Fewer women joining Army in Tennessee
Of the 1,191 National Guard enlistments statewide between Oct. 1, 2003, and Sept. 30, 2004, only 131 — or about 11 percent — were female, said Lee Elder, spokesman for the Tennessee Army National Guard. The Army is also having trouble recruiting men and minorities, he said.
Elder said fear of being deployed to a war zone is the primary reason fewer recruits are joining the Army.
“Women play a vital role in today’s Army,” Elder said. “But we’re a nation at war. It’s natural for folks to be concerned.”
The possibility of being deployed to a war zone didn’t discourage Pfc. Rebecca Silver, 22, from joining the National Guard last year.
“I was nervous at first, but I definitely want to stay,” she said.
Silver enlisted after accompanying a friend to a recruiting office. The Asheville, N.C., native was enticed by the benefits available, especially college tuition.
She received several awards during basic training and now works as a nuclear, chemical and biological specialist. In her duties, Silver teaches soldiers how to react to a chemical or biological hazard and how to decontaminate themselves.
Silver said she wants to go to college in the fall.
“Basic training counts for college credits,” she told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. “That’s just one example of how working here leaves me open for more opportunities in the Army.”
After initially planning to become a registered nurse, Silver is now considering a career in the Army.
Women can serve in more than 90 percent of Army occupations, Elder said.
There are 17,000 women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 38 women have been killed, he said.
This year, 66 women have enlisted in the Army in Tennessee, Elder said.
Lt. Col. Joe Richard, a public affairs spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense, said the Army is attempting to increase its recruitment nationally by 30,000 this year. But recruiters have not met their monthly goals the past two months, he said.
Chattanooga native Pfc. Ashley Runia, 19, enlisted last year. Originally lured by the promise of paid college tuition, Runia said she has realized other benefits of being a solder.
“Once you go through training, you feel like you’re a part of something,” said Runia, also a nuclear, biological and chemical specialist.
———
Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, www.timesfreepress.com