Prospects express interest since attacks, recruiters say

Since suicide jets struck New York and Washington, Dexter Daily Statesman reporter Jonathon Dawe has been on the front lines of helping his Missouri Bootheel newspaper's readers understand it all.

Now, the 25-year-old with a wife and young son is ready to serve on the front lines of America's war on terrorism, if need be.

Reflecting a patriotic swell that has inundated military recruiters in Missouri and Kansas, Dawe has signed on for a one-year trial hitch in the National Guard as a former Army guy inspired to do something for his country since the Sept. 11 attacks.

"On one hand, I'd like to stay here and keep an eye on my family; on the other, I'd like to go over and do my job," he said Friday, three days after signing up. "If that's what it takes to keep the country going and on its feet, that's what I'm prepared to do."

Military recruiters say that's been the theme since hijackers crashed planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, prompting U.S. pledges to retaliate in what the Bush administration has said could be a drawn-out global assault on terrorism.

Throngs of veterans have sought to rejoin, including a 62-year-old man graciously turned down at a Navy recruiting center in Topeka, Kan.

"It has been something tremendous," Army Sgt. Demetrius Latimer said of the surge in visits and phone calls to her St. Louis recruiting office from prospects. Since the attacks, Latimer estimates that inquiries there have jumped 20 to 30 percent, with most pledging "that if we go to war they want to serve their country, no questions asked."

Many vets inquiring

Across Missouri and Kansas, those in their 20s ready to defend the stars and stripes are being joined by many somber veterans of the Vietnam -- even World War II -- willing to again answer Uncle Sam's call.

Sgt. Corey Brann, Army recruiter in Cape Girardeau, said phone calls to his office have increased, and more people have been showing up at his door.

"We have a lot of people coming in and saying 'I just want you guys to know that if something happens, I'm ready to join,'" Brann said.

Those who do want to sign up must pass a basic aptitude test, a complete physical and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Most branches require service personnel to be in basic training by their 35th birthday.

The number of qualified applicants hasn't really gone up, Brann said.

"All in all, it's pretty much business as usual," he said. "We still have a job to do."

The Navy recruiting office said it has seen quite a few Gulf War veterans and other retirees looking to re-enlist.

The Air Force recruiter is open by appointment only.

Sgt. George Jaco, Marine recruiter in Cape Girardeau, said there hasn't been a drastic change in new recruits there. But, he said, "We've got tons of former Marines wanting to get back in."

He said he has taken calls from men age 35 "all the way up to 87 years old."

'No' to many

If they've only done one tour and are still fairly young, Jaco said he tries to help them get back in. But he's had to say no to many more.

"The patriotism of the Marine Corps runs deep. You can tell when something like this happens they all want to answer the call." he said.

Specific recruitment numbers are not readily available. An Air Force spokesman said "it could take weeks, maybe months to see if there's a true impact." Still, many recruiters liken the heightened interest to that seen during the Gulf War.

In Topeka, visits and phone calls to a Navy recruiting station have jumped as much as 40 percent since the attacks, a recruiter there said. Actual signups have risen about 10 percent, given that many of the applicants failed to qualify because of medical, educational or other issues, he said.

Processing time -- from walk-in to military training -- can take as little as 10 days. A separate delayed-entry program allows military administrators to perform background checks on recruits.

While many of prospects "are mad right now and want to take care of business" immediately, basic training and instruction on their eventual military jobs could take several months to a year, said Gary Bloomfield of the Kansas City-based recruiting battalion covering Kansas and Missouri's western half.

"They think they're going to join today and fight tomorrow. It doesn't work that way," he said.

Southeast Missourian staff writer Andrea L. Buchanan contributed to this report.