Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today sent the following letter to the Secretary of the Army after an investigative report by
ABC News exposed Army recruiters giving grossly misleading information to potential recruits:
November 3, 2006
The Honorable Francis J. Harvey
Secretary of the Army
101 Army Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20310
Dear Secretary Harvey:
I am writing to express my deep dismay over new evidence that Army recruiters are providing grossly misleading information to potential recruits in an effort to convince them to enlist.
According to an ABC News report, nearly half of the recruiters profiled in an undercover investigation knowingly provided misleading information to potential recruits about the risks of enlisting in the U.S. Army. In one particularly shocking clip of the investigation, a recruiter is seen telling a recruit that the United States is “not at war,” and that the “war ended a long time ago.” Another is seen telling a recruit that “we are bringing people back” from Iraq.
This is not only a disservice to the potential recruit, but a shocking abuse of authority and the public trust.
As you well know, this is not the first time that recruiters have been accused of going to extraordinary—and in some cases, I believe—illegal lengths to meet enlistment quotas.
It appears as though some recruiters may have violated Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 92 (b) (3) (Dereliction in the Performance of Duties), and Article 107 (False Official Statements).
While I understand that the Army has undertaken efforts to clamp down on recruiting improprieties, this latest investigation reveals that there are still many problems. It is time for individuals to be held accountable.
As such, I request that you immediately provide my office with any measures that you intend to take to rectify this situation.
I also request that you do what you did last year and hold a recruiting stand-down to drive home to senior leadership and military recruiters that such behavior is not befitting of the men and women of the U.S. Army and will be duly punished.
Thank you for your prompt consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
