haven't been put in a "predicament". They are volunteers, chose the particular task they perform and are dedicated to executing the mission they trained for. A combat trained soldier or Marine would quite the service were he not permitted to fight. They, like you, do what they do with enthusiasm, dedication and expertise. If you really want to support them, stop expressing pity and show some pride and appreciation for how well they are accomplishing their mission.

[Chillinout]

To whosyourdaddy:

Read this, it is from Stars and Stripes, (a military publication in case you don't know).

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?article=34762&section=104

"ARLINGTON, Va. " A New York judge gave Michael Guerra the chance to join the Army to avoid a jail sentence. "

[BannedInBoston]

"Hmmmm. Let me think. The slammer or Iraq. That's a toughie...."

[Chillinout]

Either way, you are going to be changed for life.

[luvobama]

Isn't this what happened to Palin's son?

[Chillinout]

Yes, that poster was trying to say it was against Federal law.

I am waiting for him/her to "man up" and admit he/she was wrong.

(crickets)

[whosyourdaddy]

From the link you provided:

"Army policy reflected in Army Regulation 601-210, paragraph 4-32a states "waiver is not authorized if a criminal or juvenile court charge is pending or if such a charge was dismissed or dropped at any stage of the court proceedings on condition that the offender enlists in a military service "

As I said, it's impossible for anyone to enlist as a condition or alternative to sentencing in a civilian court. If they are found to have concealed the fact, they may be prosecuted as a fraudulent enlist and spend as much as 5 years at the federal prison at Ft Leavenworth, Kansas.

Additionally, as I also mentioned earlier, I served 30 years active duty, retired 100% permanently and totally disabled and have an intimate knowledge of both the military and VA health care system. Most people would concede I've "manned up".

I find it odd that you and many others here express support and respect for the military yet reject out of hand the the first hand knowledge, experience and information they provide you with. Unless of course, they are a deserter or anti-war activist of some sort.

[frieswitdat]

And while I voted for Obama, I know others that didn't. But we don't fight or join for a particular president. We do it for the country.

And I really don't want it to sound like pie in the sky bull crap. I really had no intention of doing this. The Army has not been great to me, but it has been good. I've been to Hawaii, and I now serve in Italy, but on the flip side, I have been to Iraq twice. That goes to the Marine that says were not the "fighting branch". I won't even start Marine bashing now though. I got love for them too.

Anyway. To wrap it up, the military is defined by way more than just these two wars. Don't use me as your prop to showcase what is wrong with America. We do a lot of right, oh and your welcome for your freedom.

[ThunderclapNewman]

Our freedom doesn't come from the military.

It comes from the Constitution and from the rule of law.

[monicaangela]

Hear, hear!!!!!!!

[motoGpifupleez]

re:ThundercalpNewman; YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!

[TruthaboutIraq]

Bingo we have a winner!!

Amazing how many Americans fail to see that.

The founding fathers would be rolling over in their graves if they knew the atrocities Americans have done all over the globe.

[helenwheels]

Exactly!!!

[BannedInBoston]

Freakin' aye....

[luvobama]

Good for you. I'm sorry but i do not think you have ever fought for my freedom. Maybe for my soon to be ex President and his INTERESTS, but never my freedom.

[frieswitdat]

I actually chuckled when I read that. Read a history book.

[frieswitdat]

I don't post here a lot, but I felt obligated to do so as a member of the US Army. I love the variety of views that you get from reading here but some of these posts were really insulting to the fine men and women that serve. When I was a college puke, I had no idea what service meant and why should I. I knew no one in the military and had no urge to join. After 9/11 I enlisted and the idea of service means so much to me now. I got a little teary eyed today, watching a WWII documentary.

The people that join are not the disadvantaged or downtrodden of our society. They are a microcosm of all of us. Some are smart. Some are not. Some get by with their physical strength, while others have lots of heart. And however they got into a recruiters office (some are uncomfortably pushy) they serve and that is more than we can ask from the lot of America's youth.

It is so easy to demonize us because of an unpopular war, but we go where we are sent, and we don't fight for the big strategic picture, but to protect the fellows that are on our left and right side.

I have served with wealthy soldiers, and poor ones. They all serve, just the same.

We are not brainwashed, mindless drones, but your neighbors. We come from the same places you do.

[monicaangela]

The intent of the bloggers on this site is not to downgrade or denigrade the soldiers who have to follow orders and go off to fight a war wether it is just or not. Our hats are off to those men and women who feel the need to serve their country. Our anger is directed at the men and women who send them into harms way for their own profit. I am a veteran, and have served, I am also educated with two degrees, but I realize when young men and women are being taken advantage of, and I pray the day does not come when you have to fight in an unjust war. I also pray that if the day does come and you have to go into a war that is not just, you do not realize what you are doing, nothing can be more depressing.

[frieswitdat]

But are they being taken advantage of, when almost everyone agrees how unpopular the war is, and they still show up to join. Now granted the military has had to sweeten the pot, but young adults of all different backgrounds join, with the knowledge they might be deployed.

I agree with a lot of you statement, and we do have to start producing more intelligent law makers, soldiers, and citizens, but give them some credit when they step in the recruiters office.

I'm not tryna start an argument with you though.

Thank you for you service.

[helenwheels]

I haven't seen anyone demonizing soldiers up here.

[totaldisbelief]

well said ...God bless..keep safe troop

[ID-TenTango]

Precisely. This isn't the stone ages. This is the age of technology and communication. People KNOW what they're getting into when they join. You can't tell me they don't. Not one bit.

[Chillinout]

One more thing about buying a Mac instead of a PC.

Along with the quality, the fact they are made in the US, the great tech support, you also get the feeling of superiority over PC users. You just can't get that from a computer that 95% of the country owns.

lol

[Chillinout]

Okay, I might be wrong about that whole "made in America" thing here. I am checking into it further.

[CheshireCat2]

My son who is a musician, loves them.

[Jezdukowski]

I luv ya, Chillin, I do. But, Macs are not made in America, the company is in Carpenteria, CA, but the product is made in China and assembled in Mexico. Other than that, I wholeheartedly agree with everything you posted....

[BannedInBoston]

I do h.ate Vista and Word 2007 with its "Ribbon Bar" instead of the traditional menus. (Fagh! Just as you thought they couldn't make Word any worse, somebody at Microsoft comes along with yet another "bright idea".) I'll probably switch to Mac next time around....

[TruthaboutIraq]

No one is forcing you to use Vista. I have 3 copies of XP totally stripped down to the basics. XP Micro its called..............200 MB install in 5 minutes and you can load ANY program onto it.

Office 2003 was the best office and I still use it although I tried 2007........sucks.

Vista is a piece of crap. period.

[Chillinout]

Okay, after further investigation, (I turned my MacBook off and flipped it over), it turns out that Jezdukowski is correct. The Mac is only designed in the California and built elsewhere.

Still, it doesn't diminish the feeling of superiority one gets from owning one. :-)

[parrotkisser]

Elitist! :-)

[SecretSquirrel666]

I believe owning a Mac may also cause you to post completely off topic on blogs.

[scandals-n-skeletons]

Thanks to all for the computer advice.

[Jezdukowski]

No worries. Get a Mac, seriously, you won't be sorry. PC's suck.

[TruthaboutIraq]

yeah that is why 90 percent of the companies world wide use them.

[Pronto]

"But no matter what sorts of benefits recruiters offer, or how slick the ad campaign, one of the main draws continues to be service to country", said Sgt. 1st Class Thad Copeland, an Army recruiter based in Alexandria.

This is surprising, refreshing and very good news: Patriotism is alive and well.

[CheshireCat2]

One of our receptionists just joined the Air Guard. She is now employed on various weekends and right down the street. What an awesome opportunity for a bright young lady.

[monicaangela]

A potential prisoner maybe?

[Pronto]

Military service is a great thing to have on a resume. Opens A LOT of doors.

[TruthaboutIraq]

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. Perhaps thats why so many potential prisoners opt for military service.

[Pronto]

Go to the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier and tell them that.

[whosyourdaddy]

Prisoners don't have the option of military service. It's against the law.

Patriotism is the state of mind of most members of a society, that enables you to say what you please without being an actual contributor to the safety, freedom and happiness of your neighbors.

[doctorwang]

Samuel Johnson was referring to false patriotism (you know- like Rove, Cheney, etc.) when he delivered that line.

[monicaangela]

Wow, you're fast!!!!

[parrotkisser]

Well, McCain did crow enough about the cause greater than oneself thing.

[Pronto]

So, he was correct on one issue.

[BannedInBoston]

I thought he was talking about marrying rich....

[Freedomscap]

Why are my comments going to pending? Is Anvoodoo or that other character so small as to flag me. I didn't flag them. I merely argued with them. This is a blog.

If either of them flagged me, how small, how petty. How self righteous -- their way or the high way attitude.

[monicaangela]

Freedomscap, take a break, forget about the voodoo queen and her cohort, they're not worth it.

[brynn6]

A lot of mine do too. I think it's more a matter of certain words being "held" by the automatic censor. I agree about the flagging thing though. I never do unless it's really over the top abusive.

[Jezdukowski]

Mine keep pending too, I'm sorry I ever met you, Freedomscap. Look at what you've done...

[monicaangela]

More satire?

[MIMom]

That's weird - maybe a glitch?

[ThunderclapNewman]

Log out.
Close your browser.
Clear your cache.
Open your browser.
Log in.

That should help.

But the Saturday night word filter is usually set to trap even inoffensive words.

[TruthaboutIraq]

rid i cu lous.

[francoise]

Freedomscap and voodoo, I didn't understand why you went mad at one another, this Mc Donald Mc Donnel stuff I don't know, but it's go ddam funny to read your quarelling thread ;-)

And you succeeded in cursing without using one single rude word ;-)

[spunky5408]

Now I have a hankering for McNuggets. Or is that McDuggets?

[MIMom]

Either way, they are delicious!

[Freedomscap]

Andovoodoo, can make jokes about other folks, but when someone else does, and she doesn't appreciate the joke, she resorts to character assassination.

The issue isn't about mispelling of words. Andovoodoo and her friend are self righteous.

[monicaangela]

How did you get she out of that name?

[MIMom]

Whaaa...?

[Freedomscap]

I went back and notcied that Voodoo consistently comments on my posts with nasty and snide remarks.

Has some issue with my posts -- why, I don't know. I assumed it was a woman, because I think only a woman would be so petty and small, however, I could be wrong. My gender bias.

But, after giving it another thought: Voodoo is probably a man that has some particular affinity for high school student thats have to go into the Air Force/military.

Going to the Air Force, after high school isn't my experience, so I don't have a particular sensitivity to it. However, I do have an issue about high school students not being able to spell McDonalds.

I'm not going to generalize about the issue of spelling. Nonetheless, I do believe high school students should reach a certain level of achievemnt.

Life is tough, I know that for sure. And if my joke, on a blog, about mispelling a word, makes me rude and unlikeable, I wonder how one would really cope in big, bad life.

[ThunderclapNewman]

Mindy's back again.
.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/users/profile/justgiveupandletmespam

YKWTD

[andvoodoo2]

Too late. She's gone.
You have to admit, the screen name was funny.

[ThunderclapNewman]

They're getting faster.

[donaldw6]

Already gone. That's one of the most descriptive user names I've ever seen, though.

[helenwheels]

that name is hilarious though. At the very least she was being honest.

[MIMom]

When I graduated high school 15 yrs ago, the only real choices given to girls by our "guidance counselor" (I use that term loosely) is to become a teacher, a wife, or to go into the armed forces. They seemed to have more armed forces posters in their offices then college posters. I was almost harr.assed by the different agencies, calling my home asking me to sign up.

I am hoping small towns schools (and larger ones, for that matter) have come into the 21st century, but I sometimes wonder.

[Pronto]

I would believe that would have happened 30-40 years ago but not 15 years ago.

[MIMom]

Well, our town was VERY small - I think progress was slow in getting out there.

[Nochnoi]

I graduated from High School over 20 years ago, and while our options seemed a bit more varied it wasn't when it came to the military.... Even if you wanted to join there was very little you could actually do as a woman....

[sheraz]

Oooooooh! So they crashed the economy to force an upsurge in military enrollement.

Genius

;)

[helenwheels]

Yes, indeed. Truly brilliant.