Monday, October 03, 2005

Out of my way

Ah, what a good day. There are three people who's work inspired me to start my little blog here.

Jack Army.

Kevin at Command T.O.C.

The final one recently quipped in on my comments. IRR Soldier.

I doubt that anyone who would find and read my scribblings is unfamiliar w/ the IRR. Except maybe my mom (Hi mom! Astros rule!). So for her I'm including this little primer. The Individual Ready Reserve is, for lack of a smarter description, a man-power pool. It's made up of all the Soldiers who are waiting to ship out (DEP/RDEP), in ROTC, Retired but not yet to retirement age, and Soldiers who have served their contractual obligation but still have a remaining service obligation (the second number in a 6x2 contract). They are Soldiers who are supposed to be available to fill in any manpower shortages that cannot be made up any other way.

In the recruiting world a paper contract is someone who the Army Reserve recruiter (only AGR recruiters can write these contract) takes from the IRR and transfers them into a TPU. It's called a paper contract because a trip to MEPS isn't required. Hell, it would be possible to do the entire contract over the fax with no face-to-face time required.

As a recruiter I like paper contracts. They're quick, they're relativly easy, and they count as a PS contract. Prior to becoming a recruiter I was a PSNCO for a couple reserve units. As a PSNCO I liked paper contracts because they were already available. They had completed their MOS training so, for Unit Status Report (USR) purposes they were available for deployment. NCO paper contracts were the best because they tended to be someone who you could put right into a leadership position. They weren't always MOSQ, but hey, they're an NCO, you don't need to be DMOSQ to know how to lead. As a Soldier coming from the IRR into a TPU I'd prefer it. An affiliation bonus, continued advancement, and, damnit, I'm a real Soldier again, not some pogue collecting 15 retirement points a year.

IRR Soldier disagrees.

"There are no more 'good gigs' in the USAR or nondeployable units. Units nondeployable, yes, individuals, no. Soldiers are getting cross-levelled left and right from TDA USAR units to go downrange. To suggest otherwise is denying raelity (SSG B: his typo, not mine. I make plenty of my own thankyouverymuch)."

Any job within the Army is a "good gig". You're serving your country. All those people walking around, clueless to the pain, suffering, and fear known through much of the world, owe that to YOU. The fact that we get paid pretty well to do so is just ice cream with my cake. He is right that there are no more non-deployable individuals. Everyone in the Army, excluding some medical conditions, is deployable. I'm a recruiter. I'm going NO WHERE. I'm, technically, deployable, but I'm not being let out of USAREC until they're gotten their time out of me. Drill Sergeants are in a similar situation. They're not going anywhere. So, yes, IRR Soldier is right that a DS is deployable. However it is highly unlikely that they will be deployed.

"Secondly, your post misportrays what happens with an IRR recall. From the IRR, you have due process rights and the right to appeal your mobilization all the way to the Army G-1 before ever even having to report or put on BDUs/ACUs. Even if you lose your appeals, an IRR recall can stall the mobilization for 10-12 months to get their life back in order. In a TPU - you have NO rights. You go when and where they tell you ... there are no appeals. If you are, say, in a NY DS unit and get cross-levelled to New Mexicao - too bad - you have no say."

I'm sure the Army G1 loves to deal with every private who "objects" to a transfer. Let me guess, when you were at Basic you were one of those baracks lawyers who knew how everything worked.

In a TPU unit you have a chain of command who knows you. Who is able to fight for you if you don't want to be cross-leveled. And even if they fail, you are still able to contact the unit you're going to and build some connections so you're not going into a totally unfamiliar situation. You still have no say when being involuntarily transferred from the IRR. All you're able to do is hopefully delay your transfer. Maybe. I'd still prefer to know the people I'll be deploying with and being in a TPU allows that.

"Anyone who is INFORMED about what is going on in the USAR personnel arena would take their chances in the IRR any day over a TPU.
FYI, I've been IRR for 3.5 years now and have gotten 3 good years, always performed an AT and 'stayed current' without playing 'Rumsfeld Roulette' on a daily basis in a TPU."

Anyone who is a SOLDIER would rather be doing what a Soldier does. Going to ATs like some sort of lamprey and hoping to find enough correspondance courses to make up the difference doesn't strike me as being a Soldier.

Am I alone in simply tuning someone out the moment they show signs of Bush Derangement Syndrome? Honestly dude, you were making some seriously good points. I think you're wrong, but that doesn't mean I can't see some wisdom in what you said. But the moment I saw that "Rumsfeld Roulette" thing I stopped. Yes, it is alllllllllll Rumsfeld's fault. He's sitting at DoD looking over rosters going "Eeny-meeny-miney-moe, tell this Soldier it's their turn to go."

"Paper contracts to nothing for the Army ... they only save recruiters asses."

As SFC Chairborne said "What's wrong with saving recruiter's asses?"

SFC C's point was valid to me no matter what. But a paper contract puts another SOLDIER BACK IN BOOTS! It's one more person there to cover your ass. It's my JOB to put qualified people into the Army. Someone who is already in the Army sounds pretty damned qualified to me. If you object to me doing my job. Fine. I really don't care. Luckily for me I'm not reliant upon IRR Soldier manning up and signing the 4187.

I love the whole Counter Recruiter movement. It's ammo. I can show prospects they shallow, self-centered people who think what they're doing in checking out the Army is stupid. I can show they "Hey, you see these websites? They are all people who want to see you, your friends, and their friends drafted." Cause that's what happens when people don't volunteer.

I don't want that.

The all-volunteer force has shown itself to be the most effecive, efficient, and deadly fighting force the world has ever known. It relies people who are willing to put a greater good ahead of their own wants and needs. Someone who is willing to make a commitment like that, and follow through on that commitment for 2, 4, 8, 20 years is an exceptional human being. Worthy of all the praise and honor accorded to our veterans. I am proud of my function in the Army to find these people. I might not always approve of the system that supports me in that mission, but I am proud to do that mission.

I look at it like this. As a recruiter my job is to find people who want to serve. It is my job to take these men and women and make them into better people. To make them into Soldiers. By doing so I am helping better their lives, as well as all the lives that they will affect during their service. By putting people into the Army I am making the world a slightly better place. The counter recruiter movement wants to accomplish the exact opposite.

As a recruiter I have more passion, desire, and will to do good in my cheap tin-plated silver badge than the entire counter recruiter movement has in their... whatever. I have no fear of my job being made impossible by some nip-picking nabob with an axe to grind. The only people affected by counter recruiters are people who weren't going to join anyway. Unless you want to grab a LRL and start smilin' and dialin', or come into a recruiting station, get some leads cards, and find me someone who wants to know about the Army, get out of my way. I've got a job to do.


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