Weeeel, I guess it beats unemployment. But by how much, I'm just not sure. Seems that the Army is looking for about 78,000 "Armies of One", including officers.
The Army this month began contacting 78,000 people who previously served in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps to pitch them on the idea of leaving behind their civilian lives and returning for another stint in uniform, said Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon.
...
Unlike in the past, they now can return to the Army without giving up their previous rank or undergo the rigors of basic training, said Hilferty, who described it as the first program of its kind for the Army.
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Hilferty said the new program, which targets people who left the military within the past five years and particularly those who were in branches other than the Army, is not a sign of recruiting desperation.
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About 7,000 former officers were among the 78,000 receiving recruiting letters that stated, "There is no higher calling than service in our armed forces, and this is your opportunity to answer the call to duty again."
Let's see...been way more than five years, don't have a clue about how the Army works (yes, it's all the military, but it ain't the Navy), but as far as I know the only thing that's not changed is how aircraft fly...just the rules for flying them.
I love this part of the letter:
"You've served our country before, and maybe you miss the adventure, camaraderie, teamwork and leadership opportunities that the military offers. If so, you can put your previous military experience and skills to work again as a soldier in the active Army," the letter adds.
All valid things to talk about...but they leave out the family separation (a big reason guys/gals voted with their feet in the first place), the family dissolutions (yes, divorces are pretty common), paperwork, having to deal with the newly-discovered and accessed CAT-V recruits who are walking Article 15 machines (that must be the "leadership opportunity" part), working with contractors who make 6 times your salary and have no rules for them everything's just "alright". Yeah, sounds like another DoD good deal, what do you all think?
Wouldja? If they sent you a letter? Serving my country again would be the biggest draw for me (that and flying a slick doing dust-off), serving this incompetant, dickheaded adminstrations foreign policy aims would be the biggest drawback.
posted by Jo Fish on 11.30.05 at 11:51 AM
Comments:
Jo:
What makes you think The Green Machine would let you fly? They're going to be putting people where they need them and what the person's prior MOS was may or may not matter at all.
Looks like their primary need is ground pounders. How are your arches?
posted by: fbg46 on 11.30.05 at 12:45 PM [permalink]
but they leave out the family separation (a big reason guys/gals voted with their feet in the first place), the family dissolutions (yes, divorces are pretty common), paperwork ...
... someone making sure you folded your underwear correctly, etc.
posted by: bean on 11.30.05 at 01:53 PM [permalink]
Any sub huntin' to do in the Tigris River?
If so...sign me up.
posted by: rightfielder on 11.30.05 at 02:41 PM [permalink]
I pulled the ejection handle over a year ago, and I'll be laughing my ass off if I get a letter. I was in the Air Force in an Army support job. Got to know the Army up close and personal, without having to be green through and through. From that perspective, I know I won't take 'em up on the offer - ever.
posted by: Marcus on 11.30.05 at 02:47 PM [permalink]
I bet they'd let me fly, right? I mean, if the enlisted ranks are deemed fertile ground for Cat V recruiting and retention, they'd let this nearly blind former enlisted Marine fly, right? It's all prescription goggles these days I bet. Just tell me where to point the Blackhawk, Gunner...
I bet the Army has a lot less bullshit than the Marine Corps did, too, because they're so big that the really, REALLY talented people can hide in backwater posts and get down to the business of making the Army run like a well-oiled machine. Sign this Devil Dog up.
posted by: Echo4Mike on 11.30.05 at 02:56 PM [permalink]
I'd rather burn my ball hair off with a torch, than serve these ignorant asswipes.
bean, you're still an ignorant fuck, anyone told you that recently?
Semper Fidelis
posted by: Barndog on 11.30.05 at 03:06 PM [permalink]
Not only NO, but FUCK NO!!!!
And, this is an old Chief saying this, not a seaman or seaman deuce.
Cool! I got 40 years in grade (Corporal E-4) and my MOS was Radio Repairman when some of 'em still had tubes. If they call, I'll eat their food and take their pay. They'll fire the guy that came up with that idea!
posted by: bob s on 11.30.05 at 03:50 PM [permalink]
...walking Article 15 machines.
That part killed me! I had a few of those under my tutelage while I was in. To be quite honest I thought very hard about it to the point of contacting the prior service recruiter in 2003 and going to the closest Marine Reserve unit to interview with the CO. Fortunately, or unfortunately; depends on how you view it, the unit got activated on that Saturday and I interview with the CO that Monday. After further talks with my wife, we both concluded that I had already done my time and served my country while I was active. Considering what has happened since then, they couldn't pay me enough to go active again, let alone Reserves.posted by: Bulldog on 11.30.05 at 05:41 PM [permalink]
I haven't heard too much about the Army's submarines. They must really be the "silent service"
Answer to the question: No Fucking Way!!! Of course, I too am way passed 5 years but even if I wasn't I would not serve this administration.
posted by: Redcane on 11.30.05 at 05:41 PM [permalink]
Dammit, Gordo - I used to think I had some time in grade.
We'll just let this one pass, MMMMMkay?
Oooh Rahh
posted by: Barndog on 11.30.05 at 07:18 PM [permalink]
The Air Force actually asked retirees to consider. I'm still in pretty good shape for my age (52) and I actually did contact the AF during the early part of the fight in Afganistan to rejoin [I'm retired AF (aircraft maintenance and medical) with 5 years Army (11B infantry, 11E main battle tanker)], but my AFSCs weren't what they were critical for. I was/still am damn mad at Usama bin Laden and would love to personally kill the bastard. But I suspect that all this is really about filling boots for the nonsense in Iraq. My answer is IT DEPENDS on where I would get to take my fight to: bin Laden (hell YES!!! even as infantry again) or Bush's secure-control-of-the-oil-resources-for-HIS-freinds war (fuck NO!!!)
Ah, Gordon, how well I remember Mr MacNamara's whiz kids, the "Project 100,000". Fodder is fodder, and the Army of the 60s wanted bodies. They even got their own special designator serial number, which began with the prefix "67" as I remember.
You can always do something with a body. Some of them were dyslexic, or learning-disabled, conditions not that well-understood back then, and were thought to be underdeveloped, so to speak. Others were just flat out cretins. However, the Army of that day always had a need for "duty soldiers" a catchall MOS for rock painters, gravel rakers and daisy pullers. During the very short period I worked on a range at Ft Dix the legend was that if you needed to round up some duty soldiers, you went over to the WAC barracks, because that was where they all congregated, loitering around looking to get lucky.
Some were rejectable for moral reason under the old paramaeters, and we've followed that route by allowing "minor" criminal offenses a pass. Now THAT group would be prime for guard duty at our many prisons, I think. They'd fit right in.
I was screwed out of flight school (rotary-wing) by the army in '85 -TAC officers said it was due to Graham-Rudman act and budget cuts and to re-apply later... yeah, right.. had my useless congressman, Dick Gephardt investigate, which turned up nothing! Although I was persona non gratis at Ft. Rucker for a time.
When they would call me after I got out, I would throw outrageous demands on the table as prerequisites... sadly, the humour was wasted on the people contacting me.
But. I. Would. Never. Go. Back. With. A. Functional. Moron. as CNC.
posted by: Brian on 12.01.05 at 01:49 PM [permalink]
Great Gordon,
That comment had me in stitches...
posted by: Brian on 12.01.05 at 01:56 PM [permalink]
This is laughable. About a year ago I was contacted because KBR was looking for veterans with my experience in missile systems and electronics to work as contractors for them in an undisclosed middle eastern country. The money being offered was obscene and tempting, but I turned down the offer. Now these assclowns are trying to get us to reenlist to be cannon fodder for the administration. This is an offer I can refuse.
posted by: Lowell on 12.01.05 at 02:30 PM [permalink]
Dad ran into some recruits labeled "double X" in 1955-56 in TX. Project 100,000 sounds awfully familiar...
