Army sees all time best recruiting results.

I stand corrected. It's Army of One. It replaced Be all that you can be.
Have a coke and a smile used to be a favorite of my druggie friends. They'd say, "Have some Coke and smile."

 

I think they dropped Army of One and are going with Army Strong this year.

 

Just another theory on the military having no problems reaching recruiting goals: 9/11. Kids who are 18 now were 10 when they saw the towers fall. That day is seared in the minds of everyone. And I think it makes more people than ever realize the importance of serving their country and not just leaving it to someone else.

As for the older recruits you're seeing, certainly the economy is a factor. If I was ten years younger and not too old to be a first-time enlistee I would seriously consider it.

 

It's been "Army Strong" since 2006.

I nearly enlisted in 1998 after a stint in college. My family, which includes people on active duty, talked me out of it. And thank god. I'd have been a terrible fit, especially at that age.

 

It's the economy, stupid:

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/10/military_recruiting_retention_101309w/

 

Another silver lining in this -- outside the obvious -- is that last year and the year before, Army recruiters were committing suicide in record numbers. Many of them didn't believe in what they were recruiting for, didn't hit their recruitment goals, got ear-fucked by their superiors, etc., etc., etc.
From what my two friends who were recruiters told me, it was a very bad situation.

 

Used to work with a guy who once pitched this as a story idea in protest of all the football recruiting stories we had to do in December and January each year.

"We oughtta be going to the Army guys and finding out how THEIR recruiting is going!"

Well, it looks like somebody did ...

 

Amazing what a change in administration will do.

 

I honestly thought as I clicked on this thread that it was about the football program at West Point.

D'oh!

 

Wait. Didn't the Real America die in the last election? Isn't the country overrun with a Limbaugh-esque spirit of internal revolution? Joining the military of the U.S. is no way to "take our country back," is it?

 

Some nice news for once.

 

People are joining because Bush is no longer president? That what I'm reading?