When service recruiters are trained, regardless of service, are they required to become familiar with programs in other branches?

Capt Daniel Goodman — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 14:51:12 -0500

I'd been following a thread on here, that kind of got my mental gears going, as I'd explained on it, though I'd wanted to try to crystallize my thoughts, after reading one specific set of ideas on it...I'd just been wondering, when service recruiters are trained, regardless of service, are they at all explicitly required, as part of that training, to become familiar with programs and/or options in other services? Further, has there ever been an explicit impetus to try to possibly redirect a potential recruit from one given service to another, if, in the opinion of the recruiter being spoken with, they might perhaps stand a better chance at getting a given MOS and/or AFSC in another service? I realize that might perhaps seem kind of an oddball question, certainly, however, it's just something I've always kind of wondered about...I'd found some of the ideas on that other thread rather intellectually compelling, which was what prompted me to at least just raise the topic here, if nothing else, you know? Not, of course, that I'm necessarily expecting that such a requirement exists, or has even ever been given serious thought in the past; however, it just rather struck me as having a fairly good deal of potential good to commend it, you know? I realize it'd be kind of like sending a customer at one store to another, obviously, however, I'd be genuinely interested in knowing what all of you might just even think of the idea generally, if nothing else, many thanks.

Response by GySgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2018 3:16 PM

GySgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 15:16:36 -0500

From my time as a SNCOIC of a Marine Corps Recruiting Sub-Station I can tell you how we worked in my area. So we had all the branches in the same building. I worked well will all the bosses of each office and made sure that there was no animosity on our end. I think it made a great working environment for all of us. I had sit downs almost every day with the Army and the Navy. Not so much the Air Force because she was never there. The Air Force had no problem recruiting. She told me how it was for her. He mission was basically filled out for about 18 months. I told her a ton of people would come to her office. She said that I can talk to all of them because she does not have any slots available. There was times I would not see her for weeks. We got a few from thar approach. The Army and the Navy had different requirements and those requirements would fluctuate. If I could not process a applicant in and we knew he would be a fit for one of the other services. I would go talk to the other bosses in the Army and the Navy offices to see if they could process him because he/she would meet their requirements. Then both myself and the Army/Navy boss would both meet with the applicant and tell them how we could still meet their needs. I dont think a single one ever backed out. I think they all joined the other respective services. They Army/Navy did the same thing for us and the Air Force did too when she was there. It saved some services rear ends with respects to accomplishing their monthly mission. I remember specifically the Navy needed a female desperately. I was way over on females. So I gave home one that we were working but required waivers and lots of wait time. He (Navy) was able to process her the next day. So we all worked well together. We all had coffee together and made sure to have conversations daily. I don't think it would have been anywhere near that relationship if the office would not have all in the same building. None of us would have made that effort. It was never a requirement to offer other services. It was definitely a drive to see these applicant want to be successful and join the military and also all of us understood the struggle and we all had sympathy for one another when the struggle got real.

Response by SFC J Fullerton made Dec 13 at 2018 4:38 PM

SFC J Fullerton — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 16:38:53 -0500

In the Army Recruiting Course, we got a brief general outline of the enlistment programs of other services, but that was about it. The only time services refer an applicant to another branch was when there was qualification issues. For example, the USMC would not be accepting prior service and the Army was, so they often gave us prior service referrals. As anyone who has been on recruiting will tell you, 9 out 10 prior service who walk in the door wanting back in were usually kicked out with an RE 3 or worse. However, PS Marines wanting back in were usually qualified and RE 1, its just that the USMC was closed to prior service. In 12 years in USAREC, I probably seen more PS Marines join the Army than Prior Service Soldiers. On occasion, there would be an applicant that had too many law violations that we couldn't waive that the USMC could. Everybody referred high school dropouts, low ASVAB scoring GED holders, and CAT 4's to the National Guard because they were the only service who could work with them. I can't say we ever referred someone to another service because they were a better "fit", we only did so in cases that they didn't qualify for us.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Dec 13 at 2018 5:44 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 17:44:58 -0500

I sent in a good deal of further thought on my part, however, here's the nub of it: Even if such interservice recruiting training isn't presently mandated, could it be? Should it be? Might it help? If so, how? If the concept has limitations, what limitations would all of you envision? Try, if possible, to read through the various answers I'd sent to all of you, I did read, and obviously will read, all those all of you send back; I just genuinely have a really serious intellectual interest in the whole concept of this, which is why I'm trying to pursue it on here as avidly as I am, that's all, honest, many thanks to all once again.