Questioning US Military Ethics and Integrity

[regeneratia]

02.07.14 - 11:20 AM

Blood Simple: Uncle Sam Wants You, Especially When There's So Much Illicit Money In It

by Abby Zimet

The latest scandal in the U.S. military - following hard on the sex, drugs, drinking and cheating ones - has implicated up to 1,200 Army recruiters for pocketing up to $100 million in bogus bonuses for signing up young, broke, ill-informed, otherwise unfortunate innocents to go fight their dirty war in Iraq.

http://www.commondreams.org/further/2014/02/07

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For those of you who know me, I am not at all fond of military officers. I don't find them to have integrity. I don't find them to behave in an honorable and moral manner. And now, I am not the only one who thinks that way, as we see the dubious antics of US generals leading to their firings, ... which I applaud. Due to the high level of suicide in military recruiters, in the last decade, I had some heart for them. Until reading this,....

[Babe Ruth]

Oh Gosh, would Uncle Sam's Army actually do this?

Is the Pope Catholic?

[Watchergnome01]

most of us do have morals... that being said the last 15 years have been filled with highs and lows for the us military, heck, the last 60 years have seen our military used as a mercenary group by the european nations via NATO agreement the the accursed U.N.

the only thing my recruiter lied to me about was the duties of the job i now hold, not as fun as the video made it out to be, oh well, still get to watch things blow up... no i have not killed anyone personally while serving in afghanistan, but i did know some of the people from our teams that died simply trying to keep the locals safe.

[Skep B]

I'm not trying to be cruel when I say this.

But these young, broke, uninformed people probably didn't have much else going on in their lives, or they wouldn't have been broke, uninformed, and in a military recruiting facility.

So, yes, send them to war. let them serve a purpose. In time they can work hard, move themselves up in rank to a life worth something, or they die in their service.

Morality is only so useful, especially when one of the major tenants of your job is to go fight a war for people who value success over anything else. You win, you do what it takes, even if it would turn some stomachs to hear about it.

While death is sad, it is a reality. People die, and in war an unfortunate amount of them do so.

[Rafterman]

Can I point out that the article shows the Army recruiting these "young, broke, uninformed" people at a university.

Somewhat flies in the face of what they're saying doesn't it?

[DecoNoir]

Congratulations kids, the Army isn't anything like your late night Call of Duty sessions! Jesus, what do they think they're signing up for? It the United States military, are they really shocked that it calls for getting shot at and having death around you constantly?

Should recruiters be getting bonuses for doing their job? **** no! And **** everybody who thinks they should! But this article is so unbelievably bias its bordering on satire! "Poor and illiterate" right above a pic of a recruiter at University, so they're letting illiterates into university? What am I doing here then? "Beaten, bloody ranks"? The author is aware that we've lost more in single days of battle than we have in the past 10 years right? Now each death is tragic, especially in a senseless conflict such as this, this article had me laughing. It was clearly cranked out in a metter of minutes to get hearts riled up and not minds.

And I'm sorry, but if your suprised that your getting shot at in the Army, you probably should be there.

[Agent0range]

Recruiters don't get bonuses for putting in recruits. They have a certain quota for each month, but missing it or exceeding it is used only for rating reports...

[Neognosis]

The latest scandal in the U.S. military - following hard on the sex, drugs, drinking and cheating ones - has implicated up to 1,200 Army recruiters for pocketing up to $100 million in bogus bonuses for signing up young, broke, ill-informed, otherwise unfortunate innocents

HAHAHAHAH!!!!

The "latest" scandal is that military recruiters are not completely honest in their portrayal of military life?

HAHAHAHA!!! Oh man, that is some comedy right there.

[Leonardo]

Can I point out that the article shows the Army recruiting these "young, broke, uninformed" people at a university.

Somewhat flies in the face of what they're saying doesn't it?

Not really. Some of the most uninformed (and broke) young people I have met have been university graduates.

Edited February 9, 2014 by Leonardo

[Rafterman]

Not really. Some of the most uninformed (and broke) young people I have met have been university graduates.

And some of the most intelligent (and wealthiest) young people I have met have been university graduates.

If I were a nefarious recruiter, I think I'd be setting up shop in the inner city or a truck stop in Appalachia, not a university.

[regeneratia]

most of us do have morals... that being said the last 15 years have been filled with highs and lows for the us military, heck, the last 60 years have seen our military used as a mercenary group by the european nations via NATO agreement the the accursed U.N.

the only thing my recruiter lied to me about was the duties of the job i now hold, not as fun as the video made it out to be, oh well, still get to watch things blow up... no i have not killed anyone personally while serving in afghanistan, but i did know some of the people from our teams that died simply trying to keep the locals safe.

Thank you so much for doing what you do. I cant understand why you would. But I certainly respect your willingness to do it, and to have put your life on the line. I respect the bottom-end military people, the ones who really actually put their lives on the line.

[regeneratia]

Recruiters don't get bonuses for putting in recruits. They have a certain quota for each month, but missing it or exceeding it is used only for rating reports...

Ands thus many, many kill themselves when they don't meet their quota.

[The Silver Thong]

When your job is to kill those you don`t even know, Morality goes out the window.

[Babe Ruth]

Morality is relative, and some consensus must appear.

Before that, the war was brought under fraud and infected many things, apparently including the recruiters. Ain't no surprise. Rotten war, rotten society.

[quiXilver]

Those who start wars, those who profit from wars... do not fight in them.

[Skep B]

That doesn't mean that those who fight in wars get nothing out of it.

[Xynoplas]

This is not new. NEVER trust your recruiter!

[Neognosis]

If I were a nefarious recruiter, I think I'd be setting up shop in the inner city or a truck stop in Appalachia, not a university.

I wonder if recruiters somehow get more credit for recruiting people with an education?

[Rafterman]

I wonder if recruiters somehow get more credit for recruiting people with an education?

I'm not sure how it works, but there may be quotas for certain specializations which would attract more intelligent recruits.

When I took the ASVAB in high school, I recall the Navy recruiter was all over my ass for nuke school.

[Skep B]

I had something similar w/ mine. I had calls from everyone for like 6 months.

[aquatus1]

It isn't directly for people with an education, however recruiters do get credit for filling harder to fill slots, which generally require people with greater education. When I first went, I got an ASVAB of 98%, and the recruiter was all but sending presents to my house. I wanted nuke school or SEAL (goes to show intelligence is not the same as wisdom), but as soon as it was discovered I was color-blind, I was offered Seaman, Fireman, or Airdale. Had I known then what I know now, I would have walked out of there the moment I saw the contract.

[The Krimson King]

That's why you do little research before you go to enlist. I got everything I asked for. I got the job I wanted, (AT on F/A-18 super hornets)and a 15,000 signing bonus for doing a extra year. So in 5 years I have done 4 tours been to 9 different countries and going to college for free. Can't complain to much there.

[regeneratia]

I'm not sure how it works, but there may be quotas for certain specializations which would attract more intelligent recruits.

When I took the ASVAB in high school, I recall the Navy recruiter was all over my ass for nuke school.

My ASVAB was good too, top in the class in mechanical. This was back in the late 70's. I had a recruiter going everywhere to see me in concerts and dramas and athletic events. But I knew, even then, that I was only being recruiting because I had good tits. I knew even then just what women meant to that age of the military. My dad chased him off, ... finally. He knew what a stacked female would mean to the military.

Edited February 10, 2014 by regeneratia

[Babe Ruth]

Regen

Good choice, not joining. At the very least the indoctrination would probably have crushed your independent spirit. Could have been worse than that.

[aquatus1]

That's why you do little research before you go to enlist. I got everything I asked for. I got the job I wanted, (AT on F/A-18 super hornets)and a 15,000 signing bonus for doing a extra year. So in 5 years I have done 4 tours been to 9 different countries and going to college for free. Can't complain to much there.

Yep, that's the wisdom part I was talking about. My second time through I was an AMDO (VFA-131). Two tours. War ended, decided to leave. On occasion, there's someone in here thinking of joining, and I try and make sure they know exactly what to look into prior to going to MEPS.