The All-Volunteer Military

[Virtual_Burlesque]

An Army of (No) One
Nick Turse
July 13, 2005

While there has been a wave of news reports recently on the Pentagon's problems putting together an all-volunteer military, or even a functioning officer corps, from an increasingly reluctant public, military officials are ahead of the media in one regard. They know where the future troops they need are.

Hint: They're not reading newspapers or watching the nightly prime-time news, but they are surfing the web, looking for entertainment, information, fun, and perhaps even a future.


[Full Article at Tom Paine]

 

[LadyJeanne]

Wow - that reads like Orwell.

 

[rgraham666]

The basic materialistic culture of the West and the culture of the military are incompatible.

In civilian life it's looking out for number one.

In the military it's subsuming your personal wants for the greater good.

These are incompatible, so it's no wonder the Pentagon has to go to these lengths to get recruits.

It could be worse. A few years ago a local neo-con suggested we hire Third World troops to do our fighting for us. They're cheap and expendable after all.

Of course he never said anything about what happens to a society that won't fight for itself.

 

[CharleyH]

An Army of (No) One
Nick Turse
July 13, 2005

While there has been a wave of news reports recently on the Pentagon's problems putting together an all-volunteer military, or even a functioning officer corps, from an increasingly reluctant public, military officials are ahead of the media in one regard. They know where the future troops they need are.

Hint: They're not reading newspapers or watching the nightly prime-time news, but they are surfing the web, looking for entertainment, information, fun, and perhaps even a future.


[Full Article at Tom Paine]

ROFL

 

[OhMissScarlett]

I can't imagine the sort of nagging pressure the military must be putting on today's high school graduates with the war on Iraq.

It was bad enough in 1997 when my step-sister graduated. It seemed to me that the army recruiters worked sort of a pyramid scheme on the kids graduating who didn't have any plans for college. They would find one kid who was interested in joining and then have he or she try to sell out all their directionless friends to the idea.

My rather naive step-sister decided one day that she wanted to join the army after having been driven to the mall in a Humvee by two "super hot" army recruiters along with several of her girlfriends. As her father and I went about trying to talk her out of the idea, knowing it wasn't exactly the type of thing she was cut out for, the recruiters gave us a barrage of phone calls and invited themselves over for dinner.

At dinner, I listened to them tell my sister about the glamourous life of travel and intrigue that she was about to embark on and I couldn't help thinking of Private Benjamin. The two young recruiters charmed and flirted with both of us. They even tried to recruit me after they found out I was twenty-three and recently unemployed. They were more difficult to get rid of than the Avon lady.

After I told them I didn't want to be owned by The Man, they backed off from me. Also, I told them I didn't run unless I was being chased, which bummed them out. My sister decided not to join the army after she saw GI Jane, I think Demi Moore's hair really ruined her idea of military life.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

. . . My sister decided not to join the army after she saw GI Jane, I think Demi Moore's hair really ruined her idea of military life.

So, at least that movie wasn't a total waste.

 

[oggbashan]

A few years ago a local neo-con suggested we hire Third World troops to do our fighting for us. They're cheap and expendable after all.

Of course he never said anything about what happens to a society that won't fight for itself.

The UK has all-volunteer armed forces. In some areas there are waiting lists to join.

We have been employing the Gurkhas as fighters for over a century. They may be cheap. They are certainly NOT expendable and they have an enviable reputation with the UK's civilian populace for being well-behaved, polite, disciplined and very, very dangerous. They are not troops that local tearaways would try to annoy. The tearaways might find their balls sliced off with kukris.

There is a long waiting list in Nepal wanting to join the Gurkhas.

Og

 

[Guest]

There is a long waiting list in Nepal wanting to join the Gurkhas.

Og

Fucking racist British cunts. Pay the ex-Gurkhas the same amount of money, you twits.

 

[rgraham666]

The UK has all-volunteer armed forces. In some areas there are waiting lists to join.

We have been employing the Gurkhas as fighters for over a century. They may be cheap. They are certainly NOT expendable and they have an enviable reputation with the UK's civilian populace for being well-behaved, polite, disciplined and very, very dangerous. They are not troops that local tearaways would try to annoy. The tearaways might find their balls sliced off with kukris.

There is a long waiting list in Nepal wanting to join the Gurkhas.

Og

Thanks for pointing out I shouldn't speak in generalities ogg.

And for reminding me about the Gurkhas. Tough, little bastards they are. And the kukri is on of my favourite knives.

 

[oggbashan]

Fucking racist British cunts. Pay the ex-Gurkhas the same amount of money, you twits.

For once I agree with the sentiment if not the terminology.

We SHOULD pay the Gurkhas the same.

Og

 

[PAUL C]

no, not the same

that would create an even more more elitist element in their country. they are in some areas the only source of outside income to a subsistance economy.

yes they are great soldiers.

the worst punishment they could face when i served on the same camp as them in Sek Kong, New Territories Hong Kong, was to be taken off guard duty. a punishment all the regular British Troops wished they could suffer.

but, they were a little too rigid in some ways.

the officer who jumped into the swimming pool in the chain of command race who couldn't swim. his name appeared on the list so he turned up.

The men they hanged in a local village after one of their's was killed in an accident.

good soldiers, but.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Perhaps I'm a bit of a simpleton, but I don't see the problem with any of this. They collect data on potential recruits..............AND?

The military is no different than any other entity that benefits from young people joining their ranks after high school. Colleges collect such information. Trade schools collect such information. Why can't the military?

A star athlete starts getting recruited by colleges while in middle school.

The military offers a viable option for kids coming out of high school. Yet for some reason the military is villainized for actually doing their job.....recruiting new people. The military faces obstacles in their recruiting that other entities don't have to face. Did you know that the communist party has an office on the campus of Harvard, and is allowed to freely recruit among the student body? The Communist party is allowed, but the Military isn't allowed to have an office or recruit on the campus of Harvard.

It's an all volunteer force. No one is being forced to sign. I don't see the problem with them doing what they can to recruit and be competitive for kids coming out of high school.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

And that "joint marketing communications and market research and studies" program actively engaged in measures to target Hispanics, "drop outs," and those with criminal records for military service. Hmm?


BREAK BREAK


I just saw a “Go Army” commercial in the middle of CSI on SpikeTV.

A doofus in an Army uniform is standing over a group of doofi who obviously used to be his pals.

#1 Doofi: So what they got you doing? Jumping out of planes.

(Group of Doofi laughing at #1 Doofi’s joke.)

Army Doofus: No, I’m on computers.

#2 Doofi: Computers? You could have done that here?

Cut to airborne ETAC with orders being shouted as Army Doofus calmly rattles instructions into a computer, looking extremely competent.

Cut to recruitment tag, and GoArmy.com slug.

[END]

Yes, I just bet those kids will be get so much as a smell at such a position, even it they could handle it.


In civilian life, in advertising, they call that a Bait and Switch, and it will rapidly get the Better Business Bureau after you (possibly a lawsuit)

But it is A-OK when the Military uses it.


Just my opinion — but I think the military, which is supposed to be protecting citizens, should maintain higher ethical standards than some fly-by-night low-end “bargain warehouse” hustler.

 

[raphy]

Perhaps I'm a bit of a simpleton, but I don't see the problem with any of this. They collect data on potential recruits..............AND?

The military is no different than any other entity that benefits from young people joining their ranks after high school. Colleges collect such information. Trade schools collect such information. Why can't the military?

A star athlete starts getting recruited by colleges while in middle school.

The military offers a viable option for kids coming out of high school. Yet for some reason the military is villainized for actually doing their job.....recruiting new people. The military faces obstacles in their recruiting that other entities don't have to face. Did you know that the communist party has an office on the campus of Harvard, and is allowed to freely recruit among the student body? The Communist party is allowed, but the Military isn't allowed to have an office or recruit on the campus of Harvard.

It's an all volunteer force. No one is being forced to sign. I don't see the problem with them doing what they can to recruit and be competitive for kids coming out of high school.

Not that I'm anti-military. Far from it, but I couldn't resist this one, Ky...

Being scooped up by a college or trade school won't get you a 7.62mm round in the head.

 

[Bob Waters]

And that "joint marketing communications and market research and studies" program actively engaged in measures to target Hispanics, "drop outs," and those with criminal records for military service. Hmm?


BREAK BREAK


I just saw a “Go Army” commercial in the middle of CSI on SpikeTV.

A doofus in an Army uniform is standing over a group of doofi who obviously used to be his pals.

#1 Doofi: So what they got you doing? Jumping out of planes.

(Group of Doofi laughing at #1 Doofi’s joke.)

Army Doofus: No, I’m on computers.

#2 Doofi: Computers? You could have done that here?

Cut to airborne ETAC with orders being shouted as Army Doofus calmly rattles instructions into a computer, looking extremely competent.

Cut to recruitment tag, and GoArmy.com slug.

[END]

Yes, I just bet those kids will be get so much as a smell at such a position, even it they could handle it.


In civilian life, in advertising, they call that a Bait and Switch, and it will rapidly get the Better Business Bureau after you (possibly a lawsuit)

But it is A-OK when the Military uses it.


Just my opinion — but I think the military, which is supposed to be protecting citizens, should maintain higher ethical standards than some fly-by-night low-end “bargain warehouse” hustler.

Actually, this is just a high-tech version of what recruiting sargents have been doing for hundreds of years.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

Actually, this is just a high-tech version of what recruiting sargents have been doing for hundreds of years.

It only cost the previous Kings George a shilling.

That's inflation for you.

 

[thebullet]

My wife has been convinced for years that we will be returning to the draft so that the neocons can maintain their mult-front wars in the Middle East. She has begged our son (who is of draft age) to leave the country now.

The Rand Corporation came out with a study today that said the US military is stretched far too thinly right now. If any trouble arose at home, the military would not be able to handle it. They are hard pressed to maintain fighting forces in Afghanistan and Iraq at the same time.

Their problem is that the Bush Administration is looking at Iran with envious eyes. Neocons don't like to hear that something can't be done. They want what they want when they want it.

Maybe my wife is right. If you are of draft age, head for the hills!

My wife also lead a campaign to get stop the military from recruiting in the local high school. Bait and switch were the least of their sins.

 

[CharleyH]

It only cost the previous Kings George a shilling.

That's inflation for you.

In Canadian bucks? TOO MUCH!