thedrifter
06-29-08, 08:04 AM
County recruiters locate plenty of young people to join the military
Willing to wear a uniform
By Scott Hadly (Contact)
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wandering the campus at Hueneme High School before graduation, Lee Lewis, a tall Army sergeant recruiter, spots Jessica Solorio as she slips out of class.
"What's up?" he says, giving her a grin and reaching out to shake her hand.
But for his uniform, Lewis, with his slang, swagger and smile, looks like any other student at the school where he graduated a decade earlier.
But this isn't idle chatter. Lewis is on a quest.
Picking up on a conversation they've been having for much of the school year, Solorio, an 18-year-old senior with long, wavy, dark hair and a red-striped shirt, tells Lewis, "My mom wants me to, but I'm scared."
Lewis stands up straight and shifts to a more somber adult tone. "Well, I could sit down and talk with you and your mom," he says. "Would you be cool with that?"
He hands her his card and points to his cell number. "Give me a call, and we'll set it up or I'll call you."
High school hallways don't look much like a frontline for one of the military's most important missions, but for recruiters this is the battleground to find new enlistees.
While it might be difficult to rack up big numbers — especially in more affluent areas such as Ventura County, where kids tend to have more options — recruiters here say they're finding plenty of young people to join. Many are lured by cash and educational incentives that most military branches use to sweeten the deal. The prospect of death or injury, the main drawback.
Expects to go far in Army
The Star followed a handful of 17-, 18- and 19-year-olds who have enlisted in the Army or Marines, signing up to be in uniform for the next few years.
"My friends at school are either going to Ventura College or Moorpark College, and I would have done that, too," said Michele Christopher, a diminutive 17-year-old who shipped off to Army basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., 10 days after graduating from Camarillo High School.
The articulate teen is just over 5 feet tall and looks too young to drive. She is the only high school student among the 10 people Lewis has recruited since he was assigned the task last summer.
Lewis expects she's going to go far in the Army.
Christopher jokes that the strong voice she developed in high school choir might serve her well if she becomes a drill instructor.
Enlisting as a duty
Her decision has something to do with tradition — her father is in the Navy — but Christopher said it also has to do with not wanting to do what everyone else does after graduation.
"I could have gone to community college and matriculate up to a four-year university, or take a gap year and work, but I'm really burned out at school," said Christopher, whose grades, aptitude with languages and high scores on an Army skills tests qualified her for a job as a crypto-linguist.
"I'd like to enjoy learning again, and the Army is going to pay me to learn languages, which is what I want to do," she said.
Some recruits see enlisting as a duty. Some see it as their only option out of dead-end jobs. Others, such as Christopher, made the choice because it was so different from the path their friends are taking.
It didn't hurt that Christopher qualified to receive more than $35,000 in enlistment bonuses, which will be paid over her six-year enlistment term.
"They see an opportunity," said Lewis, a military police officer who served two tours in Iraq and received a Bronze Star. "They see a chance to get on with things."
Even though the Iraq war is unpopular with a majority of Americans, the military reportedly has had no shortage of young men and women willing to put on uniforms.
"They say we have an all-volunteer Army," said Doug Smith, of the U.S. Army Recruiting command in Fort Knox, Ky. "But I like to say it's an all- recruited force."
With a lot of money, canny marketing and a legion of new recruiters, the Army, Marines, Air Force and Navy have met or exceeded their recruiting goals in the past year.
In its proposed budget, the Department of Defense is seeking $20.5 billion for recruiting next year, double what it spends now or about five times what was allocated in 2003.
With bigger bonuses, upping the age limit from 35 to 42 and relaxing the rules to allow in a small number of people with felony convictions, the Army has expanded the number of people in the standing Army, said Smith.
Even changing the advertising slogan from Army of One to Army Strong has helped, he said.
'It's a lot of hard work'
The success seems to defy popular opinion. A recent Gallup poll showed that 63 percent of Americans say the war in Iraq was a mistake. Pollsters say that percentage is notable because it exceeds the 61 percent who said in May 1971 that the Vietnam War was a mistake.
On average, the Army must recruit 5,500 new enlistees every month to meet its goal of 80,000 a year, which keeps the Army standing at 500,000 strong. The Marines' goal is 1,500 a month, but the corps has been able to exceed that target. There are a little more than 200,000 Marines.
As with every other branch of the military, the Marines must find someone to fill the boots of troops who leave when their commitment are up.
"We're doing very well on enlistments," said Marine Col. Jim Jamison, Force Marine Officer for the commander of Naval Air Forces.
Every year the Marines "disgorge 40,000" enlistees into civilian life. Replacements have been found without the incentives offered by other services, relying instead on the Spartan-like image of the Marine Corps.
But all branches of the military depend on recruiters to cultivate young recruits.
Smith, of the U.S. Army Recruiting command, noted that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the ending of the draft.
"It's a lot of hard work, and recruiters are the backbone of that effort," he said.
A powerful draw for some
Dressed in his desert camouflage uniform, his hair cut high and tight, Lewis, a 28-year-old Iraq war veteran and father of two, is back for another go at Hueneme High School.
"Why aren't you in class?" he asked Verenice Chan, 17, who was strutting past wearing black Ugg boots.
"'Cause I'm cool," said Chan, a ring in her lip and a handbag marked with "Death before Dishonor" slung on her shoulder.
She's interested in enlisting but admitted that the Army might be tough for her, "because I don't wake up before 10."
Casey Pruitt, 18, was asked when walking by what kind of student he is. His response: "The kind who doesn't fit in."
Tall and quiet, Pruitt said he would like to be a pilot but realizes he'd have to go to college.
"You know we're the only service that's high school to flight school," said Lewis, who then looked up Pruitt on a database of students who have taken the ASVAB, a career interest and skills test.
It showed Pruitt posted a high score. Lewis made a note to contact him again.
Continuing his quest, Lewis peeked into a history class during a break. He talked with Lisa Ekstrom, a 17-year-old cheerleader who is thinking about joining the Army or enrolling at Ventura College.
Her brother is in the Air Force.
"He is telling me not to do it at all because you're always doing what someone else wants you to do," Ekstrom said of her brother, while her friend Leilani Sterzenbach, 18, looked on.
But Ekstrom is considering it because she could earn money for college and get some training. As she talks about the possibility, Sterzenbach shakes her head in mild disappointment.
"My brother is telling me to just go to college and get financial aid," Ekstrom said.
Later, Lewis greeted students eating lunch, visited classrooms and bumped knuckles with a senior he knows. He appeared about as laid back as the students.
He relates to them as equals but approaches life from the perspective of a decorated combat veteran who knows the responsibility attached to a military uniform and job. It's a powerful draw for some.
Recruiting is difficult
Niko Servin, a 17-year-old whose pants are tucked into thigh-high boots, walked up to Lewis while holding a model of an Abrams tank.
"Hey, Sgt. Lewis, I want to drive one of these," he said.
Lewis smiles and shakes his head.
Despite the jovial banter with students, Lewis knows recruiting is difficult.
"Is it stressful? I wouldn't say it's stressful; that sort of depends on how a person handles that sort of thing," said Lewis. "But yeah, it's one of the hardest jobs in the military right now."
Since returning home to recruit, Lewis has had no luck at Hueneme High School.
"I'm not really sure why," he said. "I'm working on it."
Lewis often gets kids interested in signing up, but contact stops when the parents find out.
"They think right away that their son or daughter is going to go away and die," Lewis said.
"I tell them, No, no, it's not like that.' Once I do talk to them, they tend to change their minds."
Ellie
Willing to wear a uniform
By Scott Hadly (Contact)
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wandering the campus at Hueneme High School before graduation, Lee Lewis, a tall Army sergeant recruiter, spots Jessica Solorio as she slips out of class.
"What's up?" he says, giving her a grin and reaching out to shake her hand.
But for his uniform, Lewis, with his slang, swagger and smile, looks like any other student at the school where he graduated a decade earlier.
But this isn't idle chatter. Lewis is on a quest.
Picking up on a conversation they've been having for much of the school year, Solorio, an 18-year-old senior with long, wavy, dark hair and a red-striped shirt, tells Lewis, "My mom wants me to, but I'm scared."
Lewis stands up straight and shifts to a more somber adult tone. "Well, I could sit down and talk with you and your mom," he says. "Would you be cool with that?"
He hands her his card and points to his cell number. "Give me a call, and we'll set it up or I'll call you."
High school hallways don't look much like a frontline for one of the military's most important missions, but for recruiters this is the battleground to find new enlistees.
While it might be difficult to rack up big numbers — especially in more affluent areas such as Ventura County, where kids tend to have more options — recruiters here say they're finding plenty of young people to join. Many are lured by cash and educational incentives that most military branches use to sweeten the deal. The prospect of death or injury, the main drawback.
Expects to go far in Army
The Star followed a handful of 17-, 18- and 19-year-olds who have enlisted in the Army or Marines, signing up to be in uniform for the next few years.
"My friends at school are either going to Ventura College or Moorpark College, and I would have done that, too," said Michele Christopher, a diminutive 17-year-old who shipped off to Army basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., 10 days after graduating from Camarillo High School.
The articulate teen is just over 5 feet tall and looks too young to drive. She is the only high school student among the 10 people Lewis has recruited since he was assigned the task last summer.
Lewis expects she's going to go far in the Army.
Christopher jokes that the strong voice she developed in high school choir might serve her well if she becomes a drill instructor.
Enlisting as a duty
Her decision has something to do with tradition — her father is in the Navy — but Christopher said it also has to do with not wanting to do what everyone else does after graduation.
"I could have gone to community college and matriculate up to a four-year university, or take a gap year and work, but I'm really burned out at school," said Christopher, whose grades, aptitude with languages and high scores on an Army skills tests qualified her for a job as a crypto-linguist.
"I'd like to enjoy learning again, and the Army is going to pay me to learn languages, which is what I want to do," she said.
Some recruits see enlisting as a duty. Some see it as their only option out of dead-end jobs. Others, such as Christopher, made the choice because it was so different from the path their friends are taking.
It didn't hurt that Christopher qualified to receive more than $35,000 in enlistment bonuses, which will be paid over her six-year enlistment term.
"They see an opportunity," said Lewis, a military police officer who served two tours in Iraq and received a Bronze Star. "They see a chance to get on with things."
Even though the Iraq war is unpopular with a majority of Americans, the military reportedly has had no shortage of young men and women willing to put on uniforms.
"They say we have an all-volunteer Army," said Doug Smith, of the U.S. Army Recruiting command in Fort Knox, Ky. "But I like to say it's an all- recruited force."
With a lot of money, canny marketing and a legion of new recruiters, the Army, Marines, Air Force and Navy have met or exceeded their recruiting goals in the past year.
In its proposed budget, the Department of Defense is seeking $20.5 billion for recruiting next year, double what it spends now or about five times what was allocated in 2003.
With bigger bonuses, upping the age limit from 35 to 42 and relaxing the rules to allow in a small number of people with felony convictions, the Army has expanded the number of people in the standing Army, said Smith.
Even changing the advertising slogan from Army of One to Army Strong has helped, he said.
'It's a lot of hard work'
The success seems to defy popular opinion. A recent Gallup poll showed that 63 percent of Americans say the war in Iraq was a mistake. Pollsters say that percentage is notable because it exceeds the 61 percent who said in May 1971 that the Vietnam War was a mistake.
On average, the Army must recruit 5,500 new enlistees every month to meet its goal of 80,000 a year, which keeps the Army standing at 500,000 strong. The Marines' goal is 1,500 a month, but the corps has been able to exceed that target. There are a little more than 200,000 Marines.
As with every other branch of the military, the Marines must find someone to fill the boots of troops who leave when their commitment are up.
"We're doing very well on enlistments," said Marine Col. Jim Jamison, Force Marine Officer for the commander of Naval Air Forces.
Every year the Marines "disgorge 40,000" enlistees into civilian life. Replacements have been found without the incentives offered by other services, relying instead on the Spartan-like image of the Marine Corps.
But all branches of the military depend on recruiters to cultivate young recruits.
Smith, of the U.S. Army Recruiting command, noted that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the ending of the draft.
"It's a lot of hard work, and recruiters are the backbone of that effort," he said.
A powerful draw for some
Dressed in his desert camouflage uniform, his hair cut high and tight, Lewis, a 28-year-old Iraq war veteran and father of two, is back for another go at Hueneme High School.
"Why aren't you in class?" he asked Verenice Chan, 17, who was strutting past wearing black Ugg boots.
"'Cause I'm cool," said Chan, a ring in her lip and a handbag marked with "Death before Dishonor" slung on her shoulder.
She's interested in enlisting but admitted that the Army might be tough for her, "because I don't wake up before 10."
Casey Pruitt, 18, was asked when walking by what kind of student he is. His response: "The kind who doesn't fit in."
Tall and quiet, Pruitt said he would like to be a pilot but realizes he'd have to go to college.
"You know we're the only service that's high school to flight school," said Lewis, who then looked up Pruitt on a database of students who have taken the ASVAB, a career interest and skills test.
It showed Pruitt posted a high score. Lewis made a note to contact him again.
Continuing his quest, Lewis peeked into a history class during a break. He talked with Lisa Ekstrom, a 17-year-old cheerleader who is thinking about joining the Army or enrolling at Ventura College.
Her brother is in the Air Force.
"He is telling me not to do it at all because you're always doing what someone else wants you to do," Ekstrom said of her brother, while her friend Leilani Sterzenbach, 18, looked on.
But Ekstrom is considering it because she could earn money for college and get some training. As she talks about the possibility, Sterzenbach shakes her head in mild disappointment.
"My brother is telling me to just go to college and get financial aid," Ekstrom said.
Later, Lewis greeted students eating lunch, visited classrooms and bumped knuckles with a senior he knows. He appeared about as laid back as the students.
He relates to them as equals but approaches life from the perspective of a decorated combat veteran who knows the responsibility attached to a military uniform and job. It's a powerful draw for some.
Recruiting is difficult
Niko Servin, a 17-year-old whose pants are tucked into thigh-high boots, walked up to Lewis while holding a model of an Abrams tank.
"Hey, Sgt. Lewis, I want to drive one of these," he said.
Lewis smiles and shakes his head.
Despite the jovial banter with students, Lewis knows recruiting is difficult.
"Is it stressful? I wouldn't say it's stressful; that sort of depends on how a person handles that sort of thing," said Lewis. "But yeah, it's one of the hardest jobs in the military right now."
Since returning home to recruit, Lewis has had no luck at Hueneme High School.
"I'm not really sure why," he said. "I'm working on it."
Lewis often gets kids interested in signing up, but contact stops when the parents find out.
"They think right away that their son or daughter is going to go away and die," Lewis said.
"I tell them, No, no, it's not like that.' Once I do talk to them, they tend to change their minds."
Ellie