The president of the chamber of commerce in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas says enlisting in the U.S. army is an attractive option for the territory's youth.
Juan Guerrero was commenting after research showed that the number of young people signing up from the C.N.M.I, American Samoa, and Guam, doubled between 2004 and 2006.
The U.S. army is finding it harder to attract recruits on the mainland in the face of a mounting body toll in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But, it's having more success in the three U.S. territories with sign up bonuses worth more than 70,000 U.S. dollars and the opportunity of a college education.
Mr Guerrero says high school students are keen to enlist.
"This provides actually an opportunity for those that cannot afford, or their family, cannot afford to send them to college to go and join the army. And, it's also true that we're in economic crisis and the opportunity for a good job - one would say that's not readily available right now."
Juan Guerrero.
