Summary: A survey was conducted of the armed forces recruiting personnel in all services, including active, National Guard, and Reserve. The results indicate the perceptions of recruiters, noncommissioned officer supervisors, and commanding officers on: the extent of malpractice within the respective service recruiting programs; possible causes for these actions; and probable corrective actions.
On the basis of the survey, malpractice was found to be a continuing problem in every service component except the Air National Guard. The types of problems and their extent varied by service component, but there were some predominant trends. Most respondents believed that the major reason for malpractice was the goals or quotas that recruiters were required to meet. The desire to help applicants was the next most frequent reason given. The respondents were asked to evaluate the likely success of specific corrective actions. The most frequently endorsed corrective action was reducing or eliminating unnecessary recruiter administrative and processing responsibilities. The written comments of recruiting personnel concerned such things as: (1) the need to return to a draft, (2) the impact of pressure to meet quotas, (3) a questioning of the need for various enlistment standards and requirements, and (4) the negative effect of recruiting duty on a recruiter's financial status and family life.
