There was no increase in the number of people joining the military after September 11, 2001, although there was some increase in queries about joining. But most of the queries were from people who did not meet military standards (which are actually quite high.) The war in Iraq saw the Marines and Army change their ads to more somber calls for people willing to sacrifice and meet daunting challenges. The recruiters dont expect a big boost in applicants, but you never know. The hundreds of embedded reporters are suspected, by some military recruiters, to be the best recruiting tool ever invented.