US Army seen reaching recruiting goal despite war

[Barrett808]

US Army seen reaching recruiting goal despite war
By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army, which fell short in recruiting last year, made its 14th straight monthly goal in July and is expected to hit its 2006 target despite the Iraq war making recruiting harder, officials said on Thursday.

Jeff Spara, in charge of Army recruiting policy, denied the Army has been making its recruiting goals by taking lower-quality volunteers who previously might have been rejected, as some experts contend.

"It looks very good right now," Spara said of the active-duty Army reaching its goal of 80,000 new soldiers in fiscal 2006, which ends September 30. It fell about 7,000 recruits short of the same numerical goal in fiscal 2005.

Spara said it was "too close to call" whether the Army's part-time components, the National Guard and Reserve, will reach their 2006 targets. Both missed their July quotas and fell short last year.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060810/pl_nm/iraq_usa_recr...

[MercutioATC]

1. Are they figuring in the 40,000 deserters?

...that would put them a little farther behind, no?

[Vincardog]

2. Just before they announce "Making their goal" They adjust their goal

to be whatever they made.

[lindisfarne]

8. They also adjust their requirements-people are being accepted who wouldn't

have been 5 years ago.

[tabasco]

9. That's true. Rummy is keeping the real numbers secret.

They were 7000 under last FY, they have NOT made up that shortfall, and recruiting is still a crisis.

At this point, you can't believe a word from Rummy's Pentagon.

[lamp_shade]

10. That was my first thought

I'd like to see a "Goal Report"... Qtr-by-qtr for the last... say... 10 years. I don't care about the "actuals" or the "variances"... I just want to see the "goals".

[TheLastMohican]

3. How many new Greenes they signed

who are there for the "killer rush"?

[muryan]

4. probably the same amount

that signed for WWI, WWII, korea, vietnam...

[Malva Zebrina]

5. good for them. May they live a happy life in the service of George Bush

Their AWOL Commander in Chief. I can no longer support these "troops" who have signed up to kill and be killed in the service of this despicabal man, George Bush.

Have fun, you'all

[bluestateguy]

6. It's true because the Army says so

Please.

[Vidar]

7. Unfortunate. They have enough fodder for cannon already.

[Thor_MN]

11. The goal the would like to have or the goal they had to go to war with?

[0007]

12. Yes Sir! The Army knows how to get real men

[AnneD]

13. I have a question.

If they are meeting their goal, why are troops still pulling additional tours and being stop-lossed.

[BeHereNow]

14. Well considering the lack of employment that pays over min wage

This does not surprise me at all.
Especially if you factor in the point that
they are now accepting volunteers up to
42 years of age.
People have to eat and those who have
seen their jobs outsourced have families to feed.
They don't need a draft- it's been accomplished
through their economic devastation.

BHN