thedrifter
02-23-09, 06:57 AM
Slow economy boost to military career options
BY ELIZABETH BASSETT
February 23, 2009
While those who have joined the military may have typically been young men and women starting their careers, some Americans looking for job security may be seeking out the armed forces as a sure thing in a shaky economy.
The economy does not totally account for all the new recruits joining the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps or Navy, but it may have provided a bit of an incentive to some potential recruits to consider the military jobs. Locally, the Army, Air Force and Marines have met and exceeded their recruiting goals, and while the military’s standards stay the same regardless of outside influences, more Tarrant County residents are turning to recruiting stations to find out more about one of the oldest career choices.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Monty Morgan, station commander for the recruiting station on Westworth Boulevard in the Ridgmar area, said roughly half of the people who walk in to the recruiting station at any given time are qualified to join. Lately, though, he said he’s been seeing more people in their 30s — and even some in their 40s, since the Army’s age limit was raised to 42 in 2006 — come in looking for information.
“We’re talking about the people who actually had a career, had a job and a decent paycheck, who are coming in and talking to us,” Morgan said.
He said he has seen some who admit to being laid off, but he said none had yet joined. Many more people come in with questions about bonuses, health care, training and educational assistance than in the past, though.
“The war in Iraq — that’s just not even brought up any more,” he said. “They’re more worried about ‘What does the Army have to offer?’”
Recruiting numbers in Fort Worth have climbed steadily during the past several fiscal years, which run from October through September. In 2006, 260 from Fort Worth joined the Army; in 2007, 230 did. In 2008, 300 new local recruits joined, and in the first quarter of 2009 80 people joined, according to LaShonda Walker, in the public affairs office of U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion-Dallas.
The Air Force’s 344th Recruiting Squadron, based in Arlington, covers roughly 90,000 square miles, from San Angelo to the Oklahoma border to Shreveport, La., to Killeen. Lt. Col. Sean McKenna, commander of the squadron, said while his recruiting territory isn’t the best in the country, it’s always near the top, and it’s consistently met its recruiting goals for 99 straight months, well before the economy’s most recent downturn. The squadron brought in 1,393 people in 2008, nearly 200 over its goal, and 1,315 people in 2007 with a goal of 1,220.
“It’s an attractive option to young Americans regardless of the economy,” McKenna said.
The Air Force, much like the Army and the other military branches, sees many people who may want to join but cannot be accepted due to medical, educational or moral issues (such as a record of certain crimes).
Marine officer Capt. Beatriz Yarrish, public affairs officer for the 8th Marine Corps District, provided data showing that local Marine recruiters have met their recruiting goals dating back to at least 2006. While exceeding goals isn’t uncommon, military recruiters try not to bring in too many people over the prescribed goals due to managing available spaces in training.
“The choice to join any branch of service is very personal and unique for each individual,” Yarrish said, “. . . even though more people may be interested in what the Marine Corps has to offer, only few qualify.”
While more may be considering the military as a job option, it’s still not easy to join. But even when the economy is good, many people make the career choice to join the armed forces, and McKenna said he thinks it will continue to always be an enticing option for people.
“I would be willing to bet that even if our economy was rolling on fantastically, then it would still be pretty good business for the Air Force,” he said.
Ellie
BY ELIZABETH BASSETT
February 23, 2009
While those who have joined the military may have typically been young men and women starting their careers, some Americans looking for job security may be seeking out the armed forces as a sure thing in a shaky economy.
The economy does not totally account for all the new recruits joining the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps or Navy, but it may have provided a bit of an incentive to some potential recruits to consider the military jobs. Locally, the Army, Air Force and Marines have met and exceeded their recruiting goals, and while the military’s standards stay the same regardless of outside influences, more Tarrant County residents are turning to recruiting stations to find out more about one of the oldest career choices.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Monty Morgan, station commander for the recruiting station on Westworth Boulevard in the Ridgmar area, said roughly half of the people who walk in to the recruiting station at any given time are qualified to join. Lately, though, he said he’s been seeing more people in their 30s — and even some in their 40s, since the Army’s age limit was raised to 42 in 2006 — come in looking for information.
“We’re talking about the people who actually had a career, had a job and a decent paycheck, who are coming in and talking to us,” Morgan said.
He said he has seen some who admit to being laid off, but he said none had yet joined. Many more people come in with questions about bonuses, health care, training and educational assistance than in the past, though.
“The war in Iraq — that’s just not even brought up any more,” he said. “They’re more worried about ‘What does the Army have to offer?’”
Recruiting numbers in Fort Worth have climbed steadily during the past several fiscal years, which run from October through September. In 2006, 260 from Fort Worth joined the Army; in 2007, 230 did. In 2008, 300 new local recruits joined, and in the first quarter of 2009 80 people joined, according to LaShonda Walker, in the public affairs office of U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion-Dallas.
The Air Force’s 344th Recruiting Squadron, based in Arlington, covers roughly 90,000 square miles, from San Angelo to the Oklahoma border to Shreveport, La., to Killeen. Lt. Col. Sean McKenna, commander of the squadron, said while his recruiting territory isn’t the best in the country, it’s always near the top, and it’s consistently met its recruiting goals for 99 straight months, well before the economy’s most recent downturn. The squadron brought in 1,393 people in 2008, nearly 200 over its goal, and 1,315 people in 2007 with a goal of 1,220.
“It’s an attractive option to young Americans regardless of the economy,” McKenna said.
The Air Force, much like the Army and the other military branches, sees many people who may want to join but cannot be accepted due to medical, educational or moral issues (such as a record of certain crimes).
Marine officer Capt. Beatriz Yarrish, public affairs officer for the 8th Marine Corps District, provided data showing that local Marine recruiters have met their recruiting goals dating back to at least 2006. While exceeding goals isn’t uncommon, military recruiters try not to bring in too many people over the prescribed goals due to managing available spaces in training.
“The choice to join any branch of service is very personal and unique for each individual,” Yarrish said, “. . . even though more people may be interested in what the Marine Corps has to offer, only few qualify.”
While more may be considering the military as a job option, it’s still not easy to join. But even when the economy is good, many people make the career choice to join the armed forces, and McKenna said he thinks it will continue to always be an enticing option for people.
“I would be willing to bet that even if our economy was rolling on fantastically, then it would still be pretty good business for the Air Force,” he said.
Ellie