Northeast Michigan recruiting for military service
Trending
ALPENA -- Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget June 2023 research showed Northeast Michigan's unemployment rate was slightly over 6%.
Alpena county was the lowest at 5.1%.
Overall, the nation's unemployment rate is currently at 3.5%, the lowest percentage in nearly five decades.
DTMB data also revealed that, within the markets of Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle counties, there are currently more than 900 job openings.
Competing with those local openings are careers with the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, and National Guard
MILITARY RECRUITMENT: A BIT OF HISTORY AND TRENDS
Based upon America's population at the time, the U.S .Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that, during the Vietnam War, 9.7% of the population served active duty. Immediately after 9/11, there was a significant uptick of men and women joining the military.
Current Pew Research Center statistics note slightly less than 1% of the nation's population now serves in active-duty military.
U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson Navy Commander, Nicole Schwegman said "the military services continue to face unprecedented recruiting challenges which impact their ability to recruit and reach mission goals. These challenges include but are not limited to market conditions such as low employment, disinterested youth, a shrinking veteran population, residual effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, limited access to high schools, and other factors."
Schwegman continued: "DOD is developing a comprehensive, broad messaging campaign to dispel misperceptions and better educate both today's youth and their influencers on the countless opportunities and benefits available through the military. The military services are seeing record high levels of retention. We are focused on communicating the value of service, because we believe that, once people join our ranks and see the great training and opportunities we provide, they will want to stay on the team."
Defense Department 2022 research lists the following top six reasons for Americans joining the military:
∫ pay and money
∫ pay for future education
∫ travel
∫ gaining work experience/skills
∫ health and medical benefits
∫ to help others
Conversely, the top six reasons for not joining the military:
∫ possibility of physical injury/death
∫ possibility of post-traumatic stress disorder and related issues
∫ leaving family and friends
∫ other career interests
∫ dislike of military lifestyle,
∫ required to live in places I don't want to live in
Data compiled by the Defense Department's undersecretary for personnel and readiness revealed that, for the eight-month period ending May 2023, active-duty recruitment targets were achieved only by the Marine Corps and Space Force. All the other branches achieved 63% to 83% of the branch's goal.
The report did add that "all services exhibited strong retention."
A 2022 Defense Department study revealed grandparents and older adults were significant influencers on youth in considering the military. However, with parents, there was at least a 25% lower reinforcement rate.
Compared to two decades ago, Pew Research showed the active-duty military has more women and people of color serving and those serving tend to be better-educated. The research noted an uptick among both enlisted servicemembers and commissioned officers in their years of continued service.
OBSERVATIONS FROM A LOCAL RECRUITER
With numerous and varied local career opportunities, why would a qualified Northeast Michigan resident join the military?
Located on Bagley Street, just off the Washington Boulevard intersection, is the Armed Forces Career Center.
In Gaylord, there is a recruiting center with Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force representatives. Alpena's Combat Readiness Training Center offers a National Guard recruiting representative. The nearest U.S. Coast Guard recruiting center is in Madison Heights.
Army Staff Sgt. Todd Rankin is the station commander at Alpena's Career Center. With a 14-year Army career, Rankin grew up in Pontiac. Before arriving in Northeast Michigan, he was assigned to the Saginaw recruiting office. For a short period, he was assigned to Alpena as temporary duty. In early 2022, he was permanently assigned to Alpena. A recruiting assignment is typically for three years.
Rankin's career's designation is as a recruiter. He underwent intensive training at Fort Knox.
"During our training, we learned how to best utilize social media, develop community relationships, cultivate a referral relationship, and become a recognized community member," he said. "Recruiters must have effective communication techniques and standards and be able to work independently."
Rankin is active with the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce, coaching at Alpena High School, and numerous other volunteer opportunities.
Locally, for Rankin and his other recruitment center associate, Staff Sgt. Eric Benitez, the top enlisted career slots are for infantry, combat medic, mechanic, and ground transportation. Each recruiter has a mission to recruit one person per month. Based on years to serve and select careers designations, a recruit can receive up to a $50,000 bonus.
Rankin added Northeast Michigan offers a recruitment base of nine high schools and Alpena Community College. The Career Center also recruits for officer candidate schools.
Rankin revealed that, locally, the top reasons for men and women joining tend to be a passion to help and contribute, to be part of something bigger and meaningful, as well as travel and pay for future career education.
In addition to background and drug tests, potential recruits undertake the Armed Service Aptitude Battery Test. Rankin stated recruits need to score at least 31 points on that test to proceed in joining the military. Coupled to the test is a physical examination. If a recruit scores from 21 to 30 points, they are offered an opportunity to be tutored to improve their score.
"The test's most challenging areas tend to be within mathematics and related areas," Rankin said.
A LOCAL RESIDENT DECIDES TO JOIN
At age 17, Ethan Miller reached the decision to join the Army.
He will graduate next year from Fairview Area High School, where he is active in football and other physical education activities.
Thus far, in his graduating class, he is the sole individual to join the military.
Miller will begin basic training in June 2024 at one of the Army's four basic training sites.
"In my younger years, I began to set my sights on a possible military career," Miller said. "My stepmother was a significant influence upon me with this decision. She has 13 years of service within the Marine Corps and Army. This instilled in me a strong vision and desire to be part of something bigger."
He stated his parents exhibited concern about his decision but were very supportive in his desire to help serve and support America.
In his early years of serving, Miller plans to be on the front lines with the cavalry division and later train to be a helicopter mechanic.
Miller stated he was deeply impressed with the quality of the local recruiter, along with an informative and thorough recruiting process.
"I look forward to serving," he said.
Jeffrey D. Brasie is a retired health care CEO. He frequently writes historic feature stories and op-eds for various Michigan newspapers. As a Vietnam-era veteran, he served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Naval Reserve. He served on the public affairs staff of the secretary of the navy. He grew up in Alpena and resides in suburban Detroit.