Enticing young Americans to sign up for the all-volunteer military is one of the toughest jobs in uniform.
Just ask any recruiter – or his or her family.
The relentless pressure has driven some recruiters to suicide. Others have preyed on youngsters entrusted to their care.
But rarely are the stories as grim as this, from Wednesday’s Washington Post:
The man who shot a 17-year-old student and then killed himself in Montgomery County this week was a U.S. Army recruiter who worked at several local high schools and married a young former recruit last year, police said. Police say Adam Arndt, 31, an Army staff sergeant, shot Michelle Miller, a Rockville High School senior, before killing himself Monday in his Germantown home, where both bodies were found Monday. Michelle was an honor student and a new recruit who was set to begin basic training this summer, according to her father.
Beyond the tragedy, the other sad part of this event is how much tougher it makes it for the overwhelming majority of recruiters who just want to make their monthly goal.