thedrifter
11-02-07, 06:23 AM
Local recruiters meet military goals
JENNIFER HLAD
November 2, 2007 - 1:04AM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Military recruiting may be more difficult in a time of war, but local recruiters last year not only met but greatly exceeded their active duty recruiting goals.
All four branches of the service met active duty recruiting goals for fiscal year 2007, which ended Sept. 30. The Army, Navy and Marine Corps all exceeded goals, even in a year when the Marine Corps was slated to grow by 5,000 Marines.
Locally, Army recruiters signed 132 active-duty recruits - 53 more than the target. Marine Corps recruiters signed 120 active-duty recruits - nearly double their 61-person target. Navy recruiters signed 51 active-duty recruits, 17 more than targeted.
Though the numbers show success, recruiting in a military town can be a double-edged sword, said Marine Corps recruiter Staff Sgt. Scott Bills.
Sometimes, he said, a person will be totally committed to the Marine Corps because he or she has been around it his or her whole life. Other times, joining the Marine Corps is the last thing they want to do, he said.
Another challenge, Bills said, is that young people in the Jacksonville area tend to think they have all the answers about the Marine Corps - but those answers aren't always correct.
And of the roughly 15 people who walk into the recruiting office in a month, only one or two will actually qualify for the Corps, Bills said. So, much of the job is making calls, making contacts and getting exposure.
The Marine Corps bases in town can also help other service recruiters, said Bob Harrison, a retired soldier who now works in the public affairs department of the Army's Recruiting Battalion Raleigh.
"The No. 1 thing that we believe affects recruiting is the community's familiarity and comfort level with the military in general," Harrison said. "If there is a significant military presence already in the community, that community is generally more favorable to joining the military. For us in the state, the places that generally do the best for us are Fayetteville and Jacksonville.
They are still able to exceed recruiting goals, he said, despite the fact, "We're up against the mighty Marine Corps."
"Those Marines do a great service to this country, and without even knowing it, they help the other services as well," he said.
Still, Harrison said, recruiting is not easy.
"This is a more demanding, more challenging environment to recruit for any of the services, because of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said, though the war may have had a more profound impact on recruiting for the Army and the Marine Corps.
For the Army, meeting recruiting targets has meant increasing the number of recruiters, increasing the amount of money spent on advertising and offering more incentives.
The Marine Corps has the added challenge of trying to expand during a time of war.
So what makes someone join the military? Bills said he and the other recruiters sell the concept of being a Marine, the intangibles like self-reliance, courage, poise and self-confidence. And in the Jacksonville area, he said, young people can see the retired and former Marines who still carry those traits.
"Everybody in this town knows what the Marine Corps can do for them," he said.
Still, miseducated potential recruits and active-duty parents can be difficult for a recruiter.
"You have to know what you're talking about here," he said.
Though some people sign contracts while still in high school, many of the recruits in this area are graduates, Bills said. The summer months tend to be larger recruiting months, when graduates realize they aren't going to college and don't have a job.
November through February are the most difficult months, Bills said, mainly because of the holidays and the graduation cycle.
But it can be a time to make contacts, he said.
"It's not so much that they join (when you meet them), but just that they see you," he said.
Contact military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 353-1171, ext. 8467. To comment on this story, visit www.jdnews.com.
Ellie
JENNIFER HLAD
November 2, 2007 - 1:04AM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Military recruiting may be more difficult in a time of war, but local recruiters last year not only met but greatly exceeded their active duty recruiting goals.
All four branches of the service met active duty recruiting goals for fiscal year 2007, which ended Sept. 30. The Army, Navy and Marine Corps all exceeded goals, even in a year when the Marine Corps was slated to grow by 5,000 Marines.
Locally, Army recruiters signed 132 active-duty recruits - 53 more than the target. Marine Corps recruiters signed 120 active-duty recruits - nearly double their 61-person target. Navy recruiters signed 51 active-duty recruits, 17 more than targeted.
Though the numbers show success, recruiting in a military town can be a double-edged sword, said Marine Corps recruiter Staff Sgt. Scott Bills.
Sometimes, he said, a person will be totally committed to the Marine Corps because he or she has been around it his or her whole life. Other times, joining the Marine Corps is the last thing they want to do, he said.
Another challenge, Bills said, is that young people in the Jacksonville area tend to think they have all the answers about the Marine Corps - but those answers aren't always correct.
And of the roughly 15 people who walk into the recruiting office in a month, only one or two will actually qualify for the Corps, Bills said. So, much of the job is making calls, making contacts and getting exposure.
The Marine Corps bases in town can also help other service recruiters, said Bob Harrison, a retired soldier who now works in the public affairs department of the Army's Recruiting Battalion Raleigh.
"The No. 1 thing that we believe affects recruiting is the community's familiarity and comfort level with the military in general," Harrison said. "If there is a significant military presence already in the community, that community is generally more favorable to joining the military. For us in the state, the places that generally do the best for us are Fayetteville and Jacksonville.
They are still able to exceed recruiting goals, he said, despite the fact, "We're up against the mighty Marine Corps."
"Those Marines do a great service to this country, and without even knowing it, they help the other services as well," he said.
Still, Harrison said, recruiting is not easy.
"This is a more demanding, more challenging environment to recruit for any of the services, because of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said, though the war may have had a more profound impact on recruiting for the Army and the Marine Corps.
For the Army, meeting recruiting targets has meant increasing the number of recruiters, increasing the amount of money spent on advertising and offering more incentives.
The Marine Corps has the added challenge of trying to expand during a time of war.
So what makes someone join the military? Bills said he and the other recruiters sell the concept of being a Marine, the intangibles like self-reliance, courage, poise and self-confidence. And in the Jacksonville area, he said, young people can see the retired and former Marines who still carry those traits.
"Everybody in this town knows what the Marine Corps can do for them," he said.
Still, miseducated potential recruits and active-duty parents can be difficult for a recruiter.
"You have to know what you're talking about here," he said.
Though some people sign contracts while still in high school, many of the recruits in this area are graduates, Bills said. The summer months tend to be larger recruiting months, when graduates realize they aren't going to college and don't have a job.
November through February are the most difficult months, Bills said, mainly because of the holidays and the graduation cycle.
But it can be a time to make contacts, he said.
"It's not so much that they join (when you meet them), but just that they see you," he said.
Contact military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 353-1171, ext. 8467. To comment on this story, visit www.jdnews.com.
Ellie