The Army has launched an investigation into claims by the parents of a young soldier from Utah that recruiters used false promises and forged documents to enlist him.
The 17-year-old was recruited from a youth prison in Ogden.
In a coincidence of timing, a Congressional report was released today detailing hundreds of complaints of recruiting irregularity and fraud.
In the Utah case, is it fraud or just a homesick kid who wants to come home?
To take the oath and join the military, a 17-year-old must have parental approval in writing. Steve Price of Brigham City was barely 17 when he enlisted last January. He was recruited while serving time at a youth prison in Ogden.
He's now a PFC at Ft. Stewart Georgia. He told us by phone, he believes his parents' approval signatures were forged.
Pfc.Steven Price: "I want out. Right now. It's all, it's all bull. It's all a game. It's terrible."
How desperate must our military be to recruit a teenager out of a youth prison and then falsify the documents? I keep hearing the right wing bloggers talking about the millitary meeting their recruitment goals without a problem. I think that this dispells that particular lie.
I truly doubt that this kid had any idea what he was getting into. He probably only thought about getting out of prison and did not consider what life in the military might be like for somebody like him.
And what kind of a soldier will he make anyway? Would you want to be in his battalion?
Hey, his parents probably did sign, in the all too common mistaken belief that it will sort him out. It can actually work in some cases (which props up the myth). I have the idea that here in australia we reject applicants for military service if they have a bad record, if you have a conviction some period of clean record is required. All australian military personnell are full time soldiers, we do have an army reserve system where civvies (voluntarily)do 2 weeks training a year during their normal work time but they would not be called on for duties overseas.
ReplyDelete