Navy Petty Officer Charles Jones (right) talks to Leonardo Rivera, 30, of Spotsylvania at a recruiting station here about joining the service. View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

INCENTIVES IN DOWN ECONOMY BOOST RECRUITING PITCHING THE MILITARY LIFE Steady jobs, tuition draw more to serve

With recession, new administration in Washington, and war effort shifting from Iraq to Afghanistan, military recruiters are signing them up

Date published: 2/15/2009

BY RUSTY DENNEN

Anthony Parrish Jr. recently walked into the Navy recruiting office here and decided to join up.

Parrish, 22, is well aware that, with the war in Iraq winding down and the focus shifting to Afghanistan, it's still a dangerous time to be in the military.

But he figures that being on a ship will keep him out of harm's way, and he has other, practical concerns-- namely a better job and a career.

"The economy is not the big factor, but I wanted more of a secure job," he said. Interest in the military tends to rise with unemployment.

The Stafford County resident had been working at a local running store, and before that drawing blood as a phlebotomist.

Parrish is among the hundreds of mostly young men and women who have visited local recruiters in recent months. The Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard all have offices in a small strip shopping center off State Route 3 in Spotsylvania County.

"My dad was in the Air Force, and I wanted a military career. I decided to join the Navy because I wanted to move to travel," Parrish said. "And it's the perfect way to pay for school."

According to the Department of Defense, recruiting offices across the nation have been doing well in these uncertain times. During the last fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2007, and ended Sept. 30, 2008, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines all were at or above recruiting goals for the period, signing up a total of 184,831 recruits.

The "applicants," as the Navy calls them, typically are greeted by a recruiter who tells them about the process and what they need to do, and about the benefits of a Navy enlistment.

Petty Officer Charles Jones, 36, with 18 years in the Navy, is one of four recruiters. He likes to make a good first impression.

With close-cropped hair, a crisp uniform and a ready handshake, he is the Navy to walk-ins. "You don't want people coming in looking for a Cadillac and getting a Yugo," he says, smiling. "Mostly we try to make them feel comfortable, because it's a big step."

Tuition, steady job

Despite the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, military recruiters did well last year, according to the Department of Defense. DOD reported that in its last fiscal year the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force and their reserve components met their goals. The Army and Marine Corps had raised their recruiting goals for the year, the department said, to increase their ranks because of the wars. President Barack Obama has said he supports increasing the size of the Army by 65,000 soldiers, and the Marine Corps by 27,000. For fiscal 2008 the Army recruited 80,517, making 101 percent of its goal of 80,000; the Navy, Marines and Air Force reached 100 percent of their goals with 38,485, 37,991 and 27,848 recruits respectively. Recruits must have at least a high school diploma to join. Twenty percent of Army recruits required a waiver for medical or conduct reasons. Incentives such as signing bonuses, the recession and lower standards are among factors contributing to the sign-up numbers. All branches of the service find ways to reach their prime target audience: men and women 17 to 25. All have online teasers that complement TV and radio ads and walk-in recruiting stations around the country. The Army, for example, has a traveling interactive exhibit, the Virtual Army Experience, with games and activities for players as young as 13. Actor Gary Sinise, "Lt. Dan" of "Forrest Gump" fame and more recently of "CSI: NY," is the Army's latest celebrity pitchman. Last fall, DOD launched its "Conversations" TV campaign, which asks parents to talk with children who are considering military service.

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Date published: 2/15/2009

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