The Simpsons Take on Recruiting

The Army's recruitment woes have become so well-known that, tonight, they're the stuff of a Simpsons episode on FOX. When Marge learns Bart has been recruited for early enlistment in the Army by recruiters desperate to find new troops, she dispatches Homer to the recruiting office to call the whole thing off . . . and Homer enlists for service himself.

Yes, the Simpsons even threw in the pre-requisite gays in the military jokes (such as the boot camp announcement that the command would be spending much of the first day 'constantly questioning your sexuality') but they pointed out some serious concerns, too, including enlisting recruits with low aptitutde test scores to fill the ranks.

Of course, in the end, all works out for the best, and Homer completes his term of service by doing some recuiting of his own for the military. No doubt, though, if Homer knew about the continued discharge of qualified gays, and the impact "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has on our military, he'd give us that trademark 'Doh!' he's so famous for.

- Steve Ralls