THOSE LYIN' SOBs!

frisco-kid · #1 09-02-2002, 03:01 AM

When I went to see an Army recruiter to enlist, I told him that I wanted to be a Green Beret. He told me, "Not a problem." He said, that because all SF were parachute qualified, that I would have to enlist "Airborne: Unassigned." He went on to say that while I was in Basic Training, a Special Forces recruiter would show up to to tell us about their program and ask for volunteers. I was 18yrs. old and signed on the dotted line.

About our 4th or 5th week of Basic Training, and a few weeks after my 19th birthday, the SF recruiter shows up. A 1st Lt.. He gives a great spiel about the program, and I want to be in it more than ever. I'm one of the first up to volunteer.

The first thing he asks is "How old are you, son?"
When I tell him that I'm barely 19, he shakes his head and says "Sorry. You have to be 21, or 20 with a waiver."
I tell him about my enlistment and what my recruiter had told me, like this was going to make a difference.
"He should have told you the age requirement," he says.

I've always believed that recruiter knew the age requirement, and kept it from me. I would have enlisted as a paratrooper anyway, but I've always resented having been lied to.

So, how many of you other RAs/enlistees were misled, or flat-out lied to, by your recruiters? Did you regret your choice of MOS? Did you try to, or succeed in changing it? If you were drafted, do you wish you had enlisted instead of waiting to be drafted? Why?

PHO127 · #2 09-02-2002, 10:06 AM

But I did't know SF would recruit from basic. It was always my impression that you had to be E-4 and above and volunteer on a reenlistment.

colmurph · #3 09-02-2002, 11:08 AM

in 1966-1968 I had a demo team made up of folks out of ODA- B-10 from D Co. 3d SF and we used to go over to "Old Division" (basic training area) once a week to put on a demo at the Theater there for basic trainees. I think that they were in their 3 or 4th week of the cycle. I think the idea was to seed the idea in their heads, looking for volunteers 3 years "down the road" from the ones who re-enlisted. None of them went directly to SF from AIT as far as I know.

TheOldSarge · #4 09-02-2002, 11:48 AM

Recruiters lie!? lol When did ya ever meet one that WOULDN'T resort to lies when the "opportunity" presented itself? lol

The Old Sarge

xgrunt · #5 09-02-2002, 12:31 PM

where you and a friend could enlist and go thru Basic together. So Mike Smith and I did enlist for 3 yrs on that plan. I was going thru 11B basic and AIT then Ft. Benning for NCO[shake and bake} school. mike was going into the Combat Engineers. So we are at the reporting center in Atlanta Ga waiting on our travel orders, when his name is called to load up for Basic at Ft. L Wood , and mine is called to load up for Ft Jackson S.C.. SoI i go to the NCO in charge and tell him there must be some mistake we were on the Buddy Plan, his reply was the ultimate truth in life You GOT NO buddies. Next time I saw Mike was 3 yrs later I was home from Nam, he we was back from Germany. But when I landed at my basic unit platoon, it was already half-filled by a National Guard unit from Atlanta and there was an old High School Gymnasitcs team member and upperclasssman "67" and "69" for me. So FTA I did go thru Basic with a "Buddy". xgrunt

:cl: Thanks for being there ,Jimmy Wilson, Towers High 1967.

1CAVCCO15MED · #6 09-02-2002, 12:55 PM

When I got out of the army. I had run out of money for school so I enlisted to get job training. I wanted medical lab tech but during my physical I was found to be very color blind. I was told the only jobs I could do in the army were journalist, aerial photo interpretation (cammo uses colors, without it you can see shapes better) and x-ray tech. I enlisted for a guaranteed MOS, x-ray. What I found out was the only thing guaranteed was a date to start school. If you for any reason didn't make it to that date all bets were off. In basic I endured an abcessed tooth, what I later found out to be a collpsed lung and an inability to pass the PT test. I had run track in high school so I always maxed the running but my arms were rather flabby. I finally just got in the line of those that had passed when nobody was looking. I got what I enlisted for but with much difficulty. In the end, though, I was unable to do what I wanted to do with college. I had my brain rather stirred in Vietnam and was emotionally able only to do college with great dificulty. It took me ten years to graduate, taking some courses as many as five times. I took Nursing because it was the thing I knew the most about up front and felt I could make it. I did. Vietnam changed my life in that it took away my ability to focus. I have already said I would do the same thing again. Vietnam was the place I feel I did the greatest good in my life. The recruiter? I was never lied to.

sfc_darrel · #7 09-02-2002, 03:44 PM

You just scared the heck out of me. When I started reading your post, I thought you might be someone I know.

My boyfriend was 17, his brother was 18 and his brother's best friend all joined the Marines on the buddy plan. They were told that they'd go to boot camp together but only one would be sent to Vietnam.

They all went. My boyfriend's brother got blown off a truck/tank (not sure) with a radio on his back and spent several months in the hospital. My boyfriend went through without any visible scars. I don't remember what happened to Mike Smith.

Joy

frisco-kid · #8 09-02-2002, 10:57 PM

You're right. After several of us that was interested in the program talked to the LT., that was how it worked. Actually, I don't think it was anyone below an E-5 in SF. The recruiter didn't tell any of this. I don't believe he didn't know any of it. He led me to believe that all I had to do was enlist Airborne, and I could get into SF further down the line later. Like any good salesman, only told me what I wanted to hear. Of course, I didn't stay that naive for too long after I was in. That wasn't the last time that somebody tried to blow smoke up my ass in the Army. Didn't stay 18 and dumb forever.

When my son made the decision to go into the military, I pointed him toward the Air Force. The uniforms were ugly [look like bus drivers]

, but the living conditions and chow was ALOT better.

PHO127 · #9 09-03-2002, 05:11 AM

From death by dad, Phillip is my youngest and most trouble. He was flunking HS because he was bored, and not challenged. After several tense moments in our lives Phillip came home one day and announced that he had joined the Army on the delayed entry plan and he was going to be an airborne ranger. At that point he had quit doing anything in school, thinking he could get a GED in the Army. I went and had a talk with his recruiter and he informed Phillip that the Army was not an educational institution any more and no HS diploma no army. Phillip graduated but just. He has now been in the army 11 years and is on the E7 primary zone. has served in Italy, Africa, Korea, Made the 50th aniversary jump at Normandy (I am soooo jealous) served on the presidential body guard detail with the secret service and with the JPRC. Phillip is due home this October 10 and is being assigned to SFOD. (Special Forces operations Delta).

exlrrp · #10 09-03-2002, 05:41 AM

When I enlisted, the recruiting sgt told me you had to enlist to go Airborne. Like you, Tom, it really didn't make any difference to me anyway, but it was a shock to me when I saw all the US's going to jump school.
The Army's take on women was pretty lame also

James

Happy just to be alive