War hasn't deterred deterred 82nd GIs (BULLSHIT!)

[Amerpie]

I suspect this is bullshit but don't know how to prove it Any help would be appreciated.



Spc. Robert Hirsch had no plans to re-enlist after spending a year in Iraq. The year was the worst in his life.

"If the bonus was $50,000, I thought I still wouldn't do it," Hirsch said.

Despite the long deployment and a bonus offer considerably short of $50,000, Hirsch signed up again last month. The 22-year-old paratrooper from St. Paul, Minn., is now preparing to go to Special Forces selection.

Hirsch's story is a common one. Despite a two-year period that has had thousands of paratroopers from Fort Bragg deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, the 82nd Airborne Division is exceeding its retention goals and re-enlisting soldiers in droves.

"Historically, the 82nd has always done well," Master Sgt. Jerry Johnson said.

[NMDemDist2]

1. peer pressure is immense in the military

The guys are very loyal to their units and buddy's. Don't want to leave someone else "holding the bag"

Poor guys

[TN al]

2. I was recently told...

...that there is a stop-loss going on that extends to 2007. If that is true then why not re-enlist and get whatever bonus is available when the re-enlistment period won't end until the stop-loss ends anyway. Just another way to cook the books and make it look like morale is high by pointint to re-enlistment figures.

[Amerpie]

4. Re: Stop Loss

Good point. The Marines are not using Stop-Loss. I wonder how their numbers are holding up.

Camp Lejuene is right down the road. Perhaps the Jacksonville Daily News might consider doing a similar story

[Kbick]

3. It gets in your blood...

I said the same thing during the first Gulf War. I swore I would never re-enlist. But I did.
I got out a year later with the military downsizing, but occasionally, I still think about re-uping...

Like I say, it gets in your blood.

[Amerpie]

5. It sure didn't get in my blood

And I'm from a miltary family and have lived outside of Ft. Bragg most of my life. One enlistment was all the Army I could stand!

Of course my son enlisted as soon as he could...

[yorgatron]

6. peer pressure went the OTHER way when i was in

the army.whenever somebody started talking about re-upping we'd all start telling him what a damn fool he was.problem was it was RR in office,and most of them were from the south or the "rust belt" so there was nothing to go home for...

[AndyTiedye]

7. What does "For the Duration" Mean in the War Against Terra?

[lumpy]

8. And to think my youngest 16 year

old brother tried to join up during WW2. He wasn't offered any bucks to do so, he just realized the war was justifiable. He did get his chance to do the brave thing a couple of years later.

[aquart]

13. The day after Pearl Harbor, my mom remembers lines of young men

going down into the subway, so many the token booth operators weren't able to sell them tokens fast enough so the lines got longer and longer as young men poured out of the apartment buildings heading for the enlistment offices.

My uncle, naturally, waited until Tuesday in hope the lines would be shorter.

It didn't happen after 9/11 because we were attacked by a bunch of assholes, not a militant nation. After 9/11, people came from everywhere to help.

And I will never forget it.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

16. Just out of curiousity, who really attacked us on 911?...

If Mueller of the FBI doesn't know, then who does?

<http://www.americanfreepress.net/051302/FBI_Admits__No_Evidence_/fbi_admits__no_evidence_.html>

<http://www.rense.com/general25/fbiadmitsnoevidence.htm>

[mbperrin]

9. It would be interesting to have

the career actual numbers, instead of the met the goal statement:

"The unit has signed more than 90 percent of soldiers finishing their first enlistment and soldiers that have already re-enlisted once, but have served less than 10 years. The division has met its goal for retention of "career" soldiers, or paratroopers who have more than 10 years in the Army and are planning to stay for at least 20 years. "

90% finishing their first and serving less than 10 years.

"Met its goal" for career soldiers.

Wonder what that goal is?

[Voltaire99]

10. "Hirch's story is a common one"

Maybe. But one thing is even more common: the use of the propaganda press to pacify the public when the imperial project isn't going well.

[AlCzervik]

11. My nephew is a captain

in the 82nd, he did his tour in Afghanistan and was about to get out when he was redeployed to Iraq, we hope he's home by Thanksgiving and he damn sure isnt re-upping.

[Amerpie]

12. Southern Hospitality

If there is anything we can do for him in Fayetteville, let me know!

[Dr Fate]

14. Perhaps he feels the need to watch out for his buddies?

Who knows. I'd rather not judge or second guess the guy...

[The_Casual_Observer]

15. Perhaps at 22 with no education and no prospects

in this "booming" economy, He doesn't have any other realistic options. I wish Robert "Cannon Fodder" Hirsch good luck.