- Title: USA: U.S ARMY IS FACING RECRUITMENT PROBLEMS AS A RESULT OF THE IRAQ WAR
- Date: 25th August 2005
- Summary: (AM) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) 1. PULLOUT FROM POSTER IN ARMY RECRUITING OFFICE TO MILITARY PERSONNEL TALKING TO NEW RECRUIT 0.05 2. VARIOUS OF CHRISTIAN COSTALES SIGNING ENLISTING PAPERS 0.15 3. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTIAN COSTALES OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA SAYING: "For me it was a choice to join. It's not really about the pay for me, it's just for me to get my commission and serve my country to me is more of a reward than a paycheque or a double cheque that people get here." 0.29 (AM) FALLUJAH, IRAQ (FILE) (REUTERS) 4. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS IN GUN FIGHT/ SHELTERING BY WALL 0.42 (AM) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) 5. PAN TO RECRUITING BOOTH ON STREET 0.47 6. SLV RECRUITERS TALKING TO POSSIBLE ENLISTEES 0.51 7. PAN FROM PROMOTIONAL STICKERS TO RECRUITER 0.55 8. SLV RECRUITERS TALKING 1.01 9. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) STAFF SGT. FREDERICK LARON MARION JR. US ARMY RECRUITER, SAYING: "With what's going on in the world today, people are more apprehensive about joining. You know, they kind of see all the stuff on TV, there are a little bit more questions about do I have to go over there? I don't know if I want to join right now, trying to wait it out, I wouldn't say it went down or got harder, it's just taking more time." 1.18 (AM) VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS (FILE) (VNR) 10. VARIOUS OF U.S. ARMY RECRUITING TELEVISION AD 1.48 (AM) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) 11. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMOS LEWIS 18, THINKING OF ENLISTING, SAYING: "There's always the possible fear of death. Sometimes it depends on the job you're doing, like the job I want to do is infantry. So I always know there's, like, that thing there where you could die, or something could happen. Maybe not on purpose but by accident. I don't know, that's the only bad thing about it. I'll try not to think about it though." 2.10 (AM) CRAWFORD, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) 12. SLV US PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH AND VARIOUS CABINET LEVEL OFFICIALS 2.18 13. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) US PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH SAYING: "The navy, air force and marines are on track to meet or exceed their active duty recruitment goals for 2005." 2.28 (AM) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 25, 2005) (REUTERS) 14. SLV UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PROFESSOR MICHAEL KEANE 2.34 15. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHAEL KEANE ON HOW ARMY IS BEING STRETCHED, SAYING: "Wars ruin armies and people and people sometimes don't appreciate that. So, it takes a huge toll on the military when you're at war for a long continuous period of time and that's what we're really facing, especially in a guerilla conflict like Iraq and you saw the same thing happen in Vietnam. Overtime the significant attrition in terms of the ability to attract and sustain troops and the ability to sustain moral in a long conflict, that's going to be a significant problem for the army." 3.02 (AM) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE) (REUTERS) 16. VARIOUS OF SWEARING-IN OF NEW RECRUITS 3.14 (AM) FALLUJAH, IRAQ (FILE) (REUTERS) 17. VARIOUS OF U.S. SOLDIERS FIGHTING IN STREETS/ FIRING FROM ROOFTOPS 3.33 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th September 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND FALLUJAH, IRAQ AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA3NT3UDNX2FACAFDVHQKDO88ZH
- Story Text: The U.S. Army faces recruiting challenges as a result of fallout over
Iraq war.
Despite the ongoing insurgency and rising causalities in Iraq, it
didn't take Christian Costales long to sign away the next 6 years of his life
away to the U.S. Army. The 24-year old Los Angeles native said serving his
country is something he's always wanted to do.
"It's not really about the pay for me," explained Costales,
"It's just for me to get my commission and serve my country is more of a
reward than a paycheque or a double cheque that people get here."
Overall, although the U.S. Army has been hard pressed to attract new
soldiers amid the Iraq war, it exceeded its July recruiting goal but appears
to be doomed to miss its yearly target of 80,000 new recruits. The problem is
only worsened by the fact that the recruitment numbers are also down for the
part-time National Guard and Army Reserve, units that have been heavily relied
on as the Pentagon looks to maintain troop levels. Army Staff Sgt. Frederick
Laron Marion Jr., said the protracted war has made his job more difficult.
"With what's going on in the world today, people are more
apprehensive about joining. You know, they kind of see all the stuff on TV,
there are a little bit more questions about do I have to go over there? I
don't know if I want to join right now, trying to wait it out, I wouldn't say
it went down or got harder, it's just taking more time," said Marion.
In a move aimed at closing the gap, the Army has aggressively raised
incentives and signing bonuses, while adding to its list of recruiters. The
Pentagon also plans to spend next year a reported $320 million on a marketing
campaign that includes new print and television ads. Still, potential recruits
are unsure.
"There's always the possible fear of death. Sometimes
it depends on the job you're doing, like the job I want to do is infantry. So
I always know there's, like, that thing there where you could die, or
something could happen," said 18-year-old Amos Lewis, who's unsure on
whether he'll enlist.
Despite growing opposition to the war, President Bush recently
addressed the recruitment shortfall, adding that he has full confidence in an
all-volunteer army. The talk did little though to quell the buzz over the
challenges facing the army, including the possibility of resurrecting the
draft. That's something University of Southern California Professor Michael
Keane called unlikely, but added that recruiters will face an uphill
climb.
"Wars ruin armies and people and people sometimes don't appreciate
that. So, it takes a huge toll on the military when you're at war for a long
continuous period of time and that's what we're really facing, especially in a
guerilla conflict like Iraq and you saw the same thing happen in
Vietnam," he said.
While the Army has struggled, the Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy all
remain on track or slightly ahead of their year-to-date quota. The issue
though of filling the rank and file of the military's first line of defence in
Iraq will only increase if the situation remains a life and death battle.
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