Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Just one more gimmick

Friday, Feb. 2, 2001 | 10:16 a.m.

THE LATEST RECRUITING gimmick for the Army is selling itself as "An Army of One." One what? The only one-man army I've ever heard of has been an honor given to some single hero who died or at least faced death and was given the Medal of Honor for his deeds. Sgt. Alvin York and Audie Murphy come to mind immediately.

But let's not get carried away. This is a recruiting advertisement to attract people who watch MTV, "Friends" and Comedy Central. It won't receive the past attention given "Be All You Can Be" during Sunday football games and other sporting events. The "An Army of One" is geared to attract the attention of "it's a me-now group," according to Louis Caldera, the recent secretary of the Army.

I don't envy the sergeants given the job of getting 50 army of ones shaped into an effective combat unit. "This is the way they told me it was on MTV, Sarge" as they wander off in different directions -- won't do much good for anybody -- especially the Army.

Oh, the Army won't change that much, according to the New York Times:

"But Louis Caldera, the departing secretary of the Army, who initiated and championed the marketing makeover, said that no one should be worried that the Army is advocating self-centered behavior.

" 'They are going to get the ethic of selfless service, duty, honor and country in basic training and in every unit they are assigned to,' Mr. Caldera said. 'But you've got to get them in the door to try selfless service. And you've got to let them know that even though it is about selfless service, they are still individuals.' "

Something tells me this latest gimmick may be more than a little deceptive if I understand the secretary's statement. Sounds a bit like the idea put out a couple of months ago by Army Chief of Staff Eric K. Shinseki, who evidently believes that wearing a beret will make a better fighting force. This kind of nonsense won't replace the need for hard physical and mental training for combat-effective units. It stands on the head the present belief that special headgear or uniforms must be earned the old-fashioned way by very special soldiers who meet the demands of tough training.

So they get recruits to join up to wear a beret and be a one-man army. Big deal. This isn't going to do much to answer the most serious ever-growing problem -- retention of trained soldiers. The expensive training of soldiers who return to civilian life after reaching their full potential is a serious problem for the military services.

Evidently, the Marine Corps won't be part of "A Marine Corps of One," because that's not how the Corps functions. It is an effective fighting unit because it stresses teamwork and the belief that the dead and wounded won't be left behind.

Pentagon officials have placed many of their recruiting problems on "more high school graduates attending college, a booming economy and a decline in the number of people of prime recruiting age." If this is to be believed, then the Marine Corps must be drawing from a different population because it hasn't failed to meet its recruiting goals. Why doesn't the Army try the recruiting and training used by the Marines? Let's not forget that Army Special Forces, paratroopers and other such units also attract outstanding young people.

Mike O'Callaghan

is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.