Retention and Recruitment Crisis

ThunderHorse said:
Cadet Command only sends contracted and scholarship cadets to schools these days. In the late 80s and early 90s it was different apparently where they just needed to be enrolled in ROTC. So I'd say most commission, at least today.
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The 80s, those were the glory days of Regan's defense budget, everyone went everywhere. Seemed like Bush Sr was the same. Clinton's budget was definitely tighter and the money wasn't as free.
 
Muppet said:
Ah, no clue that was a thing. I always thought, jump school went to jump units.
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ThunderHorse said:
We push 30,000 people a year through Airborne School...so most will never get near a jump status unit.



Sure, but that was also the pre SEAL MOS. So ideally, the Sailors who completed SQT become SEALs and the rest return to their MOS for assignment.
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Currently Airborne is completely back logged due to COVID and PCSs to airborne units- ie you were supposed to go the the 82nd from 1st ID as a helicopter mechanic, they are still pushing people from 18th Airborne Corps and the 173rd who need to get on jump status.

Also, 11th Airborne being stood up has filled the rest of the slots. Infantry and Armor ALC, SLC and MLC used to have unlimited walk on slots for airborne school. You now have a better chance of getting RSLC or Sniper from the Benning NCOA than you do of going to Airborne.
 
Remember when Ranger school was an advanced leadership school for the Infantry. Now anyone can go and get the tab. and promotion points. Surprised when my grandson, who is an Army Recruiter, told me that even recruiters can go through the course and come back to recruiting duty. Things have changed, during Vietnam you could be assigned to one of the Ranger companies and run LRRP missions and not be considered a Ranger because you didn't have the tab. Now you aren't considered a Ranger unless you are assigned to a Ranger unit.
 
LimaPanther said:
Remember when Ranger school was an advanced leadership school for the Infantry. Now anyone can go and get the tab. and promotion points. Surprised when my grandson, who is an Army Recruiter, told me that even recruiters can go through the course and come back to recruiting duty. Things have changed, during Vietnam you could be assigned to one of the Ranger companies and run LRRP missions and not be considered a Ranger because you didn't have the tab. Now you aren't considered a Ranger unless you are assigned to a Ranger unit.
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My uncle went through in the 70s, as a cook. I know navy corpsmen who have gone.
 
Interesting...Really have no idea why Wormuth, McConville, or Grinston are in this at all...again shows the Army doesn't know anything about recruiting ads.


Like that we're back to being all we can be...but c'mon.
 
ThunderHorse said:
Interesting...Really have no idea why Wormuth, McConville, or Grinston are in this at all...again shows the Army doesn't know anything about recruiting ads.


Like that we're back to being all we can be...but c'mon.
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That commercial doesn't really say anything.

At least BITD you did more before 9 am than most people do all day, Top brought you a cup of coffee, and everyone got 7400.00 for college.
 
Marauder06 said:
I liked "Be All You Can Be." Certainly better than "Army of One." I think if we look back through the archives here, we'll find several people who supported that recruiting slogan.

I hope it works; our recruiting has sucked recently.
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The 80s were my formative years; I loved the recruiting commercials from then. All of them.
 
We played Army and sports when we were kids. We believed our country was good, not evil. Showing soldiers blowing shit up, driving tanks, patrolling a jungle with your team, and jumping out of planes was enough to hook us. The times have changed and recruiting young people into the military in the future will be a challenge.
 
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Topkick said:
We played Army and sports when we were kids. We believed our country was good, not evil. Showing soldiers blowing shit up, driving tanks, patrolling a jungle with your team, and jumping out of planes was enough to hook us. The times have changed and recruiting young people into the military in the future will be a challenge.
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Kids still do those things. They also play COD and Ghost Recon.

Unless I’m horribly mistaken, the military isn’t having a hard time getting guys to join to blow stuff up, and shoot guns. The people who want to do that want to do that.

The military has a problem getting all the other people it needs to join. That takes a different type of recruiting.
 
ThunderHorse said:
We push 30,000 people a year through Airborne School...
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Why? Just to get the badge?

Correct me if I'm wrong. The Army's got one Airborne Division, right? Then there's SF/SOF and SOF support that have to have it. But 30,000 a year? That's huge. Is this a case of no matter what your MOS you gotta be a five-jump-chump to compete for promotion?
 
Gunz said:
Why? Just to get the badge?

Correct me if I'm wrong. The Army's got one Airborne Division, right? Then there's SF/SOF and SOF support that have to have it. But 30,000 a year? That's huge. Is this a case of no matter what your MOS you gotta be a five-jump-chump to compete for promotion?
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1 Airborne Division, 2 Independent Airborne Brigades, Ranger Regiment, [The Unit], and all of SF, PsyOps, Civil Affairs...

So a relatively large cohort of personnel.

But yes, badges mean points, more badges an officer has more high speed they are assumed to be...
 
Gunz said:
Why? Just to get the badge?

Correct me if I'm wrong. The Army's got one Airborne Division, right? Then there's SF/SOF and SOF support that have to have it. But 30,000 a year? That's huge. Is this a case of no matter what your MOS you gotta be a five-jump-chump to compete for promotion?
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2 divisions. Then numerous other units. There are multiple company sized elements in various other divisions that are also airborne qualified(tasked).
 
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TLDR20 said:
The military has a problem getting all the other people it needs to join. That takes a different type of recruiting.
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This is the real problem right here. As much as people shat on the "Emma with two moms" type recruiting videos, those ones are probably targeting the people interested in other MOSes more than the "Hooah guns, tanks, explosions" ads will.
Topkick said:
You can also reassign Airborne Q'd soldiers serving in leg units to airborne units as needed.
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And then they come over, skip on the MC6 video/training, and hurt themselves on the first pass.

At least, two or three times a 5 jump chump has come to my unit it's been that story. (I'm sure that they were all senior NCOs/officers played a part)
 
Cookie_ said:
And then they come over, skip on the MC6 video/training, and hurt themselves on the first pass.

At least, two or three times a 5 jump chump has come to my unit it's been that story. (I'm sure that they were all senior NCOs/officers played a part)
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Well, that sucks. Sounds like a unit issue. From a DA standpoint, it still makes sense to send airborne qualified soldiers to airborne units.
 
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