This is the first story in a two-part series about military enlistment. Tomorrow’s story will focus on the Navy and Marines.

Interest in joining the armed forces has been on the rise since the recent terrorist attacks – especially among military veterans, Army and Air Force officials said.

The Air Force has seen an increase in interest in the program, said Sgt. Roger Clapper, marketing information manager for the Air Force, in Bellevue, Neb.

“As far as our recruiting, there has been quite an increase in interest,” Clapper said. “However, it takes six to eight weeks to actually recruit and put a person in uniform. We won’t be able to tell how many actually join for another six weeks.”

He said the Air Force’s toll-free number has been busy with calls. The Air Force Web site has also seen a huge increase in visits, Clapper said.

The Air Force asks a potential recruit why he or she is interested during the first interview, Clapper said.

“Recruiters are seeing an impact from Tuesday’s events,” he said.

However, Clapper said the Air Force is making sure it doesn’t use the terrorist attacks as a recruiting tool.

“We are not saying, `Because of Tuesday’s events, we need you,'” he said.

Clapper said the number of recruits that may be needed in the near future is still unclear to the Air Force at this time.

Douglas Smith, spokesperson for the U.S. Army Recruiting Center in Fort Knox, Ky., said the Army has seen an increase in the number of people interested in joining.

“There has been an impact in our recruiting offices since the terrorist attacks,” Smith said.

Smith said the Army recruiting offices have been busy with phone calls and visits. He said many people showing interest are of older generations. Many of them include veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

“We have had phone calls from Army veterans asking if they can come back to the Army,” Smith said. “People who have already served their country are wanting to do so again. I find it very heartwarming.”

Shawn Wilson, acting station commander for the Army recruiting office in Ames, said the Ames Army recruiting center has had many calls and visits from people ranging from age 45 to as old as 77.

“We’ve had calls from the older generation asking what they can do to help,” he said.

Wilson said he feels this interest for joining the Army from the older generation is due to patriotism.

“Patriotism was real back then,” he said. “They believed what they did made a difference.”

Smith said the return of a former military member is considered on a case-by-case basis.

“There is no one-size-fits-all for past military members,” Smith said. “There are several factors that are considered by their local recruiting office.”

He said the factors include matters such as age and the length of time served in the military in the past.

Smith said a potential recruit that has never been in the military, must be at least 17 years of age and no older than 35. Members who are 17 must have parental approval before joining.

He said the number of recruits needed in the near future is questionable.

“I can’t even speculate on how many recruits will be needed,” Smith said.