The "Career Killer" MOS

I have heard a lot of talk lately about recruiters and the recruitment process--not just with the Marine Corps, but with all branches. Having dealt with several recruiters in my time, I have seen first hand both bad recruiters and good recruiters.

When I first decided to join the military, I called the Air Force recruiter and left a message. He called me at work and I told him that really wasn't a good time for me to talk (in the lobby of the bank). I returned his phone call that evening at the appointed time. He had music blaring in the background, which I found somewhat unprofessional. He talked to me for only a minute, then informed me that, "You can try if you want to, but you're probably not going to get in because we just don't want women right now." That did not make me happy and I said, "Oh that's fine. I'll find someone who does want me," and terminated the conversation.

My experience with the Navy recruiter was a much more positive one, in spite of what I'm sure I put him through with my switching branches. Yes, he did get aggravated and once he pretty much hung up on me, but I'm sure I am sure I was quite an annoyance. I am not one to believe, "It can't be done." (My mother taught me from an early age that there's no such thing as "can't." :) At the risk of receiving a lot of condemnation for not being strong enough, I will say that the Navy recruiter held more than one minimum-of-one-hour conversations in which he would make me cry. He did not take my criticism of his superiors very well, but I believe that before it was over with, he knew I was right. My biggest thing with the Navy recruiter was that he basically tried to talk me out of joining any branch of the military and told me that if I insisted, I was an "Air Force person."

I have dealt with both my recruiter in the Marine Corps, a Staff Sergeant, as well as his superior, a Gunnery Sergeant. They both went out of their way for me, but as soon as I had signed my papers, they were quick to stop being so responsive. A big irritation I have with the SSGT is when I call and he says, "I'll call you right back," and never. calls. back. That irritates me. Once I didn't call him for two weeks, just to see if he noticed, and apparently he didn't. But honestly, even though we are required to report in, there's really no reason I need to talk to him most of the time. Although those little things do irritate me, I can't say there's anything major that is bad. I know that if I ever truly need something, both of the recruiters are there.

I've even talked to an Army recruiter. One called me when I was contemplating joining the Marine Corps, and in the process of getting out of the Navy. I have to say as recruiters go, I was the most impressed with him. (For the record, I have a friend who was all set for joining the Navy, then talked to this guy and is happily in the Army.) He asked me some questions and I told him that I wasn't interested in the Army, but I also wasn't closed to the idea. After hearing about my acceptance to The Citadel, he said, "Yes, I would do about anything to get you to join the Army, but it seems like you have enough decisions to make so I am not going to bother you any more. Here is my number if you choose the Army."

I have never had a recruiter tell me I will not go to Iraq. I have never had a recruiter tell me I am guaranteed to be safe. I have never had a recruiter tell me that boot camp was "easy." I have never had one promise me that it is all fun and games. My conclusion is this: Yes, there are bad recruiters, but most of the time the problem is that potential recruits have selective hearing.

I once had a mother ask me that her son's Marine Corps recruiter promised him that he would not go to Iraq with his MOS (Legal Services). I talked to the son. He confirmed that his recruiter had said that. After I put him through the third degree, he admitted that in reality, all his recruiter had said that with the MOS of Legal Services, he was less likely to go to Iraq than a grunt, and that if he went, he would be safer than for example, an MP. I think that many times this is the case. I am not saying recruiters do not lie, but I would say that most of the time it is a case of selective hearing.

The other day, a retired Soldier informed me that being a recruiter is the "Career Killer" MOS. No one wants to be a recruiter, she said, and those who do end up hating it. I have seen so much screwed up stuff in recruitment that I would actually like to be a recruiter for awhile, just to do things the right way.

My Navy recruiter informed me that he had learned a very important lesson after his experience with me. The lesson was this: For the Navy, never recruit someone who wants to be a Marine. Only let people in who want to be Sailors. If you aid people in "settling" for less than their dreams, it will only hurt everyone involved in some way. My Marine recruiter told me that his first recruit ended up being a disaster, and that now he has actually told people that he refuses to recruit them. While I seriously doubt that such refusals are the norm, I do understand where he is coming from. Some might say that this is what the Air Force recruiter did to me, but there is a difference in turning down people on drugs, versus turning down people on the basis of sex, race, etc. I heard that this Air Force recruiter was put out of recruiting because after talking to him, so many people refused to join the Air Force.

One of my teachers, her husband was a Navy recruiter in Chicago for awhile. He never saw one female go to boot camp. The recruitment process is quite complicated, and needs many many improvements, but I do not blame the recruiters for being the "liars" they are portrayed to be.

Dissent is Patriotic; Hating America is Not

A middle school in Colorado has crossed the line. Citing conflict over the immigration debate, Shaw Heights Middle School in Adams County, Colorado, has banned all wearing of patriotic attire.

Myla Shepherd, the principal, said that tensions over the immigration issue were apparent when more than 20 students came to school wearing camouflage jackets and pants, apparently to show what they call their patriotism and American pride.

I want to know how patriotic attire and American pride can cause conflict over immigration policies! I will save my immigration views for another post, but in my opinion, the wearing of patriotic attire to school is irrelevant to the immigration issue. To issue of war, on the other hand, it is very relevant.

One school even had the audacity to ban all flags.

In Longmont, the principal of Skyline High School banned all flags, including the American flag, because of tensions related to immigration reform.

If you ban the number one symbol that represents the United States of America—the American Flag, you ban everything America stands for.

I am known for matching. Yes, matching—my clothes, my purse, my shoes, my jewelry, my make-up. Everything always matches. It’s a pet peeve of mine. In spite of that, I wore a camouflage Support Our Troops wrist band every day until it broke. After that, I wore a silver bracelet with a yellow ribbon threaded through it, with an American flag charm and a yellow ribbon charm. I wore it every day until it broke. I haven’t replaced either of them, but people noticed and were amused that I wore them no matter what. It was a silent statement that people noticed. Even though it was mostly to laugh about that "There's only one thing that can make Holly not match," people understood that there was a very deep reason and meaning behind a simple bracelet.

Every Friday, I try to wear red. Several weeks ago, when we went home to Louisiana, about 15 of my family members were eating at one of our favorite seafood restaurants on a Friday night. All of us on one end of the table were a sea of red. People noticed and people asked why. (For those who are not familiar with Red Friday, see my post here.) On Red Fridays, it is a silent statement of “I support our troops and I care.” It touches my heart to know that people care and no doubt, it boosts the morale of our troops. I challenge you to wear red this Friday and every Friday!

To ban patriotic attire anywhere is against freedom of speech and freedom of expression. It would be different if these schools have uniforms, but they don’t. They simply banned the wearing of patriotic attire. This is wrong and should not be tolerated! To write to this school, the address is as follows:

Shaw Heights Middle School
Adams County School District 50
8780 Circle Dr.
Westminster, CO 80030

Here is a link to the story, along with a video. It is notable that the school says it is because of the immigration issue that patriotic attire has been banned, but the student interviewed in the video never once mentions immigration. She mentions supporting our troops, our military, and our country, and pride in being American. I agree with her words: “If we’re an American, I think we should be proud to be an American.”

More on Cin City

No, I have not forgotten Cindy Sheehan. I probably never will. I know this is long, but someone said it far better than I have yet. This is the best article I've ever read on the Cindy mania. Take a look:

Cindy Sheehan's mistakeBy Dennis Forslund

Cindy Sheehan, the lady from Vacaville, Calif., who lost a son in the Iraq war, is clueless. She camped out along the road by President Bush's Crawford, Texas, home in protest and/or to grieve her loss. There are other mothers and fathers who are also grieving.

In Baghdad, Pakistan or Afghanistan, a mother dressed in black robes watches as members of the jihad fasten a bomb to her teenage son. They tell him of his future as a hero of Islam. She cries as other women try to comfort her. This son is her pride and joy.

She sees the scared look on his face and the fear in his deep, dark eyes. Her son will die, she knows it, but as a woman in an Islamic country, she cannot stop it. She is powerless against the fanatical leaders of the jihad.

Islamic men with the same warped minds hijacked four American passenger jets full of fathers, mothers and children also went on a suicide mission, crashing those aircraft into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. For the most part, America was living in peace that Sept. 11, when our world exploded in flames. Fanatical Muslim jihadists who strap bombs to their own care nothing about fathers, mothers and little children in jetliners.

Cindy Sheehan blames President Bush for her son's death. Was he not of legal age when he signed and enlisted? It was his choice. He swore to defend his country and she probably approved. "His country." America. The foremost defender of democracy and freedom. Freedom of speech and liberty to worship. America. With our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. America. The envy of the world.

The men who booby trap their schoolboys in Iraq know nothing of civilization and democracy. Cindy Sheehan should know--and what the Dixie Chicks, Susan Sarandon and Barbra Streisand should be aware of--is that women have the biggest stake of all in this war.

If Cindy Sheehan wants to honor her son's memory and his heroic sacrifice, then she should quit her grandstanding and speak to the black-robed women in the Middle East. Tell them they have the power to save their children by becoming spies and secret agents. Report information to the coalition forces as to the whereabouts of stored weapons, of where the next explosive device is planted and of where vicious leaders like Abu al Zarqawi are hiding. If your husband is a jihad member, stop him, even if it is as he sleeps.

Turn your hatred of Arab males who started this mess into action and destroy radical leaders like Osama bin Laden. Stop this insane cult.

These women, unlike Cindy Sheehan, would have to be willing to die for their efforts and they probably would, for they live in the most male-dominated society in the world!

The real irony of this whole Cindy Sheehan story is that other family members disagree with her efforts. Her son's grandparents and other relatives have stated that she "appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the expense of her son's good name and reputation."

Her husband, Patrick Sheehan, disagrees with her, too. He is quoted as saying, "I know President Bush is sorry and feels some pain for our loss." "I know he's a man of faith." "I now know he is sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqi people."

That is freedom, Cindy. You can go on doing what you're doing, even though you and your husband disagree. You won't be beheaded in the town square of Vacaville! That's what soldiers like your son are dying for in Iraq.

Dennis Forslund lives in Fairbanks.