| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: WoT |
| StrategyPage: U.S. Army Encounters Strange Recruiting Patterns |
| 2005-08-16 |
| While the U.S. Army continues to have problems recruiting enough troops, some interesting patterns are emerging from the situation. First, there is not a shortage of volunteers overall. The problem is that the navy, marines and air force have a surplus of applicants. It’s only the army that is having problems, and then mainly with filling combat support jobs (which make up some 85 percent of the positions). The army recruiters are often unable to sign up those applicants who weren’t able to get into the navy, air force or marines. The army is also noticing regional patterns. Recruiting is holding steady in the Midwest, and is up in the South. In other words, the recruiting tends to follow political patterns. The Blue (Democratic) states are sending fewer volunteers, and the Red (Republican) states more. But the Blue/Red state may have more to do with job prospects than political beliefs. Areas where the unemployment rate is the lowest tend to be the toughest for recruiters. There’s also the reality factor. Troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to reenlist. Some of this is due to higher re-enlistment bonuses, but those re-enlisting (and 35 percent of them do it in a combat zone) often say they believe strongly in what they are doing, and that’s why they volunteer to keep doing it. By the end of the year, the army expects to get 4,000 more re-enlistments than it expected. A disproportionate number of these are coming from combat troops, which is very helpful. Combat experience is invaluable, and perishable. Keeping such experienced troops in combat units makes those outfits more effective, and lowers the friendly casualty rates. And then there are the foreigners. About 35,000 non-citizens are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, while another 12,000 serve in the Reserve Components. The navy has the largest proportion of non-citizens on active duty, almost 16,000, nearly half the total. The Marine Corps has about 6,500, the Army about 5,000, and the Air force about 3,000. The differences are the result of variations in the service regulations governing the re-enlistment of non-citizens. The Navy and Marine Corps place no restrictions, while the Army allows them to stay in for only 8 years of service, and the Air Force limits them to no more than 6. This is to encourage the non-citizen troops to become naturalized citizens. But naval tradition, the world over, has long tolerated non-citizens serving on ships for their entire careers. All services encourage non-citizens to apply for citizenship at the earliest opportunity, and many do. Some aliens in the service have been granted U.S. citizenship posthumously. Non-citizens appear to make better soldiers and sailors. This can best be seen by their lower attrition rates. During their first three months of service, the attrition rate for citizens was nearly 11-percent, while that for non-citizens was just under 6-percent. At the 36 month mark, the attrition rate for citizens was approximately 32-percent, as against slightly under 19-percent for non-citizens. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #10 By "non-citizens" must mean "legal/permanent residents", and dual residents from approved nations such as the Philippines, where the USA has agreement that Filipinos with verified military service in their nation's armed forces but whom afterwards join the US armed forces can have their service time credited in US equivalency. CHALK IT UP TO "GLOBAL CORRECTNESS", as oppos to mere US-specific PC!? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2005-08-16 23:18 |
| #9 "those re-enlisting (and 35 percent of them do it in a combat zone) often say they believe strongly in what they are doing, and that’s why they volunteer to keep doing it." Now that's gotta hurt if you're a lib! |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2005-08-16 20:04 |
| #8 I have no problem with someone working their way to citizenship like this. Awesome! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-08-16 18:22 |
| #7 and is up in the South Hard Wired. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-08-16 18:11 |
| #6 There is another facet as well, Kalle. Moonbats tend to have few to no children, in fact tend to be weaker overall at commitment-making, ie other-oriented, behaviours. This suggests to me that moonbattery is a countersurvival worldview within species Homo sapien. As for the Nature v. Nurture argument, the former Mrs. Sheehan's son's behaviour seems a lovely example. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-08-16 14:12 |
| #5 The disparity between Red and Blue states is no suprise. Concepts like duty, honor and patriotism are readily scoffed at in the the urban areas that provide the dominant voting blocks in Blue states. But get away from the urban areas and while the state may appear Blue on the political map the country side looks pretty red. |
| Posted by: Thavick Clese8558 2005-08-16 13:44 |
| #4 Agree with B-a-r. They're aspiring citizens. They've chosen to become Americans. They're willing to give their life for the sake of their freedom, that of their loved ones, and the American ideal. They must be very focused and believe very strongly in what they're doing. Most American citizens either made a similar choice or their ancestors did. The people who have chosen not to come to America are different. Make no mistake -- it is a choice every adult in the world has been facing for over 200 years. I suspect there is a genetic component to the tenacity, purposefulness, and practicality evinced by most people who chose to leave their land, relatives, and friends for America. Over time, the accumulated behaviour is selecting for --and against-- certain traits. The Moonbats strike me as failed Americans. Good genes can be overcome by bad ones, as well as by insane nurture. |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2005-08-16 11:33 |
| #3 Some of this is due to higher re-enlistment bonuses, but those re-enlisting (and 35 percent of them do it in a combat zone) often say they believe strongly in what they are doing, and that’s why they volunteer to keep doing it. When I was responsible for the installation reenlistment program 25 years ago, the Army sent out an service wide analysis that showed even then that while people enlisted for many reasons, people reenlisted at around 40% for 'traditional' reasons [re:duty, honor, country]. Always thought it was a mistake not to push that even greater in the recruiting side of the house. Areas where the unemployment rate is the lowest tend to be the toughest for recruiters. Which is consistant whether it is peacetime or wartime. Recruiting is and has been far more in sync with the employment picture. You don't think recruiting was tough during the 80s and 90s other than during temporary recessions in the economy? |
| Posted by: Jirt Omager7355 2005-08-16 11:24 |
| #2 I agree with bomster. They come to the table with a much greater level of gratitude for the privilige of serving. |
| Posted by: anymouse 2005-08-16 10:23 |
| #1 Non-citizens appear to make better soldiers and sailors. This comes as no surprise at all. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-08-16 10:15 |