More enlisted personnel leaving armed services

[mahatmakanejeeves]

More enlisted personnel leaving armed services

You're thinking, "that's news?" The first paragraph explains.

Posted 1/15/2006 12:31 PM Updated 1/15/2006 12:37 PM

More enlisted personnel leaving armed services
The Associated Press

Drug use, weight problems and parenthood have been taking their toll on the military in the past three years, since the war on terror began, according to newly released Pentagon data.

What a relief: "drug use, weight problems and parenthood" are to blame.

[Flying Dream Blues]

1. What a load of horses**t!

Blame the troops for it, that's the way to increase enlistment! (Not that I want anyone to enlist.)

[Miss Chybil]

7. When people want out of the Army they get pregnant, gay , or stoned.

It's a fact and it works.

[Flying Dream Blues]

9. aaah, okay, now I get it. I guess I was thinking you didn't

need a reason to "just say no" to reinlistment.

[saigon68]

14. They are voting with their FEET.

And getting the hell out

as we used to say

SHORT----- I AM SHORT.

[Voltaire99]

20. Anyone with sense will get the hell out.

It's not only in their self-interest, either.

The best thing for America--and the world--would be a much smaller military.

[tabasco]

30. You can call me short this week ...

and long distance next week.

Only brainwashed fools and idiots want to be part of Cheney's oil army.

[Miss Chybil]

22. You do when you're stop-lossed, or want out early. nt

[crikkett]

16. Army isn't discharging fat or gay soldiers stationed in Iraq.

Sorry,no links. I remember reading a couple of stories from last year... maybe in DU.

[Autumn Colors]

2. Ideas for those who want out???

So if someone is already in and decides they'd better get out, all they really need to do is get fat, discharged, and then go on a diet?

[cliss]

3. Oh, I think there are different reasons.

Think "top". I've read that the US military has become a bloated, ineffective system that sucks in taxpayer money, but delivers very little in terms of results.

My attention is focused on the CIVILIAN leader of the Pentagon, Rumsfailed himself. Over the past 5 years, he has done a lot of purging of generals, lieutenants, anyone who opposed his policies.

What you've got left is a gutted organization, filled with ass-kissers and ineffective people (or a few principled people who are quiet about it) that is imploding on itself.

Yeah, I'd get out too.

[rock]

4. And hangnails

There's been a lot of, er, hangnails lately. Yeah, that's it.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Don't forget

cowardice and mental illness, the never-fail swiftboat issues.

[Miss Chybil]

6. I bet a lot of people have gotten gay all of a sudden, too. nt

[peacebird]

8. the "One strike & you are Out" drug policy is a godsend to troops now!

[stillcool]

10. Are there other kinds of personnel...

...than enlisted?...

[Mithras61]

27. Yes...

In the US Army, you have Enlisted, which are generally classified as Private (E-1) through Master Sergeant of the Army (E-10, I think), and Commissioned, which are classified as 2nd Lieutenant (O-1) to General of the Army (O-12, I think).

I'm not sure where Warrant Officers fall in this, but I think they are also considered commissioned (W-1 through CW-4).

Man, I've slept once or twice since 1985 when I last had to know this stuff! :)

[Dan]

11. I also fault the Military Leaders...

when they allowed or were a party to political personnel questioning the validity of medals awarded by the military to military personnnel - they loss credibility. They have allowed the military to become a political tool.

So now, awards, medals, credible service is a factor of the political party in power.....rather than having faith and trust in the military establishment. The military allowed itself to become a whore of the GOP.

[Crazy Dave]

12. Court order: Go to jail or join the military.

This is from Nov. 2004

SALINAS, Calif. (AP) -- A Salinas man will have to choose between going to jail or joining the military as his punishment for possession of marijuana.

http://www.kron.com/Global/story.asp?S=2579902

Of course the court order can't actually make any branch of the services accept whoever they sentence as of yet but it may start looking like a good option if their enlistments dropping.

[saigon68]

13. Wait until these sweethearts start committing War Crimes

Like Lynndie the military is picking "low-hanging fruit" from the tree.

[sarcasmo]

18. Jail for me please.

[captain disgruntled]

19. Offering military service as an alternative to jail a new idea?

"it may start looking like a good option if their enlistments dropping."

Well, I have no idea how long they've been at it, but I went through boot camp in 1979 with at least one kid who was there to avoid jail.
I was also in the same company as a kid whose previous address had been a dumpster. :shrug:

The military has long had the ability to adjust their enlistment criteria in case of missed quotas--increasing the numbers of recruits they accept without a high school diploma, for example, or lowering the minimal score on the ASVAB (Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery).

[Crazy Dave]

21. New idea, old idea, or old rumor?

I had heard about it in the past and even before I enlisted in the Army during the early 80's. I never met or heard about any individuals in my units that were recruited or court ordered rather than serve a jail sentence and after a while I just assumed it was an old wife's tale or rumor. As far as high school drop-outs, non-reading or even english speaking recruits, I can honestly say I met about a dozen such individuals in my four years of service. Drugs, bought and sold them with no problem whatsoever. My company commander used to buy hash from me for his wife. I'm not bragging about it. That was in my past and I certainly don't want everyone at DU to think I still buy, sell or even use drugs although I do believe in them being legalized.

I don't even drink.

[SoCalDem]

24. Not an old wives' tale.. This used to happen in juvenile court a lot

The judge would tell a young guy who was a 'delinquent" that he could choose county jail or he could "join the army and get his life straightened out"..Most chose army, and most probably DID get their lives straightened out..

But that was when there was still a draft, so they probably figured that they would get drafted soon anyway, so why not just get Mom & dad to sign for them, and they would then drop out of school (lots were probably 17 or held-back 18 yr olds)..and join up early..

[shanti]

29. i knew a guy

that it happened to back in the 70's....jail or military. he chose the military, but it wasn't anything like it is now.

[boobooday]

15. Thank God it isn't death and stop loss

And lack of body armor, not to mention the cutting of veteran benefits!

Sheesh.

[Joey Liberal]

17. The Army may be out of shape

I read a story in the latest issues of the Army Times about a Soldier that had lost a lot of weight and runs the two miles on the PT test in 15 minutes and 30 seconds, making him (according to the Army Times)one of the most "physically fit" Soldiers in his unit. The Army must really be hurting, because a 15:30 time on the 2-mile run was no big deal while I was in. 15:30 was slow for me. My best time was something like 12:30, and that wasn't even near the best time in my unit.

[pokercat999]

31. I seem to remember the maximum allowable time was 16:00 min.

Of course "72" was a long time ago.....today 16 minutes would be flying....for me

[adolfo]

36. Halliburton meals

The $20 meals Halliburton serves are probably too fattening. You should see the menu! mmmmmmm

[AndyTiedye]

23. If Drug Use or Putting On Weight Prevent One From Getting Stop-Lossed

Then I'd expect second-helpings and a bit of the kind would become quite popular.

[Javaman]

25. I'm waiting on the pentagon family plan...

husband and wife in the military with military day care.

Child grows up with military training to be matriculated right into service.

repeat and rince.

wait for it...

[Solly Mack]

26. Yeah, that's it. Sure. lolololololol

"drug use, weight problems and parenthood" (to blame) <---- NOT!

[Rex]

28. Weight problems - poor military brass dummies.

When will they change this archaic way of measuring a soldiers health? The MIC sux ass and deserves to lose soldiers, it is a prejudiced organization that is stupid to boot.

[driver8]

32. When I was in the Navy, they "threatened" a couple of guys with

a discharge if they didn't lose weight. These guys didn't know whether to laugh or cry -- this was a dream come true for them. So, "the feast for freedom" began and these guys ate everything they could get their hands on. Of course, they got fatter and fatter and were discharged.

These guys were practically giddy on the day they checked out. I think that after a few incidents of guys "feasting for freedom", the Navy wised up and realized that they should change their policy. Otherwise, they would have no one manning their ships.

When I got out, guys "admitting to being gay" was one way to get out; smoking pot was another. I don't know how it works now.

[saigon68]

33. "feasting for freedom"

LOL

[DS1]

34. weight problems? is that what they're calling amputations now?

:eyes:

[rainbow4321]

35. Now they have chased down a deserter..from 36 YEARS ago.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/13637351.htm


In November 1969, McQueen left Camp Lejeune, N.C. He never went back. "I just decided I didn't want to be a part of killing anybody," McQueen said. "That's about as plain as I can say it."

But now, after more than 36 years on the lam, McQueen is behind bars on a federal warrant for military desertion. On Thursday, Fort Worth fugitive officers arrested McQueen after receiving information from the Marines that he was living, with his girlfriend, in southwest Fort Worth. Military officials say McQueen's true name is Ernest Johnson Jr.

"When someone first joins the Marine Corps, they are taught that they must take responsibility for their decisions," said Capt. Jay Delarosa, a Marine Corps spokesman at the Pentagon. "The purpose in apprehending such individuals is not to make an example of this particular deserter to the Marines now serving throughout the world; it is simply an end result of a decision he made long ago."

Tod Ensign, legal director of Citizen Soldier, a nonprofit veterans advocacy organization, believes that McQueen deserves support. Ensign said that in a time when U.S. soldiers in Iraq do not have sufficient body armor, he is amazed that the military is spending the money and time to track down people like McQueen.