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S A T U R D A Y , A U G U S T 0 6 , 2 0 0 5Recruitment Is Down; Reenlistment Up. Why?by Michael in New York on
8/06/2005 11:39:00 AMEveryone knows recruitment is down dramatically despitelowered standards. High school dropout? No problem. Got arecord? We'll deal with it. And it doesn't take a rocket scientistto figure out why. But reenlistment is holding steady and evenexceeding expectations. That's a dramatic switch from Vietnamwhen reenlistment followed recruitment in a race to thebottom. Some on the far right argue that since reenlistment isup that the soldiers must know something we don't and thatthings are actually going much better than it appears in Iraq.See, Iraq isn't Vietnam.Well, I didn't buy that but I have been puzzling over thereasons why reenlistment remains relatively strong. Then therather obvious answer struck me: this is their job. Thesesoldiers are lifers, devoted to a career in the military. Walkingaway from it is a dramatic and scary switch from a track in lifethat is laid out and clear -- the very thing that appeals to manyof them about the military.David M. Kennedy wrote an op-ed in the NYT on July 25pointing out that for all intents and purposes, our military isnow composed of paid mercenaries. He went to great pains tomake clear this was not pejorative -- anymore than people whotake on the dangerous and important tasks of policeman orfireman are somehow diminished by acknowledging that it'stheir job as well as a calling. (And everyone recognizes it's acalling other people don't hear because it is dangerous anddemanding. That's why we respect them.) Kennedy waswarning about the dangers of letting a very small group ofpeople take most of the burden of war upon them. If we're atwar, all our lives should be impacted. That's clearly not thecase now and that makes war all the more tempting for ourleaders and too easy for the rest of us to let the fighting recedeinto the background.But back to reenlistment. In Vietnam and Korea and World WarII, most of the people who were drafted did their stint and thenwent home. (In WW II, that was after victory, of course; Iraq's"victory" per Bush came ages ago.) They were schoolteachersand mechanics and lawyers and businessmen. Some of thempresumably felt drawn to a life in the military they hadn'tconsidered before, but most went back home and got on withtheir lives.Iraq is the first drawn-out conflict in modern times for which noone has been officially drafted. The soldiers bravely fightingoverseas are lifers devoted to this career. It is their job. It istheir world. Not reenlisting would mean abandoning this andstarting something new they may be ill-prepared to face. Is itany surprise they're reluctant to do so? Back in Vietnam andKorea, not reenlisting meant getting on with your life, notabandoning it.So it's no surprise soldiers are reenlisting -- they are devotedto a career in the military and devoted to protecting anddefending this country. They don't get to choose where they'resent or why -- all they can do is follow orders and behavehonorably. The fact that they haven't abandoned their career is
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© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Recru...http://www.americablog.com/2005/08/recruitment-is-down-reenl...
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8/06/2005 11:39:00 AMEveryone knows recruitment is down dramatically despitelowered standards. High school dropout? No problem. Got arecord? We'll deal with it. And it doesn't take a rocket scientistto figure out why. But reenlistment is holding steady and evenexceeding expectations. That's a dramatic switch from Vietnamwhen reenlistment followed recruitment in a race to thebottom. Some on the far right argue that since reenlistment isup that the soldiers must know something we don't and thatthings are actually going much better than it appears in Iraq.See, Iraq isn't Vietnam.Well, I didn't buy that but I have been puzzling over thereasons why reenlistment remains relatively strong. Then therather obvious answer struck me: this is their job. Thesesoldiers are lifers, devoted to a career in the military. Walkingaway from it is a dramatic and scary switch from a track in lifethat is laid out and clear -- the very thing that appeals to manyof them about the military.David M. Kennedy wrote an op-ed in the NYT on July 25pointing out that for all intents and purposes, our military isnow composed of paid mercenaries. He went to great pains tomake clear this was not pejorative -- anymore than people whotake on the dangerous and important tasks of policeman orfireman are somehow diminished by acknowledging that it'stheir job as well as a calling. (And everyone recognizes it's acalling other people don't hear because it is dangerous anddemanding. That's why we respect them.) Kennedy waswarning about the dangers of letting a very small group ofpeople take most of the burden of war upon them. If we're atwar, all our lives should be impacted. That's clearly not thecase now and that makes war all the more tempting for ourleaders and too easy for the rest of us to let the fighting recedeinto the background.But back to reenlistment. In Vietnam and Korea and World WarII, most of the people who were drafted did their stint and thenwent home. (In WW II, that was after victory, of course; Iraq's"victory" per Bush came ages ago.) They were schoolteachersand mechanics and lawyers and businessmen. Some of thempresumably felt drawn to a life in the military they hadn'tconsidered before, but most went back home and got on withtheir lives.Iraq is the first drawn-out conflict in modern times for which noone has been officially drafted. The soldiers bravely fightingoverseas are lifers devoted to this career. It is their job. It istheir world. Not reenlisting would mean abandoning this andstarting something new they may be ill-prepared to face. Is itany surprise they're reluctant to do so? Back in Vietnam andKorea, not reenlisting meant getting on with your life, notabandoning it.So it's no surprise soldiers are reenlisting -- they are devotedto a career in the military and devoted to protecting anddefending this country. They don't get to choose where they'resent or why -- all they can do is follow orders and behavehonorably. The fact that they haven't abandoned their career is
HuffPost PoliticsHarry Shearer: Why The Birthers? - Okay, I admitit, it may be my fault, I've watched Chris Matthewsfor three straight nights, and each evening he'ssent the same question...1 minute ago
FiredoglakeLate Late Night FDL: Holiday Road - LindsayBuckingham - Holiday Road. I'm not headed toWallyworld but I am on the road tonight, headeddown to the San Francisco Bay Area for themeetup this...1 hour ago
Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Tonight's RescueRangers are noddem, Elise, jlms qkw, taylormattd,Shayera, and joyful with vcmvo2 editing.* Thediaries up for rescue are: - *Vikin...2 hours ago
Crooks and LiarsOpen Thread - Just a little something re the birtherthing. Open thread below...2 hours ago
EschatonLate Night - Go Electric.3 hours agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V
Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Recru...http://www.americablog.com/2005/08/recruitment-is-down-reenl...
1 of 57/24/09 11:26 AM
Visit ourAMERICAblog TV site.see all 326 videos >I collect with
vodpod
Massive brawl in SouthKorean parliament
Mormons may havesecretly baptized
Medieval helpdesk withEnglish subtitles
The Taco Bell dog hasdied
In honor of SenatorDeMintAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Recru...http://www.americablog.com/2005/08/recruitment-is-down-reenl...
2 of 57/24/09 11:26 AM
Walker ReportSimple Test ToDetermine If Conrad'sCo-ops Are Worthless2 hours agoEzra KleinTab Dump7 hours agoWonk RoomNewt Gingrich’s ‘JobsFirst’ Plan Puts TheWealthy AndCorporations First9 hours agoHealth BeatIf We’re Able to StopObama On This . . . . ItWill Break Him9 hours agoDaily DoseObama Talks HealthCare With Post's HiattG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
Blog RSS
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Tupelo Mom HadYELLOW TeethLearn the trick, discovered bya mom, to turn yellow teethwhite. Explore Now...
Earn Your Master's inITBachelor Degree RequiredFor Master’s in IT Degree Explore Now...
No-Tox Anti WrinkleI Look 10 Years Younger WithNo Injection. Read my storyhere. Explore Now...
Top AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Recru...http://www.americablog.com/2005/08/recruitment-is-down-reenl...
3 of 57/24/09 11:26 AM
S E A R C H
AMERICAblog
Web
SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E
Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating
N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews
P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$
Recurring monthlydonation$
Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S
Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors
A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Recru...http://www.americablog.com/2005/08/recruitment-is-down-reenl...
4 of 57/24/09 11:26 AM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Recru...http://www.americablog.com/2005/08/recruitment-is-down-reenl...
5 of 57/24/09 11:26 AM