[Commanders] just see the soldier and maybe the family, but chaplains have this ability to take a more holistic approach to the organization and the soldier. Chaplains have the big picture. |
It is dramatically different now in terms of how they respond and the number of survivor benefits. They really embrace the family. |
The research tells us that in the 17-21 year-old group that are qualified for service, health, weight limits, criminal records, educational achievement and language requirements take a heavy toll on the potential list of recruits. Couple these factors with the fact that increasing numbers of kids are going to college instead, and then throw in an active war, and the pool becomes very limited. |
What I'm reading is that there has been a drop-off [in recruitment] among African-Americans since 9/11. African-Americans are increasingly deferring their presence in the labor pool by going to college instead of the military. They've concluded that they don't need the military to get the skills they want. |