Army Recruiter Threatens Recruit With Arrest

[poretz]

From the "You just can't make this stuff up" Department:

"...And it seems that some recruiters have resorted to threatening recruits. In late April in Houston recruiter, Sgt. Thomas Kelt, threatened to have a prospect arrested if he resisted recruiting efforts. Kelt left a voice mail message on the cell phone of 20 year old Christopher Monarch ordering him to show up for an appointment -- under the false pretense that Monarch would be violating the law if he didn't. This is a recording of that voicemail obtained by Houston TV station KHOU:

"Hey Chris, this is Sgt. Kelt with the Army man. I think we got disconnected. Okay, I know you were on your cell probably and just had a bad connection or something like that. I know you didn't hang up on me. Anyway, by federal law you got an appointment with me at 2 o'clock this afternoon at Greenspoint Mall, okay? That's the Greenspoint Mall Army Recruiting Station at 2 o'clock. You fail to appear and we'll have a warrant. Okay? So give me a call back."

That was army recruiter Sgt. Thomas Kelt leaving a voicemail on a prospective recruit's voicemail. Kelt reportedly said that threatening to issue an arrest warrant was a "marketing technique." Army officials confirm the threat was made."
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/12/1425252

 

[tollytee]

It was a test. If the prospect falls for it and shows up at 2:00 pm, the Army has proven the guy doesn't have the brains to be a soldier.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

I wonder how new this is? At any rate, I'm not surprised at all.

 

[InnerPhyre]

Most of the military recruiters I've dealt with in my life had the integrity of used care salesmen. Scumbags.

 

[sadams03]

Wow, am I the only one who's truly disappointed by this? Both my parents were in the Army and they both think integrity is very important. I hope this is just an isolated incident.

 

[Machjo]

Wow, am I the only one who's truly disappointed by this? Both my parents were in the Army and they both think integrity is very important. I hope this is just an isolated incident.

Don't worry. They're all isolated incidents. It's not a conspiracy. Each and every case is unrelated.

 

[T-Bird]

Wow, am I the only one who's truly disappointed by this? Both my parents were in the Army and they both think integrity is very important. I hope this is just an isolated incident.

I am disappointed too. If this is what they have sunk too, its time for some real changes whether they want them or not.

 

[T-Bird]

The Army is taking action:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050511/us_nm/arms_usa_recruiting_dc_3

Not sure if it will do much good, but if we keep exposing things like this, eventually, maybe, they will clean their act up.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

Wow, am I the only one who's truly disappointed by this? Both my parents were in the Army and they both think integrity is very important. I hope this is just an isolated incident.

From my experience, being in the Army and being an Army recruiter are two completely different things. The above comment about used car salesmen isn't too far off the mark. ; )

 

[poretz]

The Army is taking action:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050511/us_nm/arms_usa_recruiting_dc_3

Not sure if it will do much good, but if we keep exposing things like this, eventually, maybe, they will clean their act up.

Yes please. We need more investigative reporting and more transparency in government with the freedom to pursue and report.

 

[Thirst_For_Knowledge]

Army recruiters are salesmen. They have a quota to meet each month (for a friend of mine it is 2 a month) and if they do not make their quota, they lose their jobs.

 

[poretz]

From my experience, being in the Army and being an Army recruiter are two completely different things. The above comment about used car salesmen isn't too far off the mark. ; )

Now this should just give us parents all kinds of "warm fuzzies" that as part of the "no child left behind" act these recruiters have complete access to the records of all our kids in public schools!

 

[T-Bird]

Army recruiters are salesmen. They have a quota to meet each month (for a friend of mine it is 2 a month) and if they do not make their quota, they lose their jobs.

This is true. I don't excuse their behaviour, but it can't be easy selling the Army when there's an unpopular war going on. Plus, these guys careers are hanging in the balance. I don't care what the Army tries to say, but if the recruiters don't make their quotas they aren't going to get good evaluation reports and they can kiss promotions goodbye. Is it really surprising some resort to whatever means necessary? The Army itself is as much to blame for this as the individuals, though its funny how they try to make it sound othewise.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

Now all of this should just give us parents all kinds of "warm fuzzies" that as part of the "no child left behind" act these recruiters have complete access to the records of all our kids in public schools!

Wow. I didn't know that! That's creepy.

 

[poretz]

Here's a fairly productive search I just did with Google for your convenience.

For example, one of the results had the following information:

Brethren Witness-Washington Office - No Child Left Behind act
"Recruiters are up-front about their plans to use school lists to aggressively pursue students through mailings, phone calls, and personal visits—even if parents object. "The only thing that will get us to stop contacting the family is if they call their congressman," says Major Johannes Paraan, head U.S. Army recruiter for Vermont and northeastern New York. "Or maybe if the kid died, we'll take them off our list.""
http://www.brethren.org/genbd/witness/ConscientiousObjection/NoChildLeftBehind.htm

 

[charmtrap]

Most of the military recruiters I've dealt with in my life had the integrity of used care salesmen. Scumbags.

Indeed. The experience I had with them when I was entering service has left me with the distinct impression that recruiters have no problem misrepresenting the truth, to the point of outright lying. I'm sure they have quotas to fill and whatnot, but lying to get someone in the service is pretty evil.

 

[Maynard Keenan]

I don't blame the recruiters. I mean sure, they hold responsibility and should be punished. But the army puts TREMENDOUS pressure on them to meet quotas. Missing quotas is treated as failing missions. Recruiters who fail to meet quotas are often given unsatisfactory replacement positions. Its hard to sell joining the army when people just don't want to join at the rates they need them to. Putting so much pressure on recruiters logically will lead to some of them doing anything and everything to get recruits.

 

[Thirst_For_Knowledge]

Here's a fairly productive search I just did with Google for your convenience.

For example, one of the results had the following information:

Brethren Witness-Washington Office - No Child Left Behind act
"Recruiters are up-front about their plans to use school lists to aggressively pursue students through mailings, phone calls, and personal visits—even if parents object. "The only thing that will get us to stop contacting the family is if they call their congressman," says Major Johannes Paraan, head U.S. Army recruiter for Vermont and northeastern New York. "Or maybe if the kid died, we'll take them off our list.""
http://www.brethren.org/genbd/witness/ConscientiousObjection/NoChildLeftBehind.htm

I've had a recruiter call me several times, and she knew a lot of stuff about my schooling. She knew what classes I was taking and what not. The only thing I can think of is that she got the info from my university.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

Here's a fairly productive search I just did with Google for your convenience.

For example, one of the results had the following information:

Brethren Witness-Washington Office - No Child Left Behind act
"Recruiters are up-front about their plans to use school lists to aggressively pursue students through mailings, phone calls, and personal visits—even if parents object. "The only thing that will get us to stop contacting the family is if they call their congressman," says Major Johannes Paraan, head U.S. Army recruiter for Vermont and northeastern New York. "Or maybe if the kid died, we'll take them off our list.""
http://www.brethren.org/genbd/witness/ConscientiousObjection/NoChildLeftBehind.htm

This Army recruiter kept calling my house until he spoke to my dad. Once. My dad was a Marine. Need I say more?

 

[Illuminatus]

This Army recruiter kept calling my house until he spoke to my dad. Once. My dad was a Marine. Need I say more?

So...the only way to stop Army recruiters is to send in the Marines? Funny, I don't think many Marines would object.