Marine Corps surpasses recruiting goal

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC/AP

The Marine Corps far surpassed its recruiting goal last month and could eventually be more than a year ahead of schedule in its plan to grow the force to 202,000 members.

All military services met or exceeded their monthly recruiting goals in April, with the Marine Corps signing 142 percent of the number it was looking for, the Pentagon said.

The Army signed 101 percent of its goal, recruiting 5,681 against a goal of 5,650. The Navy and Air Force met their goals — 2,905 sailors and 2,435 airmen.

The Marine Corps enlisted 2,233 recruits against a goal of 1,577.

"The Marine Corps, if they continue to achieve the kind of success they have had, could meet their growth figures more than a year early," Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman told Pentagon reporters. That would mean by around the end of 2009.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24584577/

[babylonsister]

1. This terrific economy is producing results!

:sarcasm: in case it's not evident.

[orpupilofnature57]

5. The same logic used by homeless for breaking a window, right before winter

to stay out of the cold ,Fear causes desperate actions.

[babylonsister]

10. So does poverty. nt

[orpupilofnature57]

2. What a surge!!! 101% for a month Whoopee!!!! Shrub stats

No agency can be trusted for at least another year.

[ckramer]

3. Only job in town offerring free housing, free healthcare, and more?

Army & Marine = socialism

[thunder rising]

4. A fresh crop of unemployed HS grads. (And judges are back to the "Army or jail" choice.)

[saigon68]

6. Boy those kommunists err sorry Islamics better look out now

Yup, It looks like those army strong commercials are working

It used to be---- kill a commie for mommy.

Hard to say what it is now

[shanti]

7. and my son's classmate

is one of them:( you can be damn sure MY son won't tho! he's been schooled!

[orpupilofnature57]

8. Good job!!!

[shanti]

15. :)

:thumbsup:

[Indenturedebtor]

9. Well it seems as though one * plan has worked...

Destroy the economy and meet enlistment quotas... bleh.

[PSPS]

11. Didn't I read that they're now taking felons and others who used to be rejected?

[sce56]

12. 20% Moral Waivers

Waivers unheard of 7 years ago!

[babylonsister]

14. I thought that was for the Army, not Marines, but I don't know for sure. nt

[sce56]

24. I was referring to this item

"The Army signed 101 percent of its goal, recruiting 5,681 against a goal of 5,650"

[cnc1970]

13. I dont suppose it could be possible

that the new recruits aren't just desperate uneducated morally bankrupt derelicts? I know plenty of people proud to serve that have many more options open to them, aren't brainwashed by GW and are at or near the top of their class.

[Mudoria]

16. Shhhh.. you aren't supposed to say things like that

on DU....

[dysfunctional press]

17. they may not have been brainwashed by gw...but if they happily sign up for the military-

they've been brainwashed somewhere along the line.

[Crowman1979]

19. Heck, a lot of ex-army soldiers join the USMC...

...because the deployments aren't as long, you don't live in lousy army barracks, there is a greater enlisted to officer ratio, better teamwork and everyone is easier to work with.

[Crowman1979]

20. There are also those who join because of family tradition.

Regardless of who is president. Many join to follow in there father's footsteps. I'm the fourth generation in my family to join the military.

[dysfunctional press]

21. and that's brainwashing just as well.

the kind that keeps the military-industrial complex going strong.

congratulations. :patriot:

[Bigmack]

18. I think everybody is forgetting..

that some - if not most - adolescent brains aren't fully formed yet, and they make decisions with forebrains that cannot clearly see consequences. Here's an easy read about this theory... http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/interviews/todd.html

Younger people just have a hard time recognizing emotions, in themselves or in others. Most of those young people, when asked, say that they want to 'defend their country" or some such. You can tell them that defending their country might be better accomplished by study and work and a good job and paying taxes, but that's not where they are.... emotionally or mentally.

Maybe I'm just projecting here, but when JFK asked me what I was doing for my country, I joined the Marine Corps. I wanted to be one of the good guys helping against the bad guys. I wanted action of some kind. The exact mechanism of how joining the Marines would do good was hazy to me, but the action part was clear as a bell.

If you argue that the "unfinished brain" theory doesn't explain why older people join... well, maybe ya got me there... but maybe some people's brains just never grow up completely. We all know people who never seem to see the real consequences of their actions.

If you argue that people join simply out of "patriotism".... I call horseshit on that. Cheney and the other chickenhawks are super-patriots. They just never let their patriotism actually put their asses on the line.

[Lost4words]

22. letting in fellons sure has helped I guess! n/t

[Javaman]

23. Well sure. Of course they have. When you open the recruitment up

to felons, what do you expect?

"so mr. aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, are you ready to be a member of the few, the proud, the marines?"

"how soon do I learn cool stuff with knives?"