I love the fact that I have heard the speach before, the contracts don't matter. Only the systems do. Well it is of my opinion that if the systems work then USAREC would be boxed every month since the begining of time. I am so tired of hearing about the MAP, it really irritates me when the one's above me are telling me that the MAP is what the recruiters earn. And then they go back behind me and raise the damn requirements. And to top it off we are making mission as a whole. Now why would you raise someones requirements when they have worked hard to get them to a believeable level? Why would someone do that. So what if it only takes 8 apts per week to get a contract. Hey that's the conversion that they worked for correct? I hate it when someone tells me "Well they have it made they don't have to make much to make mission, they need to make more." Excuse me? Are you serious? When that map is high or at a level that is astronomical there is no question asked, and I am told well that is their conversion data that is what they worked for. Well when the conversion data is low didn't they work for that too. But yet it is being raised to a higher level which in turn fucks up the conversion data. And then we are all held hostage to the MAP. This really is a no win situation. If you give them one they want two, give them two they want 3 and so on down the road. I love being told this place used to write x numbers. Really? To be honest with you I don't care what they did back then. This is now and the mission is low. I think there are those out here that would like to see the mission go back up. I don't think they like it. I think they are still bitter that they had to put in 3's and 4's just to keep up. Hey don't hate on the player hate the game. I love it everyone wants all these tools in perfect working order. I think it's impossible or damn near it. You can get yourself so bogged down in all this stuff that you can actually lose site of what the goal is. The goal is people in the Army, that's it, bottom line. I have seen people get so caught up in the numbers game out here that they don't put one single person in the Army. You look at a good recruiter's tools, almost everyone that is putting in a good number of people, I will be willing to bet that their tools are screwed up. I know the system is in place to help them out to put more in. Tell that to someone else that is not putting people in. I don't want to hear that shit.

The time off...

This time off thing is killing me. We got a new sop the other day that came down from our company. This is irritating me very, very much. The policy that was put out by a General is almost being blatantly ignored. Now we back to the two working Saturday's again. I was under the impression that we were not supposed to be working these Saturday's. The letter read if I am not mistaken that we are only supposed to be working only if there is a planned event. When these leaders at lower levels are blowing off a General's policy letter. Well then if I blow off my leadership then why can't I? Someone explain that to me. This is garbage. We have still been working long hours. Still being threatened to work on Saturday's if production is not met, the policy letter said that work hours will not be tied to production. Anyway you try and put this the policy letter is still being blown off. You can slice this anyway you want but that is what is happening. Everyone I talk to in other BN's they are all getting off work at or a little after 1700 and no Saturday's like it's cool to do so. If this letter was put in place and then it's said that it was going to be reevaluated to see if it is feesible for this organization to continue doing so. How can you truly say if it truly works or not, if no one is actually following it. Then my soldiers are looking to me and are asking why are we not getting off like the policy letter states. I have no answers for them.

Wow!! What to post up. Things have been going pretty well actually. The only thing to gripe about is still the 9-5 policy which still is not being followed. But with all things considering I guess that makes that sticking point a little more bearable. People are joining in record numbers. The only bad thing is some of those people good people I might add that I cannot put in because the category is closed down. But if you think about it the decision that the "Army" made does make sense. I happen to like the fact we not taking "felons" as some in the news media put it. The GED's that score above a 50 I would actually like to see those open back up. But hey that's not going to happen anytime soon. We are getting overwhelmed with a rash of medical reads here lately though. But it is like I tell my recruiters things come in waves. One month everyone will not have their damn birth certificate, then it's the social security card, or anything else you can think of that hinders the damn already hindered process. Funny whenever you think about it.

Well I am tired of these meetings that are not accomplishing anything. I am tired of seeing soldiers recieving counslings that just require a digital signature. (no face to face counseling anymore) I am tired of meps not getting things back to us in a timely manner. I am tired of being leaned on all the time. I am tired of this job. I am frustrated with the way this place in particular works. I am tired of leaders accusing me of "dropping dimes" on them. When I never did. I love how people out here just jump to conclusions and assume the worst everytime something goes wrong. I am tired of people going behind my back, but then again for doing what I am doing here, I may deserve it.

Kim here is what you wrote.

Maybe I'm an optimist, but I really had hope that things would get better for our Soldiers (and their Families) in USAREC. I mean, we're ahead in terms of the total Army mission, we've got the Army Family Covenant (woohoo), we're trying to move past the recruiter suicides, we've got the new time off policy, etc. But I just had a frustrating and discouraging FRG experience with the Company Command here. I don't understand the shortsightedness; a little care and compassion (heck, I'd be happy with basic humanity) would go a long way and could actually end up paying big dividends for the command. How long can this lack of care for the Soldier's well-being and morale continue before USAREC finally implodes on itself? Sorry to vent in your comments, but your post struck a nerve with me. Good luck to all of us.


Well to answer your questions or shed some light on this. My wife doesn't see things as getting better because our command is trying to find every damn loophole they can in the policies that have been put into place. Crap like you can add to but not take away. I didn't know they wrote policy. I can believe you had a frustrating FRG experience if my family and others that I know are still frustrated then I can only imagine what it's like in other places. I have rarely had a command or leaders in this business that show a little humanity. They have for the most part been short sighted. It is amazing to me that USAREC has not imploded years ago. I have seen some crazy stuff out here that some of these soldiers do. For the most part it is in the form of DUI's. The stress of making mission sometimes leads to damn good NCO's compromising integrity, just to get a contract in. They don't want to go to the BN HQ three hours from their location the next day after mission day. Especially after they have been working all damn day. Then to have to be somewhere three hours away and be there early in the morning. All to brief a slideshow deck that is absolutely ridiculous and then being told if you don't have no one in the Army within the week. More of this is going to happen.

Also God forbid a soldier needs to take some pers time to take care of something. The higher ups always seems to act like its not a good time. "How can you let them take that time today etc." Well hell when is it ever a good time to take some time. Well I put it like this the BN command will be like let the soldiers take the time they need to take care of family business. The company command and sometime the Station Commander will be like uh no or give the soldier a hard time. And the powers that be wonder why soldiers out here sometimes have a crappy attitude about the whole situation.

I for one am tired of leave being treated as a privledge. Last time I checked it was part of my pay and entitlements. Passes are privledges. Somehow it always seems to get skewed. I have seen leaders tell soldiers that they shouldn't take lunch because it takes an hour away from their prospecting. The latter statement I have seen in the last six months. And forget about eating some supper with your family, for this one I have been berated for that one more often than not. I don't know about you guys but I cannot afford to eat out all the damn time.

Anyway it is usually the company leadership and station commanders that show the shortsightedness. But then again this is just my opinion.

I am very frustrated at the threats that keep coming down the pipe. I wish I could let out the latest and greatest but that just might give us away. And we wouldn't want that. Today was not a good day. Today was one of those days I just felt like running out the door and screaming. I am so sick and tired of hearing the threats...Hey I am to the point now of shit or get off the pot. Stop with the I want your transfer paperwork routine.

I want to post up something new but...why do that. Still the system has me frustrated. It seems now we cannot get simple medical reads back in a timely manner and tell you what that is just damn awesome. I got people calling me up day and damn night asking me if I have heard anything. To be honest it is getting old. Do not get me wrong I understand that these people need an exception to get in, but they also deserve a timely anwer do they not? I am still not understanding the actions of those above me sometimes. It is in reference to the supposed time off policy that was put into place. It is still not being followed. Soldiers are looking to me for answers I cannot give. My wife and other wives are looking to me for answers that I just simply cannot give. I know, everyone finds a loophole in everything, but why was the policy put out. I guess it was put out to be just another feel good thing. Hey look at what we are doing but really we are not following it. I look across the hallway every damn night and guess what? All the other services are not working past 1700-1800. Only if they are actually getting someone in. That is the only time they are working late. I am telling you the people in the public are seeing it. I mean really if ship dates are getting pushed out into damn near 2nd quarter fy10, then why are we still working some screwed up hours. I don't get it. Everyone else I have talked to is working the CG letter to the letter. Enough of me raising hell for the moment. Yeah I almost forgot here is the latest and greatest from above. The threatening of a bar to reenlistment if someone does not make mission or the ROS requirements. Really? I didn't know that could be done. I have always questioned that one and always will. It's still beyond me how you can counsel someone, berate someone about not getting something such as an apt. Especially when everthing these guys do lies in the decision of some kid saying yes or no. Awesome.