Former Army recruit says his life was threatened (w/ firing squad!)

[Barrett808]

Former Army recruit says his life was threatened
05:59 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 11, 2005
By Jason Whitely / 11 News

More people are coming forward with Army recruiting horror stories after the 11 News Defenders investigation that exposed a recruiting scandal.

They're sharing similiar stories about military recruiters using hardball tactics to persuade young people to enlist.

Will Ammons, 20, signed up for delayed entry at the Lake Jackson Army recruiting station last year.

But soon afterwards, he fell in love and changed his mind before he ever shipped out.

That's when, he says, Army recruiters crossed the line and started harrassing him.

"He told me I pretty much had two options," Ammons said. "I'd go before a judge and get a sentence of 15 years but he had the option to double it. It was either that or they were going to put me in front of seven other people with rifles and shoot me."

(more)

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou050511_mh_recruitingfolo.2653f5b61.html

[converted_democrat]

1. Can you say desperate????????

This is some how NOT a shock to me. People are wising up. Who would want to put their butt on the line for some oil? Not me. So, any word on when the draft starts?

[mom cat]

3. Welcome to DU. Converted democrats are especially welcome.

:hi:

[Scooter24]

6. Hey there

A BIG welcome to DU!! :hi:

[quaoar]

2. The Army is halting recruiting for a day

Army Recruiting Halts for a Day in May

By JOHN J. LUMPKIN, Associated Press Writer


The Army will halt its recruiting efforts for one day this month to allow commanders to emphasize proper conduct following apparent excesses, Army officials said Wednesday.

The stand-down will take place May 20, said Douglas Smith, an Army spokesman. Army officials said it would affect almost all 7,500 recruiters at 1,700 stations around the United States.

In at least two instances, recruiters are facing disciplinary action for their dealings with potential recruits.

In Houston, a recruiter allegedly threatened to have a wavering would-be recruit arrested if he backed out, according to Army officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The recruiter has no such authority.

[bennywhale]

4. This kind of shit is bubbling away

whispered by some and mentioned by others. It can only bubble for so long before it explodes.

Theres a tipping point in what "free" societies will take, its just a question of when

[rocktivity]

5. Congrats, Onion--you've done it again!

Or should I say "Fool KHOU twice, shame on them?"

Maybe the people at The Onion are getting TOO good at writing satire. Their stories have been hilariously mistaken as real news by a couple of media outlets. But the same outlet picking up TWO of them within 24 hours? That's a record even for them!

After running a story about recruiter threatening a prospect with arrest if he didn't show up for enlistment, I was wondering what The Onion could possibly do for an encore. But why are neither of these stories on their web site? I think it's some of their best stuff ever!

:rofl:
rocknation

[Joey Liberal]

7. It must suck to be an Army Recruiter

Especially with the republiNazis in charge.

[Catch22Dem]

8. IIRC you can't just "change your mind" about delayed enlistment

But I may be wrong. Don't get me wrong, what his recruiter told him was complete bullshit, and his recruiter's ass ought to go to LEVENWORTH.

[MasonJar]

9. I certainly do not know for sure but on NPR today a speaker

said that one could always get out until he is shipped out.

[sallyseven]

10. You are right. Only after they have been shipped out.

However both the services and recruiters lie like hell. They threaten and make asses out of their selves. They are mean f..k.rs. I have dealt with young people who signed up and their parents went ballistic. The army services promises very thing and then they get the kids there they tell them that they don't qualify. It is just a bunch of lies. They never had any intention of giving them the education they promised. I have had military people swear at me. I got them though.

[Miss Chybil]

11. DEP - Delayed Entry Program - You're in, you just don't ship out

right away. You can't just change your mind. Threatening with a firing squad, though, is absolutely outrageous.

P.S. Not to say there aren't ways to get out of going, and you can usually get out during basic training pretty easily, too, but you can't just say, "I'm in love. I don't want to go now."

[malmapus]

12. I was DEP and afterwards it was my understanding...

that you weren't "official" until you were leaving for Basic.

I took the oath at my first trip to MEPS when I initially signed in (I was still in High School). It was there that I recieved my schedule to start basic training after graduating.

Then upon graduating, on my day to leave for basic I was back at the MEPS station and I took the oath another time. Then went on my merry way to Ft. Jackson. From my understanding its that one that counts, I seem to remember doing some more paperwork as well..but rusty there.

Later, I had a friend who was a commisioned officer tell me that the second oath before you ship out is the one that counts. That if you are DEP and change your mind you still can opt out of your contract before being shipped to Basic Training.

edited for various grammer and spelling

[Barrett808]

14. Our nephew was DEP, but GI Rights Hotline helped us out

Actually, he's the son of a close friend we've known since he was a child. The poor kid got mixed up in a cult in L.A., finally got up the gumption to run away, then spent a month on the street. He stayed with the Echo Glen gang and did lots of tweak.

Finally, in a totally addled state, what with the brainwashing and the street drugs, he stumbled into a recruiting office and signed up with the Marines. The Sgt. called his mother -- once we had contact info we flew his ass back home immediately. (The cult had made him believe his family hated him, of course, and he had been out of touch for over a year.)

So we're joyful he's back, and we're simultaneously trying not to show our dismay. He thinks he's going to be a chef, right? As fate would have it, his close friend J. had two weeks of leave from Sadr City, Baghdad. He's totally crazy, driven mad by PTSD and murdering civilians -- women and children, natch. The whole 1000-yard stare trip.

After hearing these tales, our nephew is suddenly a lot less interested in being a Marine chef. So I Google up "GI rights Hotline" and give him the number. They tell him all he has to do is write a letter to the recruiter and tell him he isn't joining, because he has another opportunity (culinary school). He followed up with a call, and the recruiter was pissed, but it was apparent there was nothing he could do. No firing-squad threats, fortunately.

It all worked out happily for us, thanks to whatever happy spirits take an interest in our lives...

[Voltaire99]

13. Solution: General amnesty for anyone press-ganged into service

So much for "Support the troops."

The appropriate phrase: "Free the troops!"