WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday postponed by more than a week the release of military recruiting figures for May, as the Army and Marine Corps struggle to attract new troops amid the Iraq war.The 10th is on a Friday, of course. I'm sure we'll get the numbers by 5:00 pm that day in time to disappear into the weekend news void. Maybe the Pentagon just needs time to double check the numbers to verify the counted everyone.
The military services had routinely provided most recruiting statistics for a given month on the first business day of the next month.
Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said the May numbers for the active-duty and reserve components of the all-volunteer military will be released on June 10.
So, c'mon war supporters, time to sign up or, if you're not physically able, get your kids, friends and neighbors to join. Put your life where your mouth is...or just shut the f*** up.
A tip of the hat to Daily Kos.
3 comments:
The Pentagon cook the books on recruiting? Are you kidding!
Why next you'll be accusing them of massaging Killed, and Wounded stats, and even holding back info from parents that their children died of friendly fire until after a well publicized funeral.
Get your head on straight Mr. 11thHourMan - this is just plain fiction! Couldn't happen!
These are people's lives we're talking about here - politics could simply not find its way into all of this!
Enraged.
ET
I have two friends whose children have just enlisted - one whose son is most certainly headed into Iraq (and would be doing patrols).
The parents are not any more conservative, or liberal than the majority of people I know. They are proud of their children, but very concerned about their choice to enlist at this time.
They're both straight out of high school, fine young people.
I do not in any way think ill of them. I owe them a debt of gratitude like all those which have served before them, and those who will serve our country in the future. They are in my prayers, along with the other men, and women who protect me, and the country I love.
I detest those who blame the soldiers, and would never want to repeat the errors of many of those who protested the war in Vietnam by branding our soldiers as less than honorable.
Having said that, I feel that this Iraq war was both unnecessary, and has been totally mismanaged.
I didn't feel that at first. I have always been skeptical, and have never endorsed rushing into armed conflict as the first or main response to problems in the past.
Perhaps it was the rage I felt when I saw the towers crumbling down. Or the simmering want for revenge, but I was willing to line up behind a president whose domestic policies I do not support.
I felt the Afghanistan campaign was brilliant, and justified - despite the failure to capture Bin Laden.
And I really believed there must have been a link between 911 and Iraq - we were being told this over, and over again.
But were were lied to. There was no link, there were no WMDs. The war was on a wish list which the Bush warhawks had drawn up before 911.
Now I find there to be little chance to stop the war. Its running on its own steam. It could last years, and the final result could be, and probably will be an oppressive regime, that will be anti-western, and civil war.
I can't see why we'd want to support this, why we would want to send our people to fight this?
And because of this doubt about the nature of this war, I would suggest to all parents to tell their children to delay entry into the armed forces until after the war's end.
I believe it is the patriotic thing to do.
ET
ET~
First time chiming in. I like your stance on the supporting troops. I've found it encouraging that your view seem to be the majority amoung most Americans regardless of party. One or two points I'd like to make though. Delaying entry into the military right now increases the training lag for troops that will see action in about 6 months to a year. I would say that it's more patriotic to join when needed than to wait until later because events could turn worse with existing issues in Iran and DPRK. As far as an anti-western regime, don't be so sure. The Kurds have a voice in the new Iraqi government and they are still pro-US and pro-democracy. Their people were gassed by Qusay under Saddam's rule, they won't simply fall in line with the fundie Islam causes.
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