Thursday, April 7, 2005

One Tough Sales Job

Yesterday I reported that the US Army is missing its monthly recruitment target by a staggering 32%. Today I learned from the Today in Iraq blog that military recruiters have decided to switch their focus for their pr campaign away from potential recruits to their parents.

According to an article in USA today, "Faced with wilting recruitment and ongoing violence in Iraq, Army and Marine Corps recruiters are turning their attention to those most likely to oppose them: parents."

Does the government genuinely think this gambit could possibly work? Everyday we hear news reports about explosions and ambushes and guerilla attacks and dead U.S. soldiers. How many parents out there are going to think, "Gee, it will do my son/daughter some good to go to a foreign land and be shot at"?

Do you think that George and Laura will decide to encourage their twin daughters to help protect American interests by becoming a human target in Iraq? It would sure be a great way to kick off this new campaign!

Think about it. What better way to sell other parents on this novel idea than to have the president himself vouching for the campaign. "Laura and I were skeptical, at first. But after visiting with the recruiters, we came to believe that it was the right thing for our kids to do. We hope you'll encourage your children to join our twins in spreading American-style democracy".

Too bad the military didn't think of this campaign sooner. If they had, maybe they could have convinced George & Barbara Bush to encourage Dubya to go to Vietnam instead of dodging the war by half-heartedly serving in the Texas Air National Guard!

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