Enlist to Survive

Suicide bombers, improvised explosive devices, an enemy without uniforms – it’s not just the experts who consider military duty in Iraq and Afghanistan to be highly dangerous. Young Americans are also aware of the risks; the number of new recruits sank drastically last year. Military life was unpopular and the only recruits the Army could get were unqualified, overweight and, increasingly, those with criminal records.

But those days seem to be history. In recent months, the Army has had to deal with an above average number of volunteers willing to serve. To be exact, it’s the largest number of volunteers since 1973, when the United States did away with the military draft during the Vietnam War. Bill Carr, Deputy Under Secretary for Military Personnel Policy in the Defense Department, is ecstatic that the numbers exceed all expectations. For the first time in 35 years, the Army, Air Force and Marines have all met their recruiting goals. But Carr also knows the reason for the rush isn’t the much-vaunted American patriotism; it’s due far more to the continuing economic crisis, even despite the recent recovery claims.

In September alone, 263,000 jobs were lost in the USA, an increase of 62,000 over the previous month. In the absence of an economic crisis, said one 25-year-old recent Navy enlistee, he would never have considered serving his country in the military. He had been doing well financially before the crisis hit; now his future consists of four years in a Navy uniform.

The economy may be improving, but in the meantime the number of unemployed continues to grow, from 9.7 percent in August to 9.8 percent in September and with no signs of a turnaround. It’s the largest number of unemployed since 1983, when the unemployment rate stood at 10.1 percent. Making things more difficult for many out of work, unemployment benefits in the United States are available for only a relatively short period, often no more than six months, during which time bills and mortgages still have to be paid. There are very few options. The unemployed either have to rely on all too brief and scanty support from the state or muddle through working at several low-paying jobs because the wages paid from just one of them isn’t enough to support a family.

In the quest for financial security, more and more people are choosing to enlist in the military. The military takes good care of its people: career soldiers get not only food, clothing and shelter, but they also get a regular paycheck. After they leave the military, they also have a number of programs available to them, such as cheaper credit and enhanced career opportunities. The new G.I. Bill helps reintegrate soldiers into civilian jobs and gives them financial assistance for continuing education.

More volunteers during times of financial difficulty is nothing new, but the large numbers come as a surprise, even to the military. Just a few years ago, prospective soldiers fled across the border to Canada, preferring to be considered deserters rather than serving. Then the bloody battles being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan with over 5,000 killed in action were enough to frighten many off. Qualified recruits were so difficult to find that recruiters began threatening and lying to teenagers who wanted out of their commitments just so they wouldn’t lose soldiers. But the current dismal employment picture is heralding rosier times for the military.

The quality of the recruits has also begun to slowly improve. Highly qualified people who suffered layoffs or college graduates with no job prospects and $30,000 education loans now due are attracted by the career possibilities offered by the military. This also helps the military to realize another of its self-imposed goals, namely a force where at least 90 percent of the personnel have at least a high school diploma. In 2008, only 83 percent of volunteers met that criterion. This year the figure will rise to 95 percent. One company commander puts it in a nutshell: the Army keeps on hiring and there are no layoffs.

Obama can only be pleased with this development. Many who enlist hope to avoid deployment to a combat zone before the announced troop withdrawal in 2010, but the resumption of terror attacks in Iraq may make it necessary for Obama to postpone any troop reductions to ensure security and stability in the region. And the demands for a troop surge in Afghanistan are becoming louder. Fresh troops for the front may be a welcome sight, but most of them only wanted to survive during a time of financial insecurity.