I’m thinking about all the men and women who join the military because they love their country and because they need money.
We don’t talk about the relationship between the recession and military recruiting.
Why?
The Military & Recession
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Entry level money was insignificant when I enlisted thirty years ago. In fact, wow, 30 years and four days ago, I started basic training.
I joined for the training and career opportunities. To this day, I remember the ad for the career I wanted. The requirements that I didn’t meet was two-year technical college degree OR three years military experience. Four years later, I had both and stayed in for seventeen more years.
I do know of some, even back then and we see this yet today, that joined for dependent health care.
One of the populist response to job loss is retraining. When you lean back far enough, there is not much difference between civilian job retraining efforts and military training opportunities.
Entry level enlisted pay is $1399.50. See http://www.militaryfactory.com/military_pay_scale.asp
For a standard 40 hour week, that becomes $8.07/hour. Beyond this are the standard federal paid holidays, thirty days of leave
, and sound medical, dental & vision care.
I left my civilian career behind. At that time, I was an apprentice shoe cutter. The shoe factory where I once worked was torn down to become a parking lot & subsequently a parking garage for a weLL known retailier in my hometown. Those jobs were among the first to exit for overseas.
The military has and will continue to offer career and job opportunities. With less baby boomers retiring on time as once predicted, the military provides entry level opportunities, career training, a steady advancement path, and unparalleled leadership development opportunities.
I’m sure we don’t talk about the money because we’d hate to realize that we’re asking folks to risk their lives for $25,000/year.
I do think that economics have a huge impact on recruiting. People with (or from families with) money don’t tend to join the military, or at least they don’t do so as enlisted folks. The military gives a basic level of economic security to enlisted people, they get health insurance and housing. They also get access to the GI bill and other sources of funding an education. This is pretty tempting to folks who otherwise might have been working several insecure part-time jobs to pay the rent.
Laurie – this is slightly off topic but I hope you don’t mind me posting this here. I was just forwarded this link for a program (run by Xerox) where people can send greetings (and a big THANK YOU) to troops serving overseas.
http://www.letssaythanks.com
It’s not a surprise that recruiting levels are up. The military is one government organization that is still hiring when many state and local government agencies are laying people off or mandating furlough days.
Re: RMSmithJr’s post – If someone has a high school diploma, limited or no work experience….$8.07 PLUS those other benefits sounds like a pretty good deal to me. They’re going to get minimum wage ($7.25) and NO benefits in a civilian entry-level job. I think the GI bill makes it very attractive to people who want to pursue a college degree.
I can see all the pluses. There’s just, you know, the whole getting killed thing. I suppose my job isn’t risk free – I work a few blocks away from one of the biggest gang centers in the country and could have a cap popped in my @ss walking to work. But it’s a lot of risk to reconcile with the benefits, isn’t it?
Despite the fact that I had a full ride scholarship available through my parents and sports I committed to joining the service at 17 years old. I can’t really put words to why I had such a strong drive to join the service. I had a strong desire to make something out of myself, to accomplish something that not everyone else can or will do I guess. Looking back it was the right choice for me.
People should understand what they are getting into when they sign that piece of paper. The Armed forces exist to protect this country and that occasionally means going awesome places like Pakistan. Afghanistan, and Iraq and fighting. Hollywood can not portray the hell war really is. Most people in the service do not actually fight, but those that do experience hell on earth. Choose your MOS carefully, do not trust the recruiters, and ask people who have or are serving lots of questions.
If you want to go to school borrow money or deliver pizzas there are easier ways than joining the service. If you want an experience, adventure, or are just driven join the military.
@RMS Whoa, thanks for your service! The military has and will continue to offer career and job opportunities. With less baby boomers retiring on time as once predicted, the military provides entry level opportunities, career training, a steady advancement path, and unparalleled leadership development opportunities. You know, I totally understand this and agree. I just wish we could offer this kind of training and opportunity in the private sector. I guess it’s a good example of what government can do. Yes, you have a liberal elitist applauding military training and leadership development. I understand the irony of my support. I regret talking my sister out of joining the military after 9/11 because I think she’d be further ahead in life if she had joined. I just didn’t support the war in Iraq — and I saw it coming, like most Americans.
@PhilosopherP This is pretty tempting to folks who otherwise might have been working several insecure part-time jobs to pay the rent. Exactly. I know people who are taking risky contractor jobs, too, because the money is so good. Kind of sad.
@Patrick Great link and OMG, you may be the first person to say ‘pop a cap in my ass’ on my blog. For the record, @kenruet threatens to pop a cap in my ass on a regular basis. He’s been saying this for years when he is annoyed with me and wants me to be quiet. It’s a favorite 90s-ghetto-turned-white-boy phrase of his. He also tells me he’s gonna bust out his nine. I just roll.
@JohnC Thank you for your service, too. I wish we would be more honest and declare WAR on places like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. I think we have a more honest discussion with our recruits for the armed services when we call our military actions by their rightful names.
I work with emotionally disturbed youth. There used to be programs that helped these youth transition into adulthood and supportive employment. With the state of the economy and the conservative rants against social program funding, many of these programs have vanished. As a result, many of these youth are joining the military to find something to do with themselves.
I am all about supporting and providing opportunity to people with mental and emotional challenges. I do, however, have concerns about putting guns in their hands in an environment where they receive no support and are certain to be further traumatized.
Is it any wonder that the rates of suicide and domestic violence in the military have gone through the roof?
@BZTAt Word.
Because stories like that don’t sell newspapers. Why? Probably because people feel helpless about it. What can an individual do to address something like that? I know of no way other than to stimulate the economy, which obviously the gov’t is trying very hard to do right now.
I think people do talk about it but it seems linked mostly to the education benefit.
I was an accident, because of that my dad joined the service. He got a job and I grew up an Army brat.
Military life is hard and the pay is very low. My dad served 13 years of hard assignments with extreme discipline and loyalty, I went to 3 different high schools and by graduation lived in 32 different homes.
During Desert Storm he suffered a severe back injury and was honorably discharged. The government has been pretty decent to him since then. On their tab he’s acquired 2 Masters and is still continuing his education.
He hasn’t had a promotion in over 10 years. It frustrates him so much that he keeps chasing credentials hoping it’ll change. It saddens me because I know it won’t matter. He’s never been the same psychologically since the war and it’s dramatically affected some of the common EI and SI skills he needs to advance in “real life”.
I know that his sacrifice developed my ability to adapt to and lead change which has by far been my greatest career asset. I am grateful for that sometimes I feel bad about that. BUT it’s not been without cost I’m messed up emotionally, I’ll never be grounded, good at commitment or intimate relationships.
People seldom talk about these kind of things and I think they need to. I know it’s a bit off topic but I just felt inspired to share. Thank you for giving me a forum where I feel comfortable doing that. Now I’m going stop before my 1 feeling gets any more emotional…
@Amanda–Thx for the heartfelt sharing. I am moved.
Don’t mean to be all Pollyanna-ish, but we can be change agents for ourselves as well as for things and people around us.
I’m not sure too many people are going into the military for the money. You can be a civilian, have no one shoot at you, and be on food stamps just as easily as an E-1 in the service.
I’ll say this for my self, I didn’t have a lot when I enlisted, but because I enlisted, I learned the lessons that got me where I am today.
Please don’t thank me for my service, I spent a lot of time doing push ups (my apologies to Drill Sergeants Anderson and Lomio), painting rocks, and blowing holes in plywood cut outs of t-72 tanks. But please do thank those that serve in harms way everyday, they are true hero’s.
One weird thing about living in Canada is that, for one thing, entry-level pay for our recruits is $35k a year during Basic/OTP, going to $52k a year as soon as they are posted. Yet only sometimes is going into the Forces something that people up here do because they’re broke and desperate – despite the great pay and benefits.
It’s more of a vocation, or a “I don’t know what the hell else to do with my life and can’t afford four years at Uni to figure it out” kind of a thing. On the other hand, our recruiters are much more selective because – although we’re in Afghanistan and many other conflicts – we don’t need hundreds of thousands of troops in the field. Though we still are under-compliment and are actively recruiting.
Anyway, I’m not sure how the recession is effecting recruiting efforts up here, but from what I hear, not nearly as much. Weird.
(Ok, that was slightly wrong, privates get $31k a year too – Corporals are $52k. Nevertheless.)
@bztat I hear that domestic violence and suicide is exploding among the ranks — how does it compare to the general population? I need to google this. I heard some horrible domestic violence/murder stories in Tennessee and N. Carolina, but I want to make sure I understand how it compares to the normal levels of violence in the local population. But your point is totally well taken. No one in my life who thinks about joining the military is doing it out of a position of emotional or financial strength.
@peopleshark word to your @bztat word.
@econopete I know. Maybe Tiger Woods and the Army need to strike a deal.
@Karla Yes and also the enlistment and re-up (?) bonuses. I hear that, too.
@Amanda Thanks for sharing your story.
@Puf I don’t know — I hear kids in my family talking about enlistment bonuses and the GI bill. Also health benefits. That’s another thing. What good does the VA do for you if you’re disabled in Afghanistan? I dunno.
@Renee Thanks for the insight from Canada. That’s great!
@Laurie–I am not a good one for stats, but I have been reading a lot about a rise in suicides and domestic violence in the military. Not sure how it compares with the general population.
I don’t want to imply that the increases are solely due to folks with pre-existing emotional problems enlisting. Many very stable and noble individuals become traumatized by combat and come out with a multitude of hidden emotional issues. Short fused anger and suicidal tendencies often are the result of unresolved trauma.
Military has always been a place for young people with no job skills and usually very little money. Then you also get those that have a tradition to uphold and those that feel they can make a difference in either their lives or the ones they come into contact with. But those young people come out with a maturity well beyond their years compared to those that did not serve.
Several here have commented on the mental instabilities and acts of violence in the military as compared to the general population. While not excusing it in any way, one must understand that first we are talking of a very small subset of the population (military) and the stats are going to be skewed. You also have a very large majority of young people who are just coming into their emotional maturity, since many of them do not mature in the coddled lives outside of the military. For many, not having mommy or daddy there to fix all of life’s problems every waking moment, does lead to emotional immaturity events. It is also the culture of the military that many don’t understand. That culture is like the winning football (any sport) team on steroids. This is what we have to do to win and winning at all costs is how we stay alive, that man (woman) is going to watch your back as you are going to watch theirs so that we may all go home upright.
One of the problems(?) with the Internet is that news comes to us instantly. One has to always remember that what sells news is all the gory, violence related, tragic stories that always happens far away outside of your little world. All the “feel good” and like news are always regulated to the back pages or buried in among the ads. But, how many of you have been subjected to domestic violence or known someone who was and just what were your reactions to it? Did you ostracize one or both parties? Did you try to intervene in any way, either before, during or after?
The military is a fine place in a recession for those young people to learn new skills. I joined almost 35 years ago because at the time all the big manufacturing plants were leaving the Rust Belt city where I grew up. Those places where mom or dad or a friend could get you on at a decent wage and the company would train you for many different positions. Those days are long gone, now you have to have the skills and knowledge before you even apply to a company and that company will not train you for anything other.
@Brix Thank you for your service and your thoughtful comment. I really appreciate it!
Armies have always been a place to turn for people in economic distress.
My father grew up in blue collar that was economic issues during the Vietnam war era. His local draft board never sent out a single draft notice. They had a waiting list for people wanting to get in. They filled all of their quotas by pulling names off the list.
Laurie – so glad I could bring a little “flava” to your blog. As much flava as a balding, pasty Irish boy can possibly add.
And as for Ken – just tell him: All glocks down!
*eyeroll*
I joined the Army primarily to get out of my dad’s house and the GI Bill– because my mother or father couldn’t afford college for my brother or I, and we were pot-smoking, bohemian lunatics. My brother went into the navy– top of his class– but was put into the brig after hitting an officer. I got one of the highest scores on the entrance test and studied to be a Pershing missle crewmember.
Got into the Army and was quickly trained how to kill people. Fascinating to say the least. And you develope a strong bond with your team to where you’ll take a bullet for any of them. The mental issues I can attest to is seeing one of those people get hurt or die– especially if there’s a grey area as to the “reason” for thier death. A serious “War on Terror” or are we there for oil?? Are we liberators or occupiers?? And then there’s the multiple tours these soldiers have to deal with– not knowing if this is the one or not.