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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview With Dennis Cavin
Aired January 05, 2002 - 09:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Before the September 11 attacks, the military was fighting an uphill battle for recruits. That's not the case any more. But just how many young men and women are signing up?
The head of the Army's recruiting command, Major General Dennis Cavin, joins us from a special football game in Texas to answer that. And while you're there, tell us why you're at this important game.
MAJ. GEN. DENNIS D. CAVIN, U.S. ARMY: Well, good morning, Martin.
The Army is absolutely delighted to be supporting the All American Football Game. You know, for many years the Army's been providing opportunities for youngsters, and this gives us a chance to showcase both the athletic talent of these top 74 high school football players and to also show that the Army is bigger than just the perceptions that many folks might have.
We've been actively involved with the city of San Antonio with the 400-plus individuals that we sent invitations to and coaches and principals all across America to support this game.
SAVIDGE: Is it also a recruiting opportunity for you?
CAVIN: Well, obviously. We will have a large number of youngsters from throughout San Antonio and the south Texas area who will be coming to the game today. We've got a lot of teachers who brought peers, fellow football players of the individuals that are going to be playing that are going to be here.
And so it's going to give us an opportunity to show that the Army indeed does offer multiple opportunities, and the fact that we are interested in the youth of America. After all, these 74 youngsters that are going to be out on the field today are going to be the nation's leaders in the next 20 years, both corporately, in the governmental side of the house, maybe even in the military.
So we're delighted to invest in them.
SAVIDGE: Well, general, let's talk about recruiting. How is it going so far? Is the Army meeting its goals? And what do you know of the other branches as well?
CAVIN: Well, as we ended F.Y. '01, all services made their recruiting numbers. This was the second year in a row the Army's made its recruiting mission. And for the first quarter of this F.Y., things are going very good.
I must tell you that recruiting's still difficult, but we've got a great crew of noncommissioned officers out there all across America, in every small city and every large town, who are representing the Army in its opportunities to the communities at large.
SAVIDGE: Are you...
CAVIN: We're doing well, and we're -- I'm sorry, go ahead.
SAVIDGE: Oh, I was just curious as to whether the events of September 11 brought an influx of people or a different type of person that might be wanting to sign up?
CAVIN: Well, we've discovered, Martin, as all the services have -- and I've talked to each of the other service recruiting chiefs -- is we've had a tremendous outpouring of patriotism all across America. Unfortunately, that patriotism has not resulted in a large number of actual enlistments. We've had a lot of phone calls, a lot of people come into our recruiting stations. Our Internet activity was extremely high right after the bombing on the 11th.
But that has not transitioned into actual enlistments.
SAVIDGE: Well, why do you think that is? That seems a bit unusual.
CAVIN: I think, as I've gone back and done the analysis, it doesn't indicate that people are not interested in protecting their country. It's just that maybe we didn't have the immediacy that they needed to override their career decisions that they've already made, or at least involved in right now.
It's not surprising. We've talked to several sociologists who in fact said this is kind of typical. If you go back and look at Desert Shield-Desert Storm and other events like that, there was not an immediate rush to recruiting stations.
SAVIDGE: What about the people that do come in? Are they looking for a specific job, maybe, say, the special forces that they've heard so much about now in the campaign in Afghanistan?
CAVIN: Well, clearly we've had an increased interest in special forces, and in fact, in the next few weeks we're going to begin recruiting from the field, so to speak, career field, career management field A team, which is special forces. And that'll be the first time we've done that ever. And it's a reflection of the interest of today's youth in that specific capability.
SAVIDGE: It's understandable. Major General Dennis Cavin joins us now from -- you're in Texas, correct, sir?
CAVIN: Yes, we're in San Antonio, we're at the U.S. Army All American Bowl. I'd like to just say we're delighted to be associated with Coach Herman Boone, the individual for whom "Remember the Titans" was...
SAVIDGE: Sure.
CAVIN: ... made, the movie was made. He's here. And we have the 1958 Heisman Trophy winner, Brigadier General Pete Dawkins, from the U.S. Army West Point team, it was undefeated team. He's here associating, and we've named the most valuable player trophy in his honor.
So it's going to be a great day to be in San Antonio, a great day to be a football player, and a great day to be a soldier.
SAVIDGE: And it's a great day to have you on the program. Thank you, sir, general, very much, it was a pleasure.
CAVIN: Thank you, sir. Thanks, Martin.
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