Jenn im audible11/14/2023 ![]() The Ranger insignia, with all its prestige and grit, was helpful. Once his possible new recruit is out of earshot, Spearman turns to his colleague, smiling. Let's make a difference."Īs Arends walks away, Spearman turns to Owen. "I got you on Instagram," he tells Arends. Spearman just might have another recruit. And he's also an infantry man," Spearman tells Arends. "I wrote a $214,000 check to a high school girl last year."Īs Arends continues to hesitate, Spearman pulls over one of his colleagues, Capt. ![]() That sucks real bad," says Spearman, who points to college assistance for those willing to sign up. "But they don't pay you to wrestle," Spearman counters. Our Army Rangers are out there in the fight."Īrends is still reluctant. You want to be in the fight? Our Green Berets are out there in the fight. "They're a force-on-force conflict type people. I've never seen a Marine out there fighting, man," Spearman says in a rapid fire delivery. "I've had three deployments with a Special Forces group. Spearman has pulled over college student Landon Arends from Iowa, who says he's leaning toward the Marines because he wants to see some combat. The 'tough guy' approach isn't going awayĪnd while the Army is plugging personal development today and service, and playing down combat to attract female recruits, that "tough guy" approach isn't totally going away. Grace thinks those numbers are pretty good. So far Harmony is one of some 25 potential recruits here who have requested a formal interview, another 750 have asked for more information. ![]() "Or like the guys are going to be intimidating and everything and I might not be able to stand a chance."īut she wants to join and become a medic and get a $50,000 bonus. "They say like I'm going to be treated more differently than the guys," she says. One possible recruit, Harmony Cook, says her friends are worried about it when she talks about joining the military. "For me personally, I've never experienced it," says Sgt. "I've never experienced anything like that," she says. Khrysten Grace, who commands all the recruiters, played that down. Last year, the Army saw a nine percent drop in reports of sexual assault - but the year earlier, there was a 26 percent increase in reports involving soldiers. Beyond that, sexual harassment and assault are still a persistent problem. She'll tell them her own story to put them at ease.īut that all leads to another hurdle in recruiting: Army surveys show some 20 percent of women questioned were wary of joining, saying they'll be discriminated against. "A lot of them they just got here from Mexico or different countries." I kind of relate to them," she says with a laugh. ![]() She's standing nearby at a card table, covered with brochures, lanyards and dog tags. Lacson's family came from the Philippines. 1st Class Nouella Lacson to talk to them. So how is the military trying to make up for those lost numbers? They're increasingly turning to who recently arrived in the United States - and hiring more immigrant recruits like Sgt. A recent Pentagon study found less than one quarter of America's youth would qualify for military service without a waiver, because they're overweight, have criminal records or mental or physical health problems. Because one thing we heard repeatedly from the young people who were interested: "It's just something I've always wanted to do."īut even if you're ready to sign up, you might not make the cut. It's a clever device, getting the idea in their heads early. The boy is already a pro - it's basically a video game. He maneuvers a small, tracked Army robot around a series of plastic highway cones, using a monitor to simulate what it's like to control these in the field. Jenn Ackerman for NPR Army recruitment at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, Minn., on August 31.Ī young boy works a handheld remote under the guidance of a recruiter. And the pandemic kept recruiters out of high schools - prime locations for finding future soldiers. Two big reasons it hasn't met recruitment targets? The Army is in a war for talent with a strong economy offering good jobs and benefits. This year is better but still short by some 10,000. Because the Army is struggling to fill its ranks. "Win your girl a T-shirt, man! It's like the ultimate fair story!" "No? Pull ups? Nothing?" Spearman presses. The guys in the crowd grin at him but shake their heads. I'm so serious, dude! Deadlift challenge!" "Hey! You know what's good? Eating all the fair snacks and come work it off. Soon he eyes his prey: a cluster of young men. Families with strollers, couples with just-won stuffed animals, elderly fair goers in motorized wheelchairs. He's watching the endless stream of humanity flow past him at the Minnesota State Fair. He's a brawny soldier in a black T-shirt, his left arm covered in tattoos. Joshua Spearman grips the metal bench and eyes the crowd through his dark, wraparound sunglasses.
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