What is GRAP and have I been taken?

GRAP stands for the Guard Recruiting Assistance Program. The program was launched about two and a half years ago as an attempt to boost recruiting for the National Guard. The program is a referral system that rewards soldiers for recruiting others to join the guard. All Army National Guard members have the ability to become recruiting assistants. This process is quite simple and involves only a few minutes of effort. The registration process is a brief class about the rules and regulations of the program. For a quick overview, here are a few of the key rules: recruiting assistants are not supposed to recruit while on duty, recruit family members, or offer prospective members portions of their money. The main violation of these rules is the last one. It has become commonplace for people to flat out "buy" recruits from other people. This completely undermines the entire system and causes a bidding war. There are a few other things to keep in mind. Guardsmen get between $2000 and $10000 for new soldiers. I am not telling you this so you can extort people but so you can understand motivation of others. Many people make a habit of going around and collecting information about unsuspecting freshman. Personal information is the way you input a new recruit. We take a person's info and log it into the system. It has become quite easy to put people into the system. If a senior starts being friendly with you and asking you personal information, ask them why they are taking a special interest in you. There is no reason that a fellow cadet needs to know your address and birthday. They most likely have less than noble intentions. If you are interested in joining the Guard, talk to someone helpful. If they have helped you through your decision, reward them by letting them get a bonus. Do not feel obligated to give this to undeserving individuals.