Dire job market gives new appeal to military enlistment

[57Chevy]

Dire job market gives new appeal to military enlistment:
LINK
PHILADELPHIA — Michael Lyons thought he had a career plan: Continue working as an equity trader on Wall Street and finish 20 years of service with the Army National Guard.

Then came layoffs. His well-paying civilian job was gone.

So Lyons, 45, of Princeton, N.J., turned to full-time employment in the New Jersey National Guard, where he found job security and benefits.

He is among tens of thousands of men and women who looked at the vagaries of the civilian job market and chose the military.

With the nation's economy suffering and unemployment hovering near 10 per cent, many are remaining in uniform longer than they planned.

The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines exceeded their retention goals last year and this year despite the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Army met 124 per cent of its goal last year, compared with 102 per cent in 2001.

"At this stage, I like the safety and security of a military position," said Lt. Col. Lyons, the New Jersey National Guard's director of construction and facility management. "There are a lot of unemployed traders out there."

"I love what I do," the 25-year veteran said. "It's rewarding."

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          (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)

 

[SeanNewman]

I see that very thing on a lot of candidate autobiographies at the Infantry School.

With me, I will not deny that it was a factor in choosing a life in the CF, but to pro-rate it, it would have been maybe 20% of the decision.

There are some guys I see who put it as without a doubt the primary reason they joined.  Whether it was the fishing industry, the forest industry, the auto industry, whatever; a lot of people are joining the CF for job security.

 

[57Chevy]

From the article;
"Patriotism also is high among reasons for military service cited by recruits, especially after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001".

Not to say that people don't just join for job security
but it seems to lean more toward "Patriotism".
At least......I seem to conclude it that way. :

 

[PegcityNavy]

I read the forums on military.com, from what I've read it has become incredibly difficult to join these days.