What needs to change in the recruitment phase of Servicemembers?

2015-05-26T06:42:45-04:00

As a Chaplain, I sometimes echo my Commander and CSM when dealing with problem Soldiers by asking, "So what did the recruiter miss?" "This guy arrived here with problems. Did they not see that at the recruiters? How did he make it through Basic even?"

In your opinion, what needs to change in the recruitment phase, if anything?

Response by PO3 David Fries made May 26 at 2015 6:46 AM

2015-05-26T06:46:35-04:00

I'm not honestly sure what more can be done. I consider it like an interview process in the civilian world; it's easy to BS your way through an interview. Granted, there are things that are easily verified, but you can't catch everything.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 26 at 2015 7:04 AM

2015-05-26T07:04:39-04:00

In the sense of processing....
A recruiter is only the individual who processes a civilian who volunteers to enlist.

When you say issues, what do uou see more of:
Medical
Moral
Family
Other -explain.

As a recruiter it is my responsibility to determine qualifications, not make some who is disqualified become qualified.

I would like to know more because i feel that i can make a differnce, and what i do counts.

Are these issues something that a recruiter should be able to detect, or something MEPS examiners sould fine.

Dd 2807-1, 2807-2. Unless they say i had " condition " i cant dq them. 40-50 has a lot of dq's.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made May 26 at 2015 7:04 AM

2015-05-26T07:04:53-04:00

I have seen people who make an amazing transformation in the military.

What needs change? I think the system works pretty well. Does everyone work out? Of course not. I think some may even change for the worse. But, I think overall the system works pretty well.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made May 26 at 2015 7:41 AM

2015-05-26T07:41:30-04:00

The biggest issue with recruitment (depending on branch) is "quotas."

It's really a simple: Is this person qualified? and What can I do to make them qualified? question.

When you add in the quota system, it presents an "ethical dilemma" if someone is not making numbers, or is close to not making numbers.

Our service members are ethical. We give them LOTS of ethical training, from the time they enter the service and throughout their career... however, when you put someone in a position enough times to make a bad decision, eventually it "can" happen, if there is enough incentive (pro/con) on the line.

This changes the context of that very simple question above, and judgement & discretion starts seeping in. Instead of Yes/No, it becomes I believe, or I think.

Response by SFC Stephen King made May 26 at 2015 8:24 AM

2015-05-26T08:24:12-04:00

As I have been on both sides of this spectrum. I have had a the pleasure of helping sustain the troops in dire times. While I would agree it the enlistment process needs to be streamlined I also know that I have served with so Soldiers who had to join or go to jail.

So to find a happy medium in the process is my proposed way ahead. The screening process of medical and moral has an will always be subjective. If a potential Soldier is not candid in what has happened in their life and it isn't available by police, court or medical records it will not be.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 26 at 2015 8:55 AM

2015-05-26T08:55:20-04:00

The qualifications have become more stringent over the years if anything. But we are in the age of the Internet....these kids use it, read it and often already know what will qualify and disqualify them before they ever come through my door. If they don't say "yes I had/have add" after I ask I'm not going to get their medical records....I have to go with what they tell me. Medical records aren't accessible like court records....there is no easy way for us to uncover things we can't see physically wrong with them unless they tell us.

Response by 1SG Michael Blount made May 26 at 2015 9:43 AM

2015-05-26T09:43:59-04:00

I don't know if there's a way to measure "will" in a person, though I suspect there are several ways to test for it. What I mean is -- I've seen people coming out of Reception and I wonder if they're going to complete a week in BCT and end up as Honor Grad. I've also seen it cut the other way. Bottom line - gimme people who WANT to be and have the WILL to be Soldiers, and I can do that. What I can't do is deal with the 'wannabees". Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to weed the wannabees out from the WANT TO BEs at the Recruitment Stage.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 26 at 2015 12:22 PM

2015-05-26T12:22:19-04:00

In order for the Army to make the Soldier 2020 goals and sustain gender integration across the force, the Army needs more women. I'm not in that demographic, but I haven't even heard that DA or HRC are planning on making a commitment to this. The math is pretty simple and if you don't have the numbers career fields will be shunned because there are simply no women there.