Monday, Aug. 4, 2003 | 11:02 a.m.
As guerrilla attacks continue to claim the lives of U.S. servicemen in Iraq, recruiting officials in Las Vegas and across the nation say they continue signing up new soldiers at normal rates.
The seemingly random nature of recent attacks may be leaving friends and relatives with loved ones on active duty feeling frightened, but recruiting efforts continue to move forward, said Lt. Col. Rich Guzzetta, a recruitment and retention chief for the National Guard.
"We saw a little surge in recruiting at the beginning of the war, but now we are back to our normal cycle," Guzzetta said. "Maybe there are certain pockets out there where the war could be slowing recruiting, but we're maintaining our focus on recruiting, retention and attrition management.
"We are on target to reach our goals."
There is no shortage of young people looking to enlist in the Army either, said Sgt. Bryan Patrick, who works with new recruits at the Army's Henderson office.
"If there is any effect that the war is having it's probably positive," Patrick said. "We're getting more positive reactions when we cold-call people. People are more apt to have a good word for us."
Jorge Lopez, a 19-year-old graduate of Silverado High School, is one of about 30 Army recruits who will soon be leaving Las Vegas for basic training. Lopez said he watches the footage of Operation Iraqi Freedom but doesn't let it bother him.
"It's at the back of your mind, but I feel like I'll be able to trust my instincts if I'm in combat," Lopez said. "My mother always told me that if you let your fears conquer you, you'll never make it through life."
Richard Manley, a 22-year-old Army recruit, said he is past worrying about the dangers he could face if deployed to the Middle East, Korea or Liberia in the future.
"I made a commitment and decided that I'd watched my last war on CNN," Manley said. "It's a dangerous job, but if everyone is too worried to go we won't get the job done."
Recruits such as Lopez and Manley are allowing the services to keep pace with the need for new soldiers, recuiting officials said. The military is recruiting to all branches at normal levels, and National Guard recruiting remains steady.
Despite increased chances of being called to active duty and the possibility of overseas deployment, recruiters say they aren't having any problems finding new part time soldiers for the country.
Nationally there are about 350,000 guard members currently enlisted, and Nevada is meeting its quotas with 1,945 guard members, about 200 more than is required from the state.
As of July 30, there were 164 Nevada reservists on active duty. All of them are Marine Corps Reserve members, and 128 of them are from Las Vegas, according to the Defense Department website.
All recruits, whether they have years of experience in the armed services or have just graduated high school, are told what they could face as a Guard member, said Maj. Tom Wilson, head of recruiting for the National Guard in Nevada.
"When we recruit someone we tell them everything that they could be in for, whether it's a federal mission or a state mission to help fight wildfires," Wilson said.
There are still those who got more than they bargained for in Iraq, however.
Spc. Nicholas Petry, a 23-year-old guardsman from Las Vegas who is in Iraq, has expressed feelings of being unsure if he will continue with the Guard after he finishes the 2 1/2 years he has left, his mother, Cynthia Dunn, said.
"He understands that they have a mission to do, and he signed up to do it, but it is a lot different than what he had been doing with his unit," Dunn said.
Petry's unit, the 777th Engineer Utilities team, is a perfect spot for the civil engineering major, because it gives him a chance to get hands-on construction experience, Dunn said.
"He really likes the unit, but now I don't know if he'll want to sign up again," Dunn said.
The first deployment can a tough adjustment, particularly if it is to a war zone, said Lt. Col Mike Carlson, stateside Battalion Commander of the 777th.
"Some of the soldiers have never been outside of Nevada before, except maybe for some training," said Carlson, who added that the approximately 50 members of the 777th are doing fine in Baghdad. "It's definitely a paradigm shift to go from Nevada to a Third World nation."
Spc. Abbey Loros, a 21-year-old Las Vegas resident with the 777th, has a good mindset about in Iraq, her mother, Elizabeth Loros, said.
'She's just in a good mental place when it comes to that," Loros said. "I remember getting calls from her during boot camp, and she talked about it like it was summer camp with claymore mines, and she loved it.
"She didn't really want to tell me they were in Baghdad because she knew I'd worry, but she's handling it."
Sgt. Donald Sheldon, a Marine recruiter based in Las Vegas said that while the recruits he talks to ask him about college and job opportunities, parents like Loros and Dunn usually have different questions.
"Since the war started I've gotten a few more questions and concerns about the war," Sheldon said. "Most of those are coming from the moms, but it hasn't stopped any of the recruits from joining.
"Moms are going to worry no matter what.".. But it hasn't stopped any of the recruits from joining."
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