When work evaporates and bills multiply, a father goes back to the basics: basic training

Five years ago, there's a good chance neither the Army nor Russ Wilson would have wanted much to do with each other.

But add two unpopular wars and a bad economy, and suddenly it was a good match.

The Army had struggled to meet increased recruiting goals — at least another 80,000 each year. To hit that number they were willing to overlook an age nearly twice the ideal recruit's and a waistline enhanced by a weakness for Big Macs. Full Story »