TROOP SHORTAGES WORSE THAN REPORTED

[whitebeard21]

The Christian Science Monitor has logged news reports from around the country, showing a much worse personnel problem than depicted. Total recruitment shortfall nationally 7%. Retention rate falls far below recommended 85% in some states to 71% in Colorado. Most soldiers polled cool to $10,000 reenlistment bonus. Reservists will double percentage in Iraq. Retired reservists may be called up as well. Pentagon is worried that too many pilots are likely to quit, especially helicopter pilots after all the shootdowns. Result: 40,000 troops whose departure is blocked not 7000. Real test will be in February and March when troops from Iraq and Afghanistan return home . Will they reenlist? Or vote with their feet to go home?

[John Prophet]

oh kool, I think we just figured out some gainful employment for our 10 million , uhh, "guest workers" and all the others who jump the fence everyday. Maybe they should let em enlist for 2 years as a way to cut thru the red tape of immigration.

(I know it would never fly...just musing out loud)

[tony_j15]

The Romans did that. Be in the army for somehting like 7 years and you became a citizen. I like the idea.

[Bob The Great]

Dude if you wanna join now is the time. I was just talking to some army guys and with my high asphat score and other qualifications they want me to go Special Forces right out of the get go! Its well worth looking into!

[Theophylact]

As a matter of fact, service in the US Armed Forces is a shortcut to citizenship. (In this most recent example, posthumously.)

[John Prophet]

well, service at walmart will get you almost the same thing, lol

[jokostel]

ill tell ya why retention of military personel is extremely low these days is we get poor enlistment bonuses, poor reenlistment bonuses, poor pay in general... contracted civilian employees of the government make 100,000 dollars a year for the same job i do.... for probably 25k a year....
flak from the world, being away from home, not to mention not being able to hold a lifestyle that we chose(yes we are ALL human in the military)

[Mike]

Originally posted by tony_j15
The Romans did that. Be in the army for somehting like 7 years and you became a citizen. I like the idea.

Easy for a U.S. citizen to say.

[RADAR1797]

We pushed through several Citizenships, usually taking about a year. It is a good program and quite nice to see people who want to be Americans enough to serve the US even though they are not citizens yet. It is a good reward for their service.

-RADAR

[no1_vern]

Originally posted by tony_j15
The Romans did that. Be in the army for somehting like 7 years and you became a citizen. I like the idea.

No, you had be in the Roman army for 30 years, before becoming a citizen.

Quote: Soldiers who had served their full enlistment(30 years) in auxiliary regiments became citizens upon retirement from the army.

From : http://www.getty.edu/artsednet/resou...DF/lesson4.pdf