A few good men, under 35, a hard find

Some local military recruiters have seen a surge in calls following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — but not many eligible soldiers are dialing.

“As far as people actually coming in and standing in line and enlisting, that’s not the case,” an Army spokesman says. “We’d like to see some.”

Although calls have at least doubled at the Army recruitment office in Marietta, most callers are decades older than the limit of 34 years.

Other military recruiters report the same trend. While the Navy recruitment office in Decatur cites no increase in calls, Marietta’s office of the Air National Guard, a reserve division of the Air Force, reports that inquiries are up 50 percent. “I’ve actually had enlistment,” says Sgt. Greg Gray. “But mainly people are calling in asking how can they help.” He says most of them are veterans.

Calls have tripled at the Marines office in Stone Mountain. But Staff Sgt. Reginald Jones says the majority of interested parties stepped off the battlefield well before any would-be soldiers were born. “They’re older guys,” he says, “from World War II.”??