Investigates

Stand Down: Army Pauses After CBS4 Reports

DENVER (CBS4) ― On Friday 1,700 Army recruiting stations were closed around America.

The national stand down comes after a CBS4 investigation raised questions about tactics used by some recruiters.

It's "an opportunity for a commander to pause the operational tempo and reaffirm why you're doing what you're doing," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Brodeur, U.S. Army Recruiting.

Army officials are currently investigating several complaints of improprieties, including a case of two Colorado recruiters who stand accused of telling 17-year-old high school journalism student David McSwane how to beat a drug test and how to get a phony diploma.

McSwane recorded this exchange with a recruiter: "alright. They don't know it's fake or anything? I'm not going to get in trouble?"

Recruiter: "Right, you won't. No."

Many recruiters blame the system and the pressure to meet recruiting quotas.

"A lot of these guys that get in fraudulently, you know, I try to tell people, 'Don't always blame the recruiter' because of the pressure that's put on them," said James Monroe, a former Army recruiter.

The army has been unable to meet its recruiting goals the past three months.

For army recruiters the two most important words on the job are "making mission." If they beat their quotas for enlisting new soldiers they're rewarded. If they don't, their lives can become very difficult.

The family of Richard Wittmann knows the outcome of the pressure firsthand. Wittman was a recruiter in California until he took his own life. His former wife says the job was a big factor.

"He had times where he really came home and he said, "I really don't know how to take this any more, it's really stressing me out,' " Gabriele Wittman said.

Army recruiters now will stop their work for a day and reaffirm the army oath.

"Every time I do that it makes my chest big, it makes me proud to be a soldier," Brodeur said.

The army has received numerous complaints this year and is investigating at least 480 allegations. Already, 33 cases of wrongdoing have been confirmed and 8 recruiters have been relieved of duty and 98 recruiters have received reprimands.

CBS4 Video:

Army Recruiters Stand Down After CBS4 Investigation

Ex-Recruiter: Stand Down An Annual Event

(© 2005 news4colorado.com. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)