[Marxism] Hard times for US Army recruiters

[Andy <esquincle@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"But Sergeant Hayes said he started rethinking his assignment as the
war went on.  Mothers required months, not weeks, of persuasion. And
stories he heard from some of his recruits who had gone to Iraq and
Afghanistan made him reluctant to pursue prospects by emphasizing the
Army's benefits. When his cousin, whom he had recruited, returned from
Iraq with psychological trauma, he filed for conscientious objector
status in June, to get a new assignment."


New York Times
March 27, 2005
For Recruiters, a Hard Toll From a Hard Sell
By DAMIEN CAVE

The Army's recruiters are being challenged with one of the hardest
selling jobs the military has asked of them in American history, and
many say the demands are taking a toll.

A recruiter in New York said pressure from the Army to meet his
recruiting goals during a time of war has given him stomach problems
and searing back pain. Suffering from bouts of depression, he said he
has considered suicide. Another, in Texas, said he had volunteered many
times to go to Iraq rather than face ridicule, rejection and the Army's
wrath.

An Army chaplain said he had counseled nearly a dozen recruiters in the
past 18 months to help them cope with marital troubles and job-related
stress.

"There were a couple of recruiters that felt they were having nervous
breakdowns, literally," said Maj. Stephen Nagler, a chaplain who
retired in March after serving at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, where the
New York City recruiting battalion is based.

Two dozen recruiters nationwide were interviewed about their
experiences over four months. Ten spoke with The New York Times even
after an Army official sent an e-mail message advising all recruiters
not to speak to a reporter, who was named. Most asked for anonymity to
avoid being disciplined.

A handful who spoke said they were satisfied with their jobs. They said
they took pride in seeing awkward, unfocused teenagers transform into
confident soldiers and relished an opportunity to contribute to the
Army effort.

full:  http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/27/nyregion/27recruit.html


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