Comments on: Why Are Army Recruiters Committing Suicide?

By: Fred Stopsky

Fred Stopsky — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:29:13 +0000

My sincere condolences for what you have experienced. God bless you and your family.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:34:54 +0000

My son was a recruiter who committed suicide about 6 months into the job. He failed to make mission the first couple of months mostly for reasons like kids who hid their rap sheets or couldn’t make a minimum score on the test, etc. He tried to get reassigned back to his or another infantry unit. But then he made it one month and the next so he realized they weren’t gonna let him go. He worked hard at it. But the comment that stuck out for me was that in Iraq it was “one for all” and in recruiting it is “every man for himself”. He could tell an 18 year old boy what he wanted to hear but it was harder to talk to their mothers. Finally, with the long hours, lack of friends, a break up with a girl and being really sick with the flu he took a TheraFlu hot toddy and more vodka on top of that, took out medals and a commendation and put his revolver to his head. When that grey sedan pulled up to my home the next Monday, when he had not reported to work and some poor soldier had to go to his apt, I told them they must be wrong. My life has been a deep hole ever since.

By: Fred Stopsky

Fred Stopsky — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 06:05:29 +0000

Of course, army recruiters stay away from high schools in high income areas of America.

By: journeyer58

journeyer58 — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:50:34 +0000

I have a friend who was an Army recruiter for many years. He was typically at any event where there was young people and they were receptive to him on a personal level.
However, he spent many hours away from home doing a thankless job and sometimes as is the case, telling “white lies,” to get younger men and women to join the military.
While I agree that the military needs representatives to showcase the careers that are
available to those so inclined, in a time of war/conflict, the recruiters job is the most reprehensible of all the jobs in the military.
Should someone approach any of your children,
or any young person, regarding the joining of them to the military, shout, scream, and let it be known that you are against the military’s tactics of persuading young people to join.