Recruiters Lie.

[CavTrooper]

My recruiter didn't lie to me. Marine Corps boot camp was just like camping, man! And he didn't steal my blues, or pork a number of h.s. chickidies while in the billet.

Naw...didn't happen!

Cavtrooper - you shouldn't admonish someone for painting with too broad of a brush if you intend to do the same in return. I don't presume to claim that you lie, but don't use yourself as a representation of all recruiters.

Youre talking about CRIMINAL acts here, did you report this stuff?

[MiniFan]

When I joined the army I SPECIFICALLY wanted to be a tanker. I asked my recruiter A NUMBER of times. "Are you posative I'm not too tall" I'm 6'5'' and he told me over and over theres no hieght requirement. Sure enough when I go to sign my final papers I had to change MOS. Later he told me that he thought I met the requirment and I reminded him he siad "there was no requirement". LIE! Anyway. Its not you man so don't take offense but there all a majority of recruiters telling people what they want to hear.

[wcnones]

Youre talking about CRIMINAL acts here, did you report this stuff?

Dude was already in jail. Jag corps said "Sorry SSgt, we'll let the civvies handle this one."

Found out when I stopped by to pick up my blues about two weeks after I finished hometown recruiting. I think this was back in 95 or 96, and I'd be interested in finding out what amounted with the slob.

You're Army -- dunno if it is the same setup, but from what I can recall the way the Corps works B-billets like recruiting and whatnot is as follows: upon a Marine's first re-enlistment, said Marine *should* begin thinking about what B-billet is most preferred: drill field, recruiting, or embassy guard. If a Marine knows that the drill field is "destiny", a pre-emptory request can be made to go to the drill field; same with the other two choices.

For the Marine who puts off making a decision, Quantico will make one depending upon what field needs slots filled the most. When I was in, that was always the recruiting field.

I don't doubt that your job is one of the hardest in the service - and I would agree that the bad recruiters bleed so much over onto the good ones that just one bad can taint all the hundreds of good. It is a real bummer, and all I can offer is my best wishes for your remaining time on the job, and that once back with the regular Army you are a couple stripes-n-rockers heavier and beaming a nice big smile.

Keep up the good work - our Armed Forces need you to!

[cyphr02]

Anybody that feels lied to by a recruiter needs to do one simple thing... learn how to get it in writing. I scored very highly on the ASVAB as was being contacted by recruiters constantly. Army promised to have me flying helos, Air Force promised to have me gunning on an AC-130, Navy said I'd be in BUDS in no time, but would any of them put it in writing? NO WAY! I actually had the highest respect for the USMC recruiter, he told me I'd get a rifle and could earn my way to wherever I wanted to go.

[Prowler]

It's true that most Recruiters don't lie, however there are some that do. USN Recruiter lied and forged my parents signature on some documents when my brother joined in 1976. My dad took it in his hands to speak with his Congressman. The Recruiter's tour was terminated and re-deployed to another location. I don't know if that was the end of it, or if he was disciplined further. Additionally, he did lie about a specific billet/MOS and said my brother was good to go. He never got the billet and was transferred into a secondary billet/MOS. Very disappointing to say the least. What we've all learned, or should learn, is that whatever it is that you want, or believe that you're getting into, ALWAYS GET IT IN WRITING. PERIOD. I have two USAF Recruiters and one USN Recruiter as clients. They're honest and good people. For the most part, they're honest, just like we should be. There's always some A-hole somewhere that's lying, but that's the exception and not the rule.

[AJAX22]

While most recruiters play it straight, there are still a portion of them who bend the truth significantly.

I've had classes with a number of former servicemen who had their recruiters misrepresent the extent that the GI bill covered college expenses.

Many also gloss over the fact that they can recall you to active duty for a number of years afterward and can extend the active duty period beyond that which you think you are signing up for.

There are a bunch of dirty tricks used by some recruiters (some, not all or even a majority)

That being said, there are also some really really good recruiters who can help you out significantly.

My father's recruiter was able to get him into the submarine electronics school for two years without having him extend his enlistment period and was able to keep him stationed stateside assigned to a destroyer instead of sending him to vietnam.

[strangerdude]

the recruiters that were at my high school were all liars and there was even some drama were one of the recruits was messing around with a girl that attended my school. I find it hard to believe that all recruiters are honest, there have been undercover investigations and testimonials by prior service recruiters.

[Fjold]

When I joined the Navy I told my recruiter that I wanted to be a Machinist. He looked through the catalog and said "Here it is, Machinist Mate". Then he said, "Look they have a Nuclear Machinist Mate that guarantees you E-3 right out of boot" (He didn't mention that he got double credit for recruiting Nukes).

When I go to my Class A school, I asked "Where are the lathes?" They said "Shut up and take apart this valve"

In defense of my recruiter, he was a second class Postal Clerk with 16 years of service so he probably had an IQ of 70.

[chris]

The next f**kstick that posts this comment better come with hard evidence.

Im a detailed recruiter, Ive never lied to an applicant, its not worth it and I dont care enough to lie to someone.

ALSO, the National Guard and the AD Army are two different animals, please do not equate the two.

Im working on starting a campaign to have NG Soldiers wear " NATIONAL GUARD" name tapes instead of "US ARMY"... I think itll help keep things in perspective. That and to have them wear thier own damn unit patches when they deploy, nothing pisses me off more than a NG Soldier wearing a 101st or 3ID patch, when they know good and well they were never in that unit. Yeah, yeah, I ran tons of missions and was under the command of other units that have super cool guy patches, but i would never dare put one on... Why? because I was in the 3ID!!! You joined the Guard, be proud, wear your own damn patch!

dude chill out. AD is just as if not more screwed up than Reserve or Guard. i saw in theater and laughed all the time at them. why because the people that thought they were squared away were jacked up that came to to TTP's and SOP's in the AO (Area of Operations) yep it's true it goes both ways. get over it. in my 20 yrs as a Reservist and i don't get a F about it. i learned from AD guys when i first got in of what not to do and how not to look and act. never got any crap from anyone in theater. so i guess i was taught well and knew what to do.

as for patches i earned what patch i wear PERIOD!!!! yep it's a cool patch and yes i will always say this as i said to the team chief to pass on the guys. "It was and honor and a privalege to serve and go on missions with you guys" i considered myself extrememly lucky to recieve the respect and trust of the ODA team i worked with. they were cool guys to boot. oh yeah before i forget they were National Guard SF. and they knew more about what was goin on than the AD brigade.

so i will continue to wear my patch(s) that i choose to wear and there are a few from my year in Iraq. it's my choice which one but i wear the one in my sig since i consider that the patch i earned while i was there.

so chill on the patches and beating up the Guard and Reserve i know you did not mention it but we are the same and supporting a large portion of Combat Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. get used to it.

and yes there are some really messed up Reseve and Guard commands. i know this becuase my Guard BN was a joke and a bunch of idiots that is the BN Commmander and the useless POS CSM.

[Whitesmoke]

Besides...at least half of the NG guys used to be regular army. One of my good friends went to basic as NG and we were in the same NG Infantry Company...then he decided to go regular army and is now a E-7 in SF.

Granted...there are some lame NG units out there.....mostly due to lack of experienced leadership.

[Dutch]

For what it is worth...

The USMC and USN recruiters that I dealt with were very honset with me - based on what I know now after umpteen years of service. They both helped me alot...I walked into the USMC office to be a medic in the Corps (I liked their commercials better than than the Army's at that time)....I did not know that the USMC did not have their own medical assets....the Marine walked me over to the USN recruiter and said something like "...this guy wants to be a Doc....can you make him one?".......after a few weeks of hemming and hawing (my recruiter told me there was no promise that I would be able to serve with the Marines)....I decided to join the Navy, I figured I could always join the Army if the Navy did not work out and I did not get an opportunity to do field work like I wanted to. During one of my periodic visits with the recruiter while awaiting departure to boot camp, I bumped into the Marine recruiter who a friend in his office - a Corpsman he was stationed with at one time from where ever. The Corpsman talked to me and gave me insight about navigating the Navy sytem through "A" school and attending field medical service school - his advice worked well (basically it was "no doesn't really ever mean no"...keep hounding people and trying to prove yourself until you get what you want)...anyways...the point is - My recruiter(s) were stand up guys and the USN recruiter SM2 Robert Fix even tried to learn about the FMF Corpsman pipeline to give me more knowledge ebfore I left......I have nothing but respect for the guys that were involved in my recruiting process.

[6172crew]

I did the ol' recruiter assist for 70 or days, my recruiter told me to not lie to the folks as it will bite him later.

My recruiter never lied to me..just omitted a few things?...(WTH is jokers wild and squad bay east/west?

[chris]

Besides...at least half of the NG guys used to be regular army. One of my good friends went to basic as NG and we were in the same NG Infantry Company...then he decided to go regular army and is now a E-7 in SF.

Granted...there are some lame NG units out there.....mostly due to lack of experienced leadership.

if i may add to that. it also is a result of leadership not listening to those with experience.

[anthonyca]

My recruiter did not lie to me in any way. He even showed me his pay stub (I can't remember what they were called) and how his ex wife and kids got much of it. The only thing he may have lied about was Be ALL YOU CAN BE was his favorite song.

I would like to find him. I remember he told me to pick 52C air conditioning and when I got out someone would say. We work on air conditioning for IBM and we like that you learned some about our trade in the ARMY. It went that way when I was hired but it was SGI was our big account not IBM.

That missirable reception sergent is still burned into my mind. "I don't want to hear about hour your #$*&^$% recruiter lied to your dumb #@% or how you want to kill your self"!!!!!!!!!!!! As we sat in that room with no sleep.

[76231b]

before I joined the army I was talking to a Marine recruiter. He was very pushy and just wanted to focus on getting me to MEPS to DEP in rather than answer my questions I had. After about 2 meetings of that I just went over to the Army office. The army recruiters were all very nice and never lied to me once. I still talk to my old recruiter now and then.