July 25, 2007

Ex-Army Recruiters Ordered Back To Work

More than 1,100 former Army recruiters have been ordered to report back to duty immediately, Army Times is reporting.

The military came well short of recruiting goals in May and June, which officials acknowledge is attributable to the unpopularity of the Iraq war. More than 3,600 American service members have died in the four-year-long operation, and more than 25,000 have been wounded.

Tepid enthusiasm for joining the military is a growing problem, and has prompted officials to lower the standards for new recruits. The Boston Globe reported earlier this month that 11.6 percent of active-duty and Army Reserve troops who signed on this year had criminal records, up from 7.9 percent in 2006.

Steven D. Green, a former soldier who was convicted of raping a teenage Iraqi girl and slaying her and her family, joined the Army after receiving a so-called moral waiver. He had a history of mental health problems and a criminal record.

Recruiters have also been caught using deceptive tactics in an attempt to meet their goals. Most recently, four Nashville-area recruiters were caught telling a potential recruit to lie about his mental health history. They were reprimanded but remain in the Army.

At the same time, pressure to hit their numbers is intense. Some recruiters report being threatened by their superiors.

Posted at 2:43 PM
Posted to: Iraq, Middle East, Military
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