Many people have already written about the ongoing recruitment scandals. Millitary recruiters intimidating teenagers in malls. Giving advice about forging documents. Not meeting their quotas. But I haven't seen much reported on the perhaps most important question.
Why are recruiters using such desperate tactics? What could possibly motivate them to act so crazy? Surely a job performace review will take into account the fact that no one wants to get their head blown off in Iraq. What could possibly motivate a man to reult to such underhanded tactics?
And I found out the answer.
They don't want to die.
I was speaking to a friend in the armed forces and he relayed to me the lowdown. Recruiting is a cushy gig. They get paid better than other soldiers, they get to live in major metropolitan areas, they have a good time. As long as they meet their quota, everything is kosher.
But if they repeatedly miss their quotas, they get shipped off. Which makes sense. Aren't doing well in one job, we'll move you to anther. However, when they get shipped off, they REALLY get shipped off. To the front lines. Apaprently, its common knowledge amognst recruiters that if you don't get the numbers, they put you out to pasture and toss you out into the middle of the nastiest shit possible. They stick you right into insurgent battles.
So recruiters have a choice. Recruit new people or risk dying. Dying is a great incentive to do all kinds of crazy things. Thus our current recruitment predicament.
Good times...