MovieChat Forums > We Were Soldiers (2002) Discussion > 'I only recruit the dumb ones'

'I only recruit the dumb ones'

posted 8 years ago by SpiltPersonality
2 replies | jump to latest

***Spoiler warning, for all the lame people who come onto a 15 year old movie site and moan about people spoiling the movie***

When Hal Moore is talking to Snake, Snake says 'I only recruit the dumb ones',

I'm curious about this. In the military of my country a soldier or officer is ASSIGNED to a unit. Except in unusual circumstances (like special forces) people aren't recruited into a unit.

So, just wondering, is this a 'goof' or are things different in the US Army in that you can get directly recruited into a unit?

[–] MadTom 8 years ago

Snake was a company commander. In the Regular Army, new personnel are generally assigned to a battalion or higher echelon of command. Company commanders within that battalion often get to interview the newbies and then do some horse-trading among themselves, arbitrated by the battalion S1 (Adjutant/Personnel Officer), which can be seen as a form of recruitment.

In the National Guard and Reserve, officers and NCOs more often than not actually get to recruit the people who work for them, especially those initially enlisting. Guard and Reserve recruiters are actually assigned at the company level. But 1st Cavalry Division is a Regular Army unit, so the first situation would have applied.

[–] SpiltPersonality 8 years ago

Got it, thanks.

So, basically what he was saying (tongue in cheek) is when new guys got assigned to the Battalion and higher, he fought for and got the dumb ones for his company.

Fair enough. I wouldn't have considered that 'recruitment' but I guess that can be local terminology and also as you say a 'form of recruitment'.

SpiltPersonality