US National Guard feels impact of Iraq war as recruiting slips

[rainbow4321]

Is it getting DRAFTy in here to anyone???



http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1521&u=/afp/20041217/pl_afp/usiraqmilitaryguard_041217002056&printer=1



The US National Guard has fallen some 10,000 people below its authorized strength of 350,000 in part because fewer soldiers are joining the guard on leaving active duty, a military spokesman said.

The National Guard is responding to the slide by increasing reenlistment bonuses to as much as 15,000 dollars for recruits with prior military service, increasing college tuition bonuses and by fielding more recruiters, Milord said.


He said the guard is adding 1,400 recruiters, increasing the size of its recruiting force to 4,100.

[shoelace414]

1. lets send the recruiters!

[leftofcool]

3. 57, retired, and starting to worry/pack a duffel bag

I smell an eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil "round up some retired military guys with special skills for Iraq duty wind" blowing from Capitol Hill, heading in our direction.

Left of Cool

[lebkuchen]

2. Open up more recruitment offices in the red states

That should help boost numbers. Those states are pro-war. They'll fight it.

[Massachusetts]

4. Thats the TRUTH!

:thumbsup:

[Mari333]

5. I would rather have my sons working at McDonalds,

living in a cardboard box, then promote the idea of them joining the Guard. I have one stepson in Iraq because he joined the reserves and if anything, it taught my other 3 sons to avoid enlisting in the military at all costs. I expect to see the recruitment go down even more, as more and more people know someone with a kid in Iraq.
Family members, bet you a dime to a dollar, are getting to their kids and telling them Dont you DARE join the military...
I suggest the recruiters go straight to the Republican Youth Party and start recruiting there. Go after the young republicans first, start with the Bush twins, if they can find what bar they are hanging out at.

[cliss]

7. Same here.

I will not send my teenagers to fight in a war for profit. If it was a question of security, then I would support them.

However, this is not a war to protect my country. It's a war over oil profits and establishing bases in the Middle East = Big Difference.

How do we know this? By the way the White House presented this war. Only a few people were asked to sacrifice. The rest were given huge tax breaks. There was never any sense of urgency, or pulling together to protect our country. Nobody was asked to do anything, like in the 40's and 50's. We were just supposed to "go shopping".

That's how I know this is a bogus war.

[earthside]

6. Age Limit?

Is there an age limit on joining the Guard or Reserve?

If not, then every pot-bellied, SUV-driven, old guy with a yellow ribbon magnet on their rear end should be sign' up!

Right?

[Moderator]

8. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1078952