Why is the Army having a very difficult time enlisting people?

Question

Recruiters struggle to find an Army
By Frank Greve
Not so sure about enlisting.
THURMONT, Md. — The Army is struggling to find volunteers for an unpopular war, despite recruiting bonuses of up to $20,000 and pay increases for enlistees that have beaten inflation by 21 percent since 2000. Enlisting in the military is not important for many young people.

Answer 1

dude, get off the computer and go see a recruiter , make a difference, if you want the right to use that keyboard, by God, go fight for the right yourself instead of expecting others to do it for you and questioning why somebody else wont, as for any other of you misled individuals, you can also go to the local recruiting office for the United States Military, chose which branch you would prefer, and fight for your right of freedom of speech, that includes going to Afghanistan of Iraq, or any other combat zone if sent, if you do not want to support our military, please dont not bother to use the rights they so graciously fought for and get off the computer!

Answer 2

AR 40-501 financial ruin 2 actual standards for Enlistment, Appointment, and Induction 2-26. Neurological subjects j. Epilepsy (345) going on previous the 6th birthday, till the applicant has been freed from seizures for a era of 5 years at the same time as taking no drugs for seizure administration, and has a common electroencephalogram (EEG) is disqualifying . All such applicants could have a modern-day neurology consultation with modern-day EEG consequences.

Answer 3

Some of your information is incorrect. Bonus money goes all the way up to $40,000 (depending on the job skill and individual qualifications). Another fact that you seem to have overlooked is that there are approximately 800 million registered US Citizens and only approximately 600 thousand soldiers (combined total) in the military, that means that less than 1 percent of the population is even willing to do what we soldiers do on a day to day basis. Then you could possibly even consider that only approximately 10 percent of the US Population are even qualified to enlist into any one of the 5 branches of military service. Maybe you should stop asking these rantings that you call questions, buck up and start to support your country like that 1 percent are doing so well.

Answer 4

Because most of the men and women who are old enough to enlist are just plain afraid!
Most couldn't handle it
Most don't give a damn as long as they have their i-phones, i-pods and time to waste playing video games.
Most of them don't understand what their freedoms are worth, or how much others have paid so they could have these freedoms
Most expect things, think nothing about working hard, but spend more time and money trying to be "cool" with their peers.

As far as the Army meeting it's quota, sure it is, but look at how far the requirements have been lowered, the education, the physical ability, and the mental ability.

It's a shame that we now have to offer a large cash bonus to get them to enlist. How about the millions before them who did so for their country and not money.

Many of them don't realize that in other countries, military service is MANDATORY, I think we need that here.
Not all people who enlist have to or will go into combat. There are thousands of other duty stations, other military jobs and support areas for those who are in "combat".

Well now that I have spoken my mind, I just know there will be many submitting answers screaming and moaning about what I said, but that goes to show you, the ones who are of draft age have way too much time and not enough real reasons to answer this question in an inteligent manner.

Remember this, there were no protests regarding Vietnam untill the government imposed the draft!!!

Answer 5

Liberal motto: "All lies are the truth, and all truths are lies."

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=32757

Recruiting, Retention Rates Remain Solid in March
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, April 11, 2007 – All service branches met or exceeded their active-duty recruiting goals in March, but three of the six reserve components missed their targets, Defense Department officials announced yesterday.
“For the month, the armed forces have done extraordinarily well,” Bill Carr, the deputy undersecretary for Military Personnel Policy, said in an interview.

In March, the two ground services exceeded their recruiting goals. The Army had a goal of 5,500 recruits and actually enlisted 5,545 new soldiers, for 101 percent. The Marine Corps had a target of 1,787 and enlisted 1,936 recruits, for 108 percent of its goal.

The Navy and Air Force met their goals of 2,749 and 2,172, respectively.

DoD officials said retention in the services remains solid. The Army, Marine Corps and Air Force are meeting or exceeding overall retention missions. The Navy missed its first-term target, but achieved 99 percent overall.

On the reserve-component side, three of the six components made their recruiting goals in March.

“The reserves are over 100 percent except the Army Reserve and the Navy Reserve,” Carr said. “But the National Guard for the Army is above 100 percent, so … the ground forces are doing well.”

The Army National Guard hit 105 percent of its goal, recruiting 6,953 soldiers out of 6,645 needed. The Air Force Reserve also exceeded its recruiting goal, recruiting 741 on a goal of 622, for 119 percent.

Also finishing March on the plus side was the Marine Corps Reserve, which attained 116 percent of its goal, recruiting 430 Marines on a goal of 371.

Falling short in March was the Army Reserve, which hit 80 percent of its goal, with 2,055 recruited out of 2,567 needed, and the Air National Guard, recruiting 90 percent of its goal, with 844 out of 933 needed.

The Navy Reserve missed its goal for the fifth consecutive month. The component hit 99 percent of its goal, recruiting 851 sailors out of 856 needed.

“(Navy Reserve recruits) are coming up, and they are starting to close the gap. So they’re on the right azimuth now,” Carr said. “I expect the Navy Reserve is going to be on the mend from this point to the end of the year.”

Navy Reserve recruiters are putting in place the right incentives and best practices to help build momentum, he said.

For the year to date, the Army’s active-duty recruitment is at 107 percent, and the Defense Department is at 104 percent in total enlisted accessions, Carr said.

Answer 6

Why do you feel the need to repost the same questions over and over, just worded differently?
Same answer as before, the Army is doing just fine, they are getting the numbers they need every month, and they would probably do even better if there wasnt some wack job like you picketing outside the recruiting offices.

Answer 7

The army actually is doing quite well, despite misleading news reports. They are making their goals way more often than reported, and when they don't, you need to factor in that they have their goals at a rediculously high number.

If you look at recruiting now vs before the war, it is not that different, just the goals are higher.

I have another question for you... when are you going to actually post a real question instead of a rant for once? Do you even know HOW to post a non-loaded question?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

Answer 8

actually the last report in the army times is that the army is making their quota each month and aren't struggling at all..i love how news media twist things to work to their advantage...yes they're offering bigger bonuses for new recruit's but that's not anything new...alot of mos's are short handed and the army is offering bonuses to guys to reenlist also...but all in all the army is NOT struggling...

Answer 9

I think this is the biggest reason.... right from your article....

Except among those who sign up, duty to country isn't an important value, according to Defense Department polls.

Answer 10

The resistance is greatest in the black community, it seems. Black preachers are calling this war, Bush's war and urging their young not to enlist.

I believe you are mistaken about the army not making mission. It is doing quite nicely since it added this little extra incentive to the program.

The problem most recruits don't fully understand is the bonus isn't theirs until the have fully and successfully completed training, including MOS school.

Unfortunately for most, they have already got the money spent before they get it.