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Columns

Not the image the Army wants to present

By ANDREW SKERRITT
Published January 23, 2007

The soldier strode into the St. Petersburg Times' Land O'Lakes office dressed in green combat fatigues one day last summer.

Sgt. Bruce Roberts was new in the Army's Dade City recruiting office. He handed out a handful of red, white and blue, stars and stripes business cards.

Uncle Sam was looking for a few good men and women, and Roberts seemed like the guy who could find them.

He was a Pasco boy who found purpose and discipline in the Army 11 years ago. He served in Iraq before being offered the recruiting job.

At the time, the Army was struggling to meet its recruitment numbers. Roberts' job was to persuade two recruits to sign on the dotted line each month. He had nine months to prove himself.

Although he was wary of the perceived antiwar sentiment in the media, Roberts agreed that his story would make a good column.

Over lunch at Burger King, Roberts, 29, talked about his choice of a military career, how some of the friends he left behind were stuck in dead-end jobs trimming trees and cutting lawns.

He talked about the struggle to get qualified candidates. Many of the young men and women who showed interest couldn't pass the Army's test or their criminal history disqualified them. Others were overweight and couldn't lose enough. Although desperate for bodies, the Army was more selective than in the past.

Roberts was always available when I called. I even accompanied him on a visit to Seven Oaks subdivision where a potential recruit lived with her parents. When we showed up, the teen wasn't there, and her dad didn't know about the appointment.

That was part of the frustration of the job. Whether it was recruiting kids from gated communities or from the housing projects, it wasn't a great time to persuade anyone to join the Army. Inducements of college tuition and travel are less enticing if it means first dodging bullets and roadside bombs. Parents often hung up the phone on him. "Take my son's name off your list," they'd shout.

But after all the interviews, the column never materialized. The photographers were never able to reach Roberts to get his picture. He says his superiors discouraged him from cooperating further.

Until now, that is. Finally we have a photo of Roberts. But it's a Pasco County Sheriff's Office mug shot.

On Friday he was arrested on charges that he had sex with a 17-year-old potential recruit, whom he had met when he made a school presentation. The investigation began after one of the teen's parents learned about the alleged tryst.

Roberts has denied the charge, but if convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. Whatever the outcome, his beloved military career might be ruined.

Even if the accusations are false, this makes it harder for schools and parents to trust military recruiters. Antimilitary and antiwar folks might think that's not such a bad thing. But someone has to do the fighting. Someone has to persuade young men and women that this country is still worth fighting for. Unfortunately, Roberts' arrest makes their job much harder.

Andrew Skerritt can be reached at (813) 909-4602 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 4602. His e-mail address is askerritt@sptimes.com.

[Last modified January 23, 2007, 05:45:38]