Armed forces recruiting strains ease

A trend line of recruitment from 2001 until now would look like a rollercoaster line, a few peaks followed by steep declines. This professor says the Marines have been the exception because they don’t need as many people. The Marines still face an image problem though, partly because of movies like �Jarhead.� This Staff Sergeant is plenty tough, but he’s also a nice guy and a recruiter who works in New York City. He says recruiting is hard work and he often works 16 hour days. He says NYC used to be a good place for recruiting. The law requires schools to open their doors to recruiters and provide school records, and other info. But not all schools comply with the law, says the recruiter. The recruiter says he’s received added pressure to expand the size of the Corps by 27,000 by the end of 2010. in fact, the Marines are head of the timeline for this expansion. This analyst says that’s extraordinary because of the negative effect the War in Iraq has had on the military’s perception. The analyst says it’s not just quantity but also the quality of the recruits that’s been impressive. Another analyst says all branches of the military have been more active in recruitment since the start of the war, sometimes leading to illegal activities in recruitment. The Staff Sergeant says that’s not his style. The Staff Sergeant says his three year assignment as a recruiter has been among his toughest during his eight years as a Marine.