For Robert, joining the Army last May was a no-brainer. With the job market stagnant and his hopes for a college education hanging in the balance, the Army’s promise to trade tuition for a three-year stint seemed like a good bet, especially since he was able to defer his enlistment for six months. Now, as his December induction date approaches, Robert is having second thoughts, like many other recruits who deferred enlistment.
“BACK IN MAY I thought the war was over,” says the 19-year-old Bronx native, who asked that his last name be kept out of the story. “Now I’m thinking what I may have to do in Iraq, and I’m worried.”
Army recruitment figures have held up so far in spite of the steady casualties being suffered in Iraq. For the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, the Army made its target of recruiting 73,800 new soldiers; the Navy lured 41,000 new sailors and the Air Force added 32,000 new recruits. The Marines drew 38,914 “good men” and women.
But Army recruitment officers and military analysts alike caution that the true impact of the war on recruiting and re-enlistment is only beginning to be seen.
http://msnbc.com/news/995062.asp?0cv=CB20Do you think this is a government plan/conspiracy to force our poor children into the military? It's the only way millions of cildren can get medical insurance or a college eduction.
What a disgrace our country is! blackmailing our own children's lives. What would the military recruitment be if the US had universal medical coverage, a job for children in the private sector, and/or the ability to go to college without being blackmailed by our Federal Government?