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Nov. 29, 2004 Recently the Defense Department has started to release numbers showing that enlistment in the Armed Forces has dropped precipitously over the last year. Pundits on both sides of the aisle admit that the ongoing deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused a drastic decrease in volunteers willing to join. The National Guard organizations in several states have brought on more recruiters and begun to gear their pitch with a tone of patriotism instead of highlighting the educational benefits. Critics of the Bush administration go on to say that due to this steady decrease in volunteers, the military will be forced to institute a draft to meet long-term commitments around the world. Administration allies say that the military is doing just fine despite the lack of fresh recruits entering boot camp. Some others say that this drop in recruitment shows a lack character in the current generation of young adults that will adversely affect the country long into the future. So what does this drop in recruits truly mean for the country’s military? Is it fair to knock the youth of this country for not wanting to enter into the Armed Services in a time when overseas deployment is not only possible but also very likely? If a smaller part of the youth in this country chooses not to join, then so be it. The military, as it has always done, will adapt and carry on. That is what our Armed Services do. In the past they have fulfilled their obligations working with far less and facing much more, and they have done it well. The drop in new recruits only means the ones who do join are more dedicated to the job than others, and that is never a bad thing. It could actually be seen as a boon to the Armed Services: the weeding out of those who really do not want to be in the military before any time, effort, or money is wasted on them in boot camp. When I passed through Navy boot camp in San Diego, five men dropped out within the first week. Before our graduation, four more left. That was nine men who had to outfitted, fed, and trained for the time they were members that ended up being a waste. Boot camp is a rite of passage, more so for some branches of the military than others I will admit, and losses are to be expected. But if the possibility of seeing combat is scaring away those of less mettle, it will actually save time, material, and money. Being a veteran myself I understand the fear they must feel when faced with the prospect of entering a war zone, whether it be front line infantry or behind the line support personnel. Any person who has served will tell you they too had the same fear; in some cases, especially in the more elite combat units of the Army and Marines, they will even admit they did not have enough fear for what they would face. The military is not a video game that allows you to die and go back to the next level to try again. Today’s youth never fully grasped this concept until the images of the bloody fighting in the Middle East came to them night after night. It’s best if they truly understand what they will face. For those who still choose to join and serve their country, it makes that step into the uniform that much more significant. It means they are people who, despite what politicians say or the media shows, they are willing to do whatever it takes to make a difference. The state of our country’s Armed Services is a tough one. History has shown that the great countries of our world have revolved around the whims of their armies. Rome, England, and France all in their days had a military that not only waged war but also dictated the politics of the day. But in the United States, this is not the case. The Armed Services are a tool of the civilian government, a means to an end. They do not have the final say in policy, only in how it is enacted. They are not the ones who come up with the strategy; they are the ones who complete it with tactics. They are not the ones who have the luxury of determining if what they do is moral or not; they are the ones whose ethics and character led them to the ground upon which they stand and, too often, bleed. If there are fewer recruits joining the ranks of our military today, so be it. I have every faith in the ones who will and already do serve us. ------------ About the author: Michael Austin is a 33 year old student at NC State University whose interests go from researching and writing on foreign affairs and history to writing fiction and poetry. He also collects wine and books, and lives with his lovely wife and neurotic dog and cat. Email: MLAustin1@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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