Army moves in on LSU

Next week, the Army officially opens its latest recruitment office in Louisiana, and its first near LSU. The Tiger Town Army Recruiting Station shifts operations from a fifth floor Perkins Rowe tower to a storefront in a high-traffic strip mall on Lee Drive. Campus demographics are an obvious fit for recruiters, says U.S. Army Advertising & Public Affairs Chief Roger Harmon. Active duty pays for up to $82,000 in tuition support, and the Army partners with 1,900 schools nationwide to help soldiers earn credit for training and coursework completed while deployed. Such a partnership is in the works with LSU now, says Harmon. There are about 20 recruiting stations along the corridor, and while those located close to campuses, like the New Orleans station at Delgado Community College and the Lafayette station near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette fare well, recruitment is high throughout the state of Louisiana. “We’re exceeding our assigned mission [here] for both active and reserve,” says Harmon. “Generally speaking, people are looking for opportunities.” But Harmon adds that while leadership training and benefits help, they’re not the main reason most new recruits say they join. “A sense of patriotism and service to country is always close to the top,” he says. — Maggie Heyn Richardson