WAVE | FROM PAGE 1 Recruiters of the military branches are not oblivious to the fact that they, like every other company out there, are a business. But military recruitment strategy must also balance the intangible desires of the soldier with the practical concerns of the civilian. According to U.S. Marine corps Sgt. Zachary Dyer some young men come into their recruitment offices simply looking for “pride or belonging or sense of accomplishment.” Brotherhood and the idea of a community that watches out for each other may be enough to get them to sign on that line. These ideals are the ones that are printed on posters and banners for every recruitment office. Sgt. Samuel L. Breese, a U.S. Army recruiter in Silverdale, said that it is actually an older population which comes in with the desire to give something back to their country or to be a part of something bigger than themselves. “High schoolers generally don’t come to us. We have to go out and get them. They have other things on their mind. Generally the people that have been out [in the job market] for awhile, and have had time to think, come in and ask how can I do something for my country,” said Sgt. Breese. However, just as many local recruits walk in with the economic recession on the brain.
“In this area, people see Navy life all the time out and about in the community. They tell me, ‘I want that life,’” said Breese. Breese said that he sits down with potential recruits and coun-
“Each individual is searching for something different when they talk to recruiters. They could be looking for the tangible benefits like financial stability, or it could be for the more intangible things like pride or belonging or sense of accomplishment,” – Sgt. Zachary Dyer, Marine corps recruiting station Seattle
sels them on their goals, specifically what they are looking to get out of their military service. “It depends on what they are looking for, but sometimes the army just has a better deal,” said Breese. Though it varies by branch and station, the military still offers a number of incentives to recruits
COURT | FROM PAGE 1 courts and seen in their results. “These types of courts were born out of judicial frustration. The legal system is moving towards prevention, we weren’t able to prevent the first incident, but we can work to prevent the next. We’re trying to stop the revolving door of recidivism,” said Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Jay B. Roof. Roof, who is working with Disabled American Veterans, said that many of the key players from defense attorneys to prosecutors, are taking interest in veterans’ court. When a veteran who has been charged with a crime is referred to veterans’ court he will be sentenced to mandatory treatment rather
than a prison sentence, if found guilty. Lapses in treatment or failure to comply will lead to immediate incarceration based on the sentencing guiltiness that would have prevailed in lieu of the special court. Treatment for chemical dependency, mental health, and aggression is available to the group of veterans that would otherwise not likely follow through on the program without a court order. “We have the benefit of a gavel to encourage compliance,” said Roof. Critics of veterans court have said that a veterans’ court is unfair in that it gives a ‘free pass’ to criminals just because they wore a uniform. However, Judge Roof believes that no one is getting off easy.
including tuition assistance or waivers through the GI Bill, signing bonuses, health coverage for the recruit and his dependents, and a guaranteed job. That last one, according to Breese, is huge, especially with so many young people finding it harder to get jobs out of school. “You’re not going to get fired. You’d have to try really hard to get yourself in that kind of trouble. There is no stagnation. You’re guaranteed to advance. Imagine if you were working at a company for three years, no hopes of promotion, how many people ever make it to top management in corporate? But the Army promotes faster than any branch,” said Breese. Each recruiting office has a ‘station mission’ designated by the Department of Defense. These missions are goals set for recruitment per fiscal year. In 2011, the DOD set station missions of 64,000 recruits for the Army, 33,400 for Navy, 29,750 for Marine Corps, and 28,515 for Air Force. On Oct. 20 of this year, the department stated that each branch had met its mission goals by 100 percent. For the Marine Corps recruiting office in Seattle that makes up 919 new contracts and 751 young men and women shipped to recruit training depots this year. “Marine Corps recruiters are looking for the best and brightest,” said Dyer. “And they are good at finding them.”
“These courts are not coddling criminals,” said Roof. He explained how intense the treatment programs can be and that those who are sentenced to the minimum 18 months of treatment in drug court often do not make it all the way through. Compared to the zero to 60 day sentence of a similar crime, Roof said that veteran offenders in reality have to work twice as hard to make it through the program and save themselves from prison.
ELIGIBILITY Committing a crime, doesn’t make the veteran eligible for veterans’ court. Many veterans’ courts in the nation do not take cases involving sexual assault or violent crimes. Roof explained that
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“Our country is in a state of persistent conflict. It is a bigger decision right now to join.” – Sgt. Samuel L. Breese, a U.S. Army recruiter
days until you can get to MEPS [military entrance processing station], where you will pass a test, physical, and talk to a counselor. All the information is up front, when you will do your basic training, where you’ll do AIT [advanced individual training],” said Breese. He explained that this level of specificity can put a recruit’s minds at ease. But the danger of actual combat is still a frequently discussed issue for recruiters.
it is still a mystery what scope of crimes a Bremerton veterans court would accept. He conjectured that the program will not likely take manslaughter cases or those crimes which would require sentencing of 20 years or more. However, the occasional bar fight or mental health issue could make it into court. “The defense attorney will determine which cases are suitable and refer the vet to court if it makes sense,” said Roof. Eligibility will come down to resources. Trying and rehabilitating serious crimes costs more money. “We would need more resources, and it will be worked out by the dollars. The program would be fashioned to fit our demographic, but in the end we’ll be yanked by
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Breese explained that station missions are not just an overall numbers game but break down into quotas for certain categories of recruits by educational background, test scores, and specializations as well. The most often requested position in the U.S. Army at the Silverdale recruit office is field medic. “The Army allows you to make a temporary reservation for what you want to do with your recruiter. The reservation lasts for seven
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“Our country is in a state of persistent conflict. It is a bigger decision right now to join,” said Breese. He recalled a time when he was doing recruiting and a young man said to him, ‘I don’t want to die.’ Breese himself has done three tours in Iraq and realizes that combat is not for everyone. However, for just as many, it remains part of the allure. Breese originally joined because of college tuition waivers and the opportunity to get a degree through the military. But after an overseas tour, he realized that beyond the financial incentives, he had a real affinity for his job. “I realized through my time that I was a much better soldier than civilian,” said Breese. Recruiters have no doubt that combat is a very real possibility of the job description, and look for the right qualities in their recruits. “The higher ups may say that it’s all soldier all the time, but being a good civilian is a big piece of that too,” said Breese. “The military has been involved in overseas contingency operations for the last 10 years. That means everyone who has joined the military or re-enlisted during that time has volunteered knowing there was a chance they could be deployed to a combat zone. That speaks volumes of the members of the military right now,” said Dyer.
those strings,” said Roof.
FUNDING Roof and Cherie Lusk, manager of the drug court, are strong advocates for veterans’ court. But the draw on resources is clear. Both Pierce and King counties have drawn on funding initiatives from the state to support their drug courts. However, when these fall through, or are unavailable, it falls to the local governments. A number of defense attorneys at the superior court will be taking on veterans court cases pro bono. The court is also planning to save money by making veterans court an adjunct of drug court so that they can share resources. “The prosecutors’ office is going to have problems [setting up veterans court] with the cuts going on across the street. Grants [for veterans] may cover treatment but not the administration,” said Roof. Many veterans believe that if Proposition 1,
veterans’ services levy, passed funds could be appropriated to veterans’ court. But, the jury is still out on that issue. “A lot of people will be arm wrestling over that,” said Roof. According to Deputy Scott Wilkes of Kitsap County Sheriff ’s Office, the average cost to jail one person is $80.80 per day. Multiplied by 365 days, the lock-up cost for one year totals $29,492. “Now multiply that number by the total number of inmates held in one prison and you have the costs to the county,” said Wilkes. Disabled American Veterans believe that a veterans court is necessary from a social justice standpoint as well as potentially saving the public money. Either way, it is an issue that the Bremerton community should be conscious of with its large veteran population. “It’s not something that goes away but comes back with every generation in a military community,” said Gillis.