Black enlistments drop as war in Iraq goes on

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Stars & Stripes


When Danny Edwards, 26, enlisted in the Army in April 2001, he expected to stay for a career. He changed his mind while serving in Iraq in 2003, a war fought for reasons he said he still doesn’t understand.

Edwards, who is black, has for several years advised black youth in his neighborhood in Savannah, Ga., to avoid the Army and “the hell” of Iraq.

Black youth across the country appear to be heeding similar advice from parents, teaches, ministers, coaches and other black veterans. There have been changes in the racial composition of U.S. forces, particularly among first-term enlistees of ground forces heavily involved in Iraq.

Racial data on enlistees, compiled for Military Update by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), show that in fiscal 2002, the year before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Army had 43,400 blacks among its first-term soldiers, or 21 percent of the total. By 2006, the number of blacks on their first hitch had fallen to 30,000, down to 14.5 percent.



Read more: http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=45048

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Time for the Young Republicans to step up!

[jpgray]

1. Cowards! Young Republican enlistment has remained at an indomitable 0%!

Enlistment always goes down when an unpopular poorly managed war is going on. As minorities are in more desperate encomic straits than whites, using the army as a stepping stone is way less attractive in these circumstances.

[saigon68]

2. They realize they will die like dogs

And be treated like crap when they return disabled and penniless.

Only look at the homeless vets in amerika today

And the wealth of the bush criminals and their lackeys and puppets

[Igel]

9. My best friend's nephew just finished Marine boot camp.

He'll be shipped to Iraq.

He's 19. He's repub. He's also blond and blue-eyed.

I'll let him know a DUer keyboard-knight called him a coward, if he comes back alive.

[dogfacedboy]

12. I salute him for doing what he sees as serving his country.

However, his being a Republican, especially at his young age, makes me question his reasoning abilities. Sorry. I hope he comes home in one piece now that he's followed so many others into the CheneyBushScum death trap.

[Javaman]

13. Soon to be a Democrat upon his arrival in Iraq.

I wish him a safe return. :)

[Barrett808]

14. I think the original poster was being ironic

But certainly, let's all hope your friend's nephew comes back intact.

[ckramer]

3. Army is a perfect socialist system if there is no war

Free healthcare, free housing, free education, free training.

People join army for benefits, not for a ticket to Iraq.

[Thothmes]

10. Perfect Socialist System

It is also the most completely integrated social organization in the United States

[arewenotdemo]

4. Good, but NO persons of color should be serving in Iraq, a White Chickenhawk's

war.

Pull Wolfowitz out of the World Bank. Suit him and his Nazi brethren up and ship them out!

[rocktivity]

5. It's the commander-in-chief, stupid!!!

You'd HAVE to be dumber that Gomer Pyle to voluntarily gamble your life on Bush's brand of military honor and leadership!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Sirveri]

6. Oh crap! The poor people don't want to die for oil anymore!

What ever will we do, I thought the middle east was taking poor peoples lives in exchange for oil, how will I ever fill up my ginourmous H2 hummer SUV!

ahem
:sarcasm:

[MikeNearMcChord]

7. I seem to recall that enlistments by African Americans

in this war was lower than other wars. And take a look at the cost of this war, that money could have been better used in the inner city, among others.
Ok Yellow Elephants time take up the slack.

[BeHereNow]

8. No PROBLEM! Latinos and the "Guest Worker" program have it covered!

Like the Shrub said, " The guest workers will do the jobs Americans don't want to do!"

Is is warm?
Is it breathing?
Two arms?
Two legs?
Sign it up!
Promise it citizenship!
Black, Brown?
Who cares?

:sarcasm:

One must learn to think like the enemy in
order to fully comprehend the plan.

BHN

[Zhade]

11. Good. Why die for Whitey's lies?

And by Whitey, I mean the military-industrial complex overlords who crush us all daily.