[Firebeef]

In 1984, I was a young, newly promoted, hard chargin SSG. I had a packet in to try out for SF and was awaiting orders to PCS to Ft Bragg (you were reassigned in those days before selection) I was sure my 1SG had recieved the orders to Bragg when I was called in from a field problem at Ft Polk. When I walked in the door I was told I was heading for USAREC, or the US Army Recruting Cmc. better known as USARECTUM.
This was during the Reagan build up, and this was supposedly a "Choice" assignment according to those that tried to console me at having to wait to try out for SF and "suck it up" out in recruiting. There was no escape other than to ETS.
For brevity's sake, I can sum it up by saying it sucked royally. The pressures are immense and never ending. Not only are you constantly under the gun from the CO leadership team to "Make mission" or else..... but the constant rejection by candidates, their parents, teachers, administrators, bar tenders and anyone who sees your uniform and feels they just HAVE to tell you their opinion of the Army is relentless. Everyone....EVRYONE had an uncle or cousin that was a "whacked out" Vietnam vet, who of course, had been totally lied to and abused by his recruiters, causing his current malaise.
When a kid comes home from Basic after telling the CO that he often thinks of suicide, mass murder and killing kitty cats.....do you believe this kid comes home and tells his family and friends this???? HELL NO!!! It was that f#@*ing POS recuiter that lied his ass off that caused little Johnny to fail.
Anytime I was sent to a school or training amongst "Regular" Army troops, you were constantly bombarded with jealousy, animosity and the always asked: "So, how does it feel to lie to people all day and get paid???"

While I was a recruiter in the time frame 1985-1988, there were at least 3 suicides and i don't even know how many melt downs in our Battalion. (A recruiting BN in those days was probably 300-400 troops) This was "peace time"...remember that?? The night after the USAF bombed Libya, I was sitting in the office around 1930, when someone fired a pellet gun through our window about 10' from where I was "dialing for dollars". I was spit at, cussed at....to this day....I would rather go from Ranger school, to SFAS and back to Ranger school without a cycle break, than return to USARECTUM

The point to my story is: Recruiting is a tough assignment. I can only imagine how hard it has become in the last 5 or 6 years since the GWOT became so unpopular with so many people. If you really want to help with this situation, next time you see a recruiter in the mall or burger king, go up and tell him he's doing a good, hard job and that you believe in the cause. Better yet, drop into a station sometime, and just jawjack with the guys and gals in the station. Buy em all a coffee! It caused suicides in peacetime, of course some of the will go over the edge in times like these.

My heart goes out to all the families and survivors. Even more so to anyone who is "command selected" to become a recruiter. May it pass quiclky.