CMR: Bush Should Help Military Recruiters by Calling for Volunteers
by Chad Groening
August 17, 2006
(AgapePress) - - The head of the Center for Military Readiness believes President George W. Bush needs to put out a clarion call for young American men to volunteer for military service. She feels such a call from the Commander in Chief would help military recruiters who have come under fire from the General Accountability Office.Center for Military Readiness (CMR) president Elaine Donnelly says she is disturbed by the recent report from the General Accountability Office (GAO) that indicates misconduct by military recruiters is on the rise because of the grueling pressure to recruit young troops to go into the armed services and possibly into combat. According to the report, recruiters have resorted to strong-arm tactics, including harassment and falsification of documents, all to satisfy the demand for more recruits.
Donnelly believes the kinds of overly aggressive and even criminal recruiting practices alleged in the GAO report are the actions of a few bad apples. "I think the recruiters, for the most part, are honorable people," she says. "They have a very tough job, and there's always people, in any occupation, some of whom will do things wrongly."
The CMR spokeswoman believes the GAO is right to pay attention to the allegations of recruiter misconduct. "Obviously these errors made by [some] individuals need to be the subject of discipline," she says, "so it looks like the General Accountability Office is doing that."
Meanwhile, Donnelly notes, there are several things that can be done to help military recruiters in their efforts to meet the U.S. armed services' ongoing need for more troops. "The volunteer force is the only military we have," she points out. "We need to support that volunteer force, and access for recruiters and ROTC programs is very important."
The military analyst notes that many liberal college and university administrations do not permit military recruiters to have access to their students and do not offer ROTC programs on their campuses, even though those schools' accept money from the federal government. "I think something needs to be done about ROTC programs and recruiters being [allowed] on campus," she says.
Also, if the military is definitely finding multiple substantiated cases of wrongdoing among recruiters, Donnelly feels there is something President Bush can do to help. "That is, the president needs to publicly ask [eligible Americans], especially young men, to volunteer for military service," she says. "I think the president, in a very straightforward way, should address young men of this nation and say, 'Your nation needs you.'
"The president has not done this," the head of the CMR adds, "and yet we're in the middle of a war. I think young people would indeed respond if he did."
In any event, Donnelly stresses, the vast majority of U.S. military recruiters are conscientiously taking on a tough job that is of crucial importance to America's security and survival. She believes President Bush could do a great deal to support their effort. If the President issued a clear call to America's young men, encouraging them to enlist, Donnelly feels many would respond.
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
