HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) -
Redstone Arsenal is home to the Army's 2nd Recruiting Brigade, made up of 2,000 soldiers and civilians. Their mission is to find the best and brightest to serve as Army soldiers.
"It's our role and function to help America understand what today's Army is all about," said Col. Michael Faruqui, Commander of the 2nd Recruiting Brigade.
Faruqui believes once young people understand more about the Army, they'll see how joining can change their life for the better. He leads the most successful recruiting brigade in the country, headquartered at Redstone Arsenal. His team covers the southeastern U.S. and Puerto Rico.
"Right now, we've put in about almost 17,000 young men and women into the Army. Last year, we did about 20 thousand. So, we're on glide path right now to continue to do that," he said.
The Army's mission in the past has been as high as 80,000 recruits annually. This year, it's 58,000. The 2nd Recruiting Brigade has already signed on almost 30% of the total goal for the year, and it's only August. Faruqui said that's not an easy feat.
"Nowadays, our standards are so high, that you have to be some of the best within your local high schools or colleges to be able to be accepted to join our Army," he explained.
Only one out of every four young people is fully qualified to serve in the military. They need people who have graduated high school, have no criminal record and are physically fit enough to make it through training. They must also go in knowing they could be going to war.
"The character of the young men and women who are deciding to serve in today's environment, knowing fully well that there is a combat scenario in their future, tells me a tremendous amount. I think it tells the nation, we should all be proud of these young men and women who decide to serve in this environment," Faruqui said.
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