Be honest, and no reasonable person should have a problem with what you do.
Why the hatred for recruiters?
They don’t shanghai the kids.
The kids still have parents or friends to counsel them.
Bear_Nenno good luck and don’t let the pressure to recruit compromise your morals. Most kids will only need a small push if they have bothered to contact you. We current and ex-servicemen only bitch about recruiters so we have someone to blame besides ourselves for getting into something we didn’t expect.
Jim
Sorry, I wasn’t clear above. I didn’t expect that you’d get out of the two years. Just the third when you re-up. Sort of a compromise position – I’ll do what you want for the remainder of my current stint, but if you want to keep me then I get what I want in order to sign on for another tour of duty. I imagine that after a year or two of recruiting you’ll know how to play this game very well.
But what would being perfectly honest entail for a recruiter?
From everything I read on this board (including from people who are very happy to have served), potential recruits are just fed…err… untruths about what they should expect.
Even mere salesmen are expected not to be fully honest with potential customers (when was the last time you heard a salesman saying : “in your case, you’d be better off not buying my vacuum cleaner. Besides, did you even read closely the fine print at the bottom of the contract?”). And enlisting has much direr consequences than buying a crappy copier.
I was using the standard definition of honesty, which means no “untruths”. If Bear_Nenno lies to his recruits, then IMHO it’s reasonable for SDMB members, and the public at large, to have a problem with what he’s doing. Otherwise, no.
I don’t want to hijack this thread into a debate about whether it’s OK to lie to recruits, so I’ll leave it at that. If you want to discuss it further, perhaps a new GD thread might be in order. (I may or may not participate in GD thread, depending on my schedule)
Well, when I was recruited into the Navy, my recruiter was pretty honest with me. And while he did try to show me a big shiny apple, he certainly didn’t try to call it an orange.
As for the contract, I had to read every paragraph and sign every page.
Right now I am actually chatting with my friend online. She could not figure out why I was not happy because it sounded like something great. And trying to explain it to her in terms an ESL Korean could understand, I said, “bear_nenno: because, like I was trying to tell your father: I am a combat soldier. My heart lies in leading troops into combat, not behind a desk”
Frankly, I think that’s all there is to it. I simply don’t want an office or desk job. Especially not at my age! That’s what someone does when they get ready for retirement or something. At least, that was my view on it.
Now I can understand those scenes where the old scruffy cop in the movie doesn’t want to leave his street job to go sit behind a desk. . .
Well, Cha-HA! This is a very unpopular war. They’ve been recycling soldiers ever since this debacle began. The military OWNS you until they say otherwise. And if I’m not mistaken, they can cut you loose and call you back MANY years later if they feel like it. It blows moose udders in hell.
Not all recruiters are bad. My recruiter was very honest about everything. If I had a question, he’d answer without hesitation. But he was a Air Force recruiter and I already decided to join even before I spoke with him, so that may have had something to do with it.
Kalhoun, you are mistaken. The military cannot come and get me, for instance. My obligation has been met.
Other people may not have met their obligation of combined active and reserve service, and could get activated.
This is what confuses a lot of people, who assume that you just join the military for four years and then leave. The minimum commitment is actually eight years, some of which is usually served in an inactive reserve status. During wartime (and sure enough, we are in a war) that reserve can be activated.
It isn’t until the military says otherwise, it is until the contract is up.
HA!! That was pretty funny until I noticed this:
In case anyone is paying attention at home, that should be 7 Years instead of 2. Not 5. Wow! You’re right. I hope to god they dont have math on those tests.
hmmmmm… enlisted three last month two the month prior, and 1 this month. what is the av-er-age for the month… hhmmmmm lets see… carry the 1, … reciprical… errr numbers…
I saw a thing on 60 Minutes or something like that. They re-activated someone who served many, many years prior. Are you saying that person just did the four years and still had an additional 4 to go?
I liked my recruiter, he never lied to me like so many stories I’ve heard.
There’s lots of things he could have told and didn’t, but he never lied. A good guy.
What I don’t understand is why you are re-upping in January with two years left on your current hitch?
That would be this story, I suppose.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/03/60minutes/main658994.shtml
And it appears that these soldiers were members of the IRR (aka inactive reserve) as I was until mid-2001.
I wasn’t aware that officers had to resign their commissions to leave the IRR. That wouldn’t have been briefed to me, as I was an enlisted man.
Clearly, that was news to others as well.
I don’t want to get into a big debate about that in this forum, but the long and short of it is that military members in IRR status can be activated.
I believe that enlisted and commission have different terms of service. I know the enlisted is free and clear after their inactive duty is completed.
I don’t know the rules for officers and especially Flag Officers. I was given the impression that a Flag officer is always at the call of the Country.
Do you have anymore details on the 60 minutes piece?
Jim
On the up side, when you complete the recruiting assignment, there is a chance you will get a posting of your choice for the next gig. As a recruiter, you will have access to the current needs of the Big Green Machine, and so might be able to slot yourself another cushy spot for the rest of your term.
Give him a break swampbear, he’s a killer, not an accountant! 
Maybe Bear_Nenno could focus on his killin’ skills–courtesy of Th’Army, of course–to make the job more alluring to hotheaded young foax who want to kill infidels for the glory of it all. If they end up in combat they might get the enlightenment we need more Americans to have to keep us out of future (senseless) wars while simultaneously getting the war-drum-beaters onto the battlefield where they belong. Everybody wins.
Haul 'em in Nenno! It’s good for you to get experience in a field you think you’d hate.
I think your title should have been proved to be completely untrue by now. 
Luck to you and serve your country well. hugs
I remember that one of the interviews was an older woman. I’m not sure if she was in the reserves or active duty or what. This was possibly 6 months to a year ago. There were people who were well into middle age being called up. I’m talking decades after their original service was completed.
I empathize with your frustration and disappointment, but I know you’ll turn this into a positive opportunity, and as you said, be the best recruiter Army has ever seen. Good luck, Bear_Napples!