Kelsey Volkmann, The Examiner
2007-10-22 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

BALTIMORE -

Staff Sgt. Terry Possehl, 28, works as a recruiter for the Army National Guard at the Dundalk Armory. A poster hangs in his office showing a tank and the words, “Higher Education Is In Range.” Possehl, a graduate of Howard High School in Ellicott City, joined the military at 18, first as a Marine.

Q What percentage of prospective recruits ask about joining because they want money for college? What percentage ask about going to Iraq?

A About 35 to 40 percent of applicants ask about college as their first question. About half ask about whether they are going to Iraq.

Q What benefits does the Guard offer for college?

A We’ll offer up to 100 percent of college tuition paid at any state school. There are a few ways that adds up. We offer a state tuition waiver of up to $4,000 per fiscal year. Federal tuition assistance then gives up to $7,500 per fiscal year.

The Montgomery G.I. Bill then gives $292 a month for books and housing, and the G.I. Bill kicker offers another $350 a month if you meet certain criteria, like scoring a 50 or higher on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. A perfect on the test is 99.

Q Where do you go to recruit?

A Schools, malls, local businesses, a chamber of commerce, job-placement service centers. I try to visit schools weekly.

Q What is the target age?

A We recruit from 17 to 40. I just tried to process a 17-year-old, but he has to lose weight. I recently enlisted a 38-year-old from the Baltimore City SWAT team.

Q What are the chances of new recruits going to Iraq?

A That’s almost an impossible question to answer. I never give any percentages, because it depends on so many variables.

We have a new program that started this year called College First, which allows people to defer deployment for two years while they are in college.

They must score at least a 50 on the ASVAB and attend a state college.

Because of the limited number of slots in the program, people have a better chance of getting into this at the beginning of the month than waiting until the last week.

Q What is the average pay?

A For each weekend, you get $173. For active duty, between $1,200 and $1,300 for two weeks. Many look at the benefits and say, “How fast can I leave?” because they want to get out of their environments. They say, “Let’s go!” because they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. College is expensive, it’s pricey, so we open up a lot of doors that might not have been open otherwise.

Q What is your goal for enlistments?

A My personal goal is five in three months.

Q What happens if you don’t get that? Is your pay affected?

A No, but I could be sent to counseling.

Q Some recruiters promise high school students a house and a gun they can keep. What’s your response?

A If they have a family and live on-base, they could get a house. But you have to return the gun.

Q What about the testing that a prospect faces during his or her first visit? What about all the free stuff?

A That’s a pre-test. The aptitude test takes two hours and is taken at Fort Meade [ in Anne Arundel.] We give away a lot of stuff, too: T-shirts, wristbands, lanyards. Seventeen- and 18-year-olds always like to get free stuff.

Q Are most recruiters alike?

A There are passive recruiters and aggressive recruiters. I’m more laid-back, and I don’t bug people. [But] you always try to get some form of contact information.

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com

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