What was the craziest thing you ever did to get an applicant to commit and/or ship?

2016-05-25T19:31:59-04:00

Response by SFC Josh Billingsley made May 25 at 2016 7:37 PM

2016-05-25T19:37:05-04:00

Not looking for any illegal stories so don't self-incriminate. I had a candidate once that I worked on since he was in the 9th grade. I spent two years joking with this fool, and when the time to sign up came he got cold feet. I took his entire family out to dinner, told them my fears when i first joined, and let them pick my brains for 4 hours. After he signed up, he almost didn't ship. I spent 5 hours driving around my area trying to find this guy. I found out this guy was 4 hours away in another city. I drove out there, asked him why he was scared. After all this, he couldn't even tell me, other than fear of the unknown. We drove back to get his bags packed. He shipped the next day.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2016 8:04 PM

2016-05-25T20:04:23-04:00

As a Marine recruiter, if I gave a young man the opportunity to serve as a rifleman in my beloved Corps, he would wisely jump at the chance. That's all it took, brother.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2016 8:05 PM

2016-05-25T20:05:28-04:00

Worked with a walk-in did all required recruiting FEBA on a MATTRESS got him to commit. Tested him pre ASVAB, had very high score. He was to return to do paper work the following day. Upon his return he stated that he was being held captive by a witch, many off the wall comments. All the other Recruiters in the multi-man station were grinning from ear to ear. Come to find out he was patient in a mental institution down the street. Where I recruited they didn't lock patients up they came and went at their leisure.

Response by MSgt Christopher Schaefer made May 25 at 2016 9:06 PM

2016-05-25T21:06:53-04:00

Had a guy walk in on the day before the last day of the month and I was rolling a doughnut. This guy needed to test, needed medical clearance for pyloric stenosis, and was not schduled for MEPS. Got him medically cleared, stayed in office did all the paperwork and took them to his house to sign at 2200 hrs. Told him to take papers with him to MEPS in the morning. So he was a walk-on, and records hand carry at MEPS and needed to test. Booked that same day. A few weeks later he got married and his new wife wasn't sure she wanted him to go. Told him he was married to the Air Force before he was married to get.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2016 9:25 PM

2016-05-25T21:25:05-04:00

Got invited over for dinner with the family so they could ask questions the meal was worse then C-Rats or the omelette mre but I touched it out ate it all answered the questions. Spent the next 48 hours sick lmao but the kid joined and loves it.

Response by SFC(P) John McLaughlin made May 26 at 2016 8:13 AM

2016-05-26T08:13:24-04:00

I was doing an interview with a female applicant at her grandparents home. Her grandfather was a Vietnam vet. I went through my usual course of the interview. Told her about the National Guard and comparable of other branches. The girl was completely interested and ready to sign until her grandfather opened up. He berated about war and other stuff because he was a Vietnam Vet. Needless to say I went off on the old man to give him insight of myself and my background and experiences in a stern respectful tone. I then sucked down the rest of my beer and said have a good day. The next day the grandfather called me to say is granddaughter was going to enlist. I was surprised to say the least especially how I left the conversation.

Response by SFC Wayne Theilen made May 27 at 2016 7:22 AM

2016-05-27T07:22:28-04:00

Was taking the stairs to the 8th floor in the Park Hill projects. Missed my floor. And come face to face with a large pit bull. Which was altered with it voice box removed. This is so when the drug dealers in the roof can send them at the cops without them hearing the dogs. So I take off down the stairs. Make it out. A cop is there sees the dog. Shots 15 times at dog. Hits it twice. Makes news. All in NYC. Look it up

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2016 9:30 AM

2016-05-27T09:30:39-04:00

I had a kid who signed up as an 11B. He got cold feet to ship out because he has a friend in 4ID who said that life as an 11B sucks because you're always cleaning the company, sweeping floors, and scrubbing toilets. I used the reverse psychology way and said "I can't have someone with this kind of mentality in the infantry", he said "is it true about cleaning the company?" I said "hell yeah it is, how else do you think it get clean? Do you think the NCOs do it?" He shipped out not long after. I guess it takes a little reality.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2016 1:00 PM

2016-05-27T13:00:24-04:00

Took one guy skeet shooting, another one hunting. Did not talk a lot about the military during that time outdoors but built a relationship and trust with them both and they both joined.

Response by 1SG Bill Farmerie made May 30 at 2016 9:05 AM

2016-05-30T09:05:58-04:00

I was a recruiter in Glen Burnie MD (just south of Baltimore). I was interviewing an 18 year old HS student. His mother refused to let me in the house. Her son came out and still wanted to talk about the army. It so happened that Ft McHenry was a couple blocks from his house, so we went there. The guard let us into the lobby, and we sat at a bench and I started giving the information. Just as I finished and asked if he would join, the National Anthem started playing.

Response by GySgt Moses Lozano made Jun 6 at 2016 10:01 PM

2016-06-06T22:01:27-04:00

I went to the kid's house and verbally convinced him to go because it was time to be a man. At the time, he was living at home with his parents and girlfriend with no job! In the end he went but go medically discharged.