Why are there so many recruitment ads?

[AJandmac]

Because they will ALWAYS be recruiting. They will ALWAYS need volunteers. People think the economy is making people sign up by the thousands for military service? No. People may need jobs, but not everyone can handle the prospect of being away from their families, and putting their life on the line for their country. Sure, the military has seen a slight hike, but even a spokesman for the Army’s Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, KY when asked earlier this year if he thought the economy was a factor for high enlistment, Douglas Smith said it had “a small amount to do with it ... but not a major impact.” (1)

Besides, the Army also knows the upcoming selections of potential recruits is looking grave with high obesity rates and poor educational scores. As is, (published just this year) 25% of prospective recruits do not pass the ASVAB and with higher than ever rates of poor test scores coming from high schools across the nation, this is projected to only get worse. And right now, more than 9 million Americans of prime recruiting age exceed the military's weight limits. Bad news for our future. (2)

And finally, the Army just rolled out a lot of money on their new social networking campaigns in an attempt to reach young people in the more tech savvy generation. Why would they spend that money if they weren't recruiting? (3)