New Army Recruiting Tactic: Obama Will "Get Us Out of Iraq"

Well that didn't take long. Polls across America had been closed for less than 24 hours and Army Career Counselors were already exploiting Barack Obama's victory in an effort to recruit former soldiers back into units. This email was forwarded to me by an Iraq veteran and former Army captain who received it on Wednesday:

The relevant text says:

24 Month Mobilization Deferment. A President Elect who says he'll get us out of Iraq. What are you waiting for? Stop taking your chance's [sic] in the IRR and be safe from deployment for 2 years. By that time our new President will have gotten us out of these other countries.

For those who are unfamiliar, this means that if you're a former soldier who's still subject to being recalled to active duty (IRR), you can join a Reserve or National Guard unit on a contract that guarantees you won't go anywhere for at least two years. That's all well and good. But in this email, the career counselor seriously raises some eyebrows in suggesting that by the end of the two years, Obama "will have gotten us out of these other countries."

So has this career counselor simply gone "rogue" on us? Or is this going to be the new method by which the Army attracts soldiers into--and back into--the ranks? Leaving aside for a moment the fact that the recruiter is making a promise he knows he can't keep, I'll be honest: I'd be lying if I said the prospect of an Obama administration hadn't made me consider the possibility of rejoining. So, in essence, this career counselor has probably just taken a logical, reasonable step.

But larger questions become immediately apparent: Was this career counselor told to use this tactic by his chain of command or not? Is this going to be a shift in recruiting Army-wide? Is the Army going to use President Obama as a recruiting tool? If so, this would symbolize a stunning--if not totally rational--renunciation of the Bush administration and its handling of the military. If this becomes an Army policy, it represents a true "ding-dong the witch is dead" moment for the service.

We'll be watching this closely to see if other, higher-ranking officers make similar statements. Because it's a fact that many of them have been eagerly awaiting this moment to begin the rebuilding process.

Also available at VetVoice

Follow Brandon Friedman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BrandonF

Comments

[newshawk14]

I found this rather amusing, first off I would never believe a recruiter, but it does really point
out the practicality and amorality of recruiters. I was also half amused and appalled when
they developed a free video war game to be used as a recruiting tool by their targets.

[ness]

Love the title. Very "Onion." Wish it was the Onion. :-(

[Donnat]

Fool me once...

[Scalawag]

Recruiters will say anything to get you enlisted. That is what they did when I was in H.S. 20 years ago during peacetime. I understand that they have a job to do, but they shouldn't be so predatory.

[Rog49Thomas]

Enlist now before you miss the chance to go to Afghanistan.

[HHarvey]

They could sign up but I guarantee you they will be heading to Afghanistan before 2009 is over.

[desertbloom]

A cynical and Rovian-like tactic. War is war is war. And, that is what you are signing up for when you sign up for the military in America. Hegemony will not end overnight, "my friends."

[ness]

My brother leaves for Iraq on Monday. For the 2nd time. Though I am glad that Obama won the election, I refused to vote for any candidate who did not promise to end-- not just move around troops from here to there-- but end these war/occupations. I want a president who is not an imperialist. Yeah, wishful thinking, I know, but it could happen one day. No other country invades other countries as much as ours does. I'm beginning to question my even using the word "troops." "Troops" somehow depersonalizes it a little for me. It's a bit awkward but maybe I'll start saying "People who are deployed" to not take away from the fact that we don't have some large object out there, but actual flesh-and-blood people with sisters who have conflicting feelings of fear for, and anger at their brothers for accepting promotions that guaranteed their re-deployment, and who have mothers whose hearts and breath stops every time she hears that an American was killed in Iraq... sorry for the sort of off-topic rant there...

[bosse]

amen, how true, and how few understand facts!

[Rog49Thomas]

Check out Andrew J Bacevich's analysis of the forces driving US foreign policy and militarism.

[ness]

I just read the Amazon review of "The New American Militarism" and it sounds right-on to me. But I don't understand the part of Bacevich's theory that it was the Vietnam war that in large part caused this attitude about war, because people were overwhelmingly *against* the Vietnam war? (Pardon my ignorance on the subject, it was before my time and I never did learn more than the basics.)

"Various groups in American society--soldiers, politicians on the make, intellectuals, strategists, Christian evangelicals, even purveyors of pop culture--came to see the revival of military power and the celebration of military values as the antidote to all the ills besetting the country as a consequence of Vietnam and the 1960s."
http://www.amazon.com/New-American-Militarism-Americans-Seduced/dp/product-description/B000QXD8C8

[oneblackvote]

God Bless America and our Brave Soldiers.

[Rog49Thomas]

And God d*mn those who abuse them and use them as casually as disposable plastic bottles.

[MyDogJack]

Never believe a recruiter.
My son was in the Army for 6 years, fought with the Rangers in Iraq, was shot and also in a convoy hit by an IED and was again injured badly. Also while roping out of a helicopter, was slammed into a building. My point is he had a rough war. He came home , his time was up, and our whole family convinced him to not re-enlist.

He tried civilian life for less than a year, couldn't cope, and went to talk to a recruiter about Warrant Officers Candidates School. Was promised that if he re-enlisted, he'd go to WOCS, get trained to fly helicopters and not go to Iraq. He signed back up.

Guess where he is? Iraq

[berrycooda]

God bless him...

[ExRepublican]

Gads. That is a sad story. Hope all is well with him/you when all is said and done.

[HHarvey]

Same thing happened to my son's friend, but the army "mentioned" to him if he didn't re-enlist they would send him to Guam before his tour of duty was up. He re-enlisted because he had a new baby and wife and just bought a house and his parents moved to be closer to them. He felt trapped but is now in South Carolina after his second tour. I am thankful he is not in Iraq but I'm sure they will send him to the middle east again. He really wants to be a fireman.

[ness]

I hope he can get out.

[berrycooda]

Didn't you hear in some of his speeches that we need to take troops out of Iraq
and send troops to Afghanistan....

You people are dreaming if you think all will be well and all the military will be out of Iraq soon.

This is not a peaceful world and never will be.

According to the Bible....it states that there will always be wars and rumors of wars,
and it also states that the poor will always be with you.

So, look around and see what you can do to help someone instead of dreaming too much.

[ExRepublican]

Amen ... to all of your post*. It's called rearranging the deck chairs.

*Except the bible part - even if 'it' is true on this one point.

[bosse]

As many of us want Bin boy caught, the plan to go to Afghanistan, which should have been the only place we needed to be in the first place.

[boymom]

"chance's" POSSESSIVE? Does the army not understand basic grammar?

[piper1233]

We have a great need to rebuild our Military, I have no problem with the military using Obamas election as a recruiting tool. People do not stop enlisting in the Military because of the posibility of war. The deterent to enlistment is Soldiers being place in harms way for political reasons that do not encompass the security of our nation and its allies. As a former soldier (who was spared the horrors of war) i was always ready to risk my life for my Country, and trained for the inevitability of war. Its not hard for American Soldiers to fight the difficult fight when it is in defense of the nation, but it is difficult when they feel that they are fighting and dying for political special Interest. Its also disconcerting when they do not get the support needed from the people who put them in harms way to achieve their objective with the minimal casualties.

[bosse]

WE sure can defend our nation with the aid of Europeans and Asians whom we are defending, with our powerful navy air force and atom Bombs without going any where. If only we mind our own business , do not take sides in the middle east( un evenly) and have a better secre service!

[ThePublicRecord]

http://www.pubrecord.org/nationworld/475-president-elect-obama-new-mission-in-iraq-ending-the-war.html

President-Elect Obama: 'New Mission in Iraq: Ending the War'

President-elect Barack Obama, in one of the first policy statements of his transition, demanded that the Bush administration either submit the proposed U.S.-Iraq “status-of-forces agreement” to Congress or leave an opening for him to change it next year.

[ToonMoene]

As David Letterman said: "Can't he just start a little bit early ?"

Well, here you have it !