In the Army, there’s no recession

RAMADI, Iraq – Spc. George Graham spends most nights driving the dangerous streets of northern Iraq, riding in an armored vehicle as his 81st Brigade Combat Team unit escorts supply trucks between military bases.

The Tacoma native knew a deployment to Iraq was likely when he joined the Washington National Guard last June to help pay for tuition at Clover Park Technical College, where he studies landscape management.

Graham plans to leave the Guard when he returns home this summer – but not because he wants to get out the military.

The 27-year-old father, now serving in Mosul, plans to switch to active-duty status with the Army, driven in part by the promise of financial security for his two sons and himself.

“It’s a stable living,” said Graham, who grew up on Tacoma’s Hilltop. “And the Army is a better life than where I came from.”

As the nation’s economic woes drag on, more local guardsmen are choosing to continue military service by re-enlisting, extending their stay in Iraq or transferring to active-duty status.

The reasons for continuing service are varied and often complex; incentives range from tax-free bonuses to sure-fire promotions, from camaraderie to patriotism. But a reliable paycheck during an economic recession is an increasingly important factor, according to guardsmen whose job is to retain soldiers.

CASH AND CAMARADERIE

Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Frazier is a 42-year-old Fircrest resident serving as the brigade’s noncommissioned officer in charge of retention. He has processed paperwork for more than 375 soldiers during the Iraq deployment – more than 10 percent of the brigade’s total personnel.

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