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***image1***Secretary of the Army Dr. Francis J. Harvey touched on recruiting issues during a recent visit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
The secretary said the feeling of pride in serving needs to be tapped to increase recruiting numbers.
Recruiting numbers have slipped recently, he said.
Meeting set goals becomes increasingly difficult as the Army raises them each year. The Army missed its February recruitment goal by 27 percent. The Army still has until the end of the fiscal year in September to reach its goal of 80,000 recruits – up 3,000 from last year.
“It’s about challenging people to become more innovative,” said Dr. Harvey. “To think outside of the box. We talk a lot about the numbers, but our Army’s main asset is the quality of its personnel.”
And the Army is keeping its personnel, especially those in theater. Retention rates have remained high, he said. Now it’s just a matter of getting new Soldiers signed up for duty.
To accomplish this goal, Dr. Harvey has a few ideas. One is to increase the number of recruiters from 9,000 to 12,000. He also plans to make it more attractive through increased enlistment bonuses and a plan to make a Soldier’s family life more stable.
The plan calls for active-duty Soldiers to deploy for one year and be home for two years before any new deployments arise. Reserve Soldiers would deploy one year out of four; and National Guardsmen would deploy one year out of five.
“We really are trying to give families more stability,” he said. “We want the kids to go to the same school for a longer time so they can be a part of the local community. Soldiers enlist. Families reenlist.”
Ultimately, however, it comes down to wanting to serve your country – a notion that Dr. Harvey wants leaders to stress at every level.
“We have got to emphasize the value of service,” he said. “The leaders of Congress and business have got to say, ‘Serving the country is a noble thing to do.’”
Purple Hearts
During his visit, the secretary presented two Purple Heart to badly wounded Soldiers and visiting patients. One patient in particular made a noticeable impression on Dr. Harvey.
Sgt. Jacque Ballay, a member of the Louisiana National Guard, lost his left eye to a piece of shrapnel. His spirits, however, remained buoyed by the pride he felt serving his country in a hot spot.
“The courage of our servicemembers never ceases to amaze me,” said Dr. Harvey. “Soldiers like this really inspire me. They realize they are part of something bigger than themselves. They are breaking the cycle of terror.”
