thedrifter
01-06-09, 06:33 AM
People turning to recession-proof career: The U.S. Military
Posted By: Mike Aquilia Date last updated: 1/6/2009 6:32:46 AM
A steady paycheck is something a lot of people want these days, and more people are getting one through the military.
Southwest Florida - A steady paycheck is something a lot of people want these days, and more people are getting one through the military.
Five Fort Myers men stayed in Tampa hotel Monday night, waiting to be sworn in to the Marine Corps first thing in the morning. It goes to show that in these doom-and-gloom times, someone's hiring: military recruiters.
They are the faces of the next generation of Marines.
"I swore in and now I'm waiting to go to boot camp," Maria Schaffer says.
In December, 73 soon-to-be Marines went off to boot camp. Recruiters say it says a lot about the U.S. Military's smallest unit.
"There's a lot of patriotism here in the Fort Myers area, so a lot of men and women are stepping up to take that challenge," Gunnery Sgt. Charles Peterson, Fort Myers area recruiter, says.
Schaffer is taking the challenge to secure her future.
"I work at CVS as a shift supervisor, but I feel like I'm meant for more," she says.
She wants a challenge and more stability.
"The military is a recession-proof career," Gunnery Sgt. Peterson says.
According to the Department of Defense, every military branch is meeting, if not exceeding, its recruiting goals. In November, the military as a whole recruited more than 13,000 people. Some argue it's easier to do in a bad economy.
"It does make me feel secure, but I've thought about going into the military since high school," Schaffer says.
New recruits reap the benefits of a steady paycheck, good benefits and opportunity.
"I'm ready to go, start a new life, an adventure, and that's what this is going to give me," Schaffer says.
It's something many companies these days can't promise.
In addition to the economic downturn, recruiters say they're benefiting from better news out of Iraq, where U.S. casualties are down, and from the election of Barack Obama, who has pledged to withdraw troops from Iraq.
WINK News
Ellie
Posted By: Mike Aquilia Date last updated: 1/6/2009 6:32:46 AM
A steady paycheck is something a lot of people want these days, and more people are getting one through the military.
Southwest Florida - A steady paycheck is something a lot of people want these days, and more people are getting one through the military.
Five Fort Myers men stayed in Tampa hotel Monday night, waiting to be sworn in to the Marine Corps first thing in the morning. It goes to show that in these doom-and-gloom times, someone's hiring: military recruiters.
They are the faces of the next generation of Marines.
"I swore in and now I'm waiting to go to boot camp," Maria Schaffer says.
In December, 73 soon-to-be Marines went off to boot camp. Recruiters say it says a lot about the U.S. Military's smallest unit.
"There's a lot of patriotism here in the Fort Myers area, so a lot of men and women are stepping up to take that challenge," Gunnery Sgt. Charles Peterson, Fort Myers area recruiter, says.
Schaffer is taking the challenge to secure her future.
"I work at CVS as a shift supervisor, but I feel like I'm meant for more," she says.
She wants a challenge and more stability.
"The military is a recession-proof career," Gunnery Sgt. Peterson says.
According to the Department of Defense, every military branch is meeting, if not exceeding, its recruiting goals. In November, the military as a whole recruited more than 13,000 people. Some argue it's easier to do in a bad economy.
"It does make me feel secure, but I've thought about going into the military since high school," Schaffer says.
New recruits reap the benefits of a steady paycheck, good benefits and opportunity.
"I'm ready to go, start a new life, an adventure, and that's what this is going to give me," Schaffer says.
It's something many companies these days can't promise.
In addition to the economic downturn, recruiters say they're benefiting from better news out of Iraq, where U.S. casualties are down, and from the election of Barack Obama, who has pledged to withdraw troops from Iraq.
WINK News
Ellie