Recruiting Rates Up Militarywide; Army Targets New Veterans

[Mr. McD]

WASHINGTON - Both the active Army and Army National Guard continued reversing a springtime recruiting slump, exceeding their November goals at 105 and 110 percent, respectively, defense officials announced today.

The active Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force also exceeded their November goals, reporting rates of 102, 105 and 101 percent, respectively. The Marine Corps Reserve and Air Force Reserve achieved 100 percent of their November recruiting goals as well, officials reported.

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,82733,00.html?ESRC=army.nl

[ET Awful]

1. What they don't mention is that they reduced their goal by 80%

and that the 110% they mention is actually only a minute fraction of what the goal was a couple of years ago.

In other news, I hear they increased the chocolate ration to 25 grams.

[seriousstan]

5. Link for the 80% goal reduction? I don't believe your numbers.

I can't imagine a goal reduction of 80% in the last couple of years considering we have been in Iraq for the last couple of years.

Do you have any verification of your claim?

[ET Awful]

10. Do you not recognize sarcasm?

They have, however reduced their goals repeatedly.

First item on a google search http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforcejoin/a/recruitgoaldec.htm (a 47% reduction).

This has some good info along with it's sources:

http://blog.politicalnonsense.com/2005/10/05/main/recruiting/

[seriousstan]

11. They have been forced by Congress. Congress won't support the troops.

The Air Force has found itself in the embarrassing position of having too many airmen on active duty (See Joining the Air Force is Getting Tougher, and Air Force Force-Shaping). Each year, the size of the active duty services are set by Congress when they pass the yearly Military Appropriations Act.

When the authorize size of the active duty Air Force has not changed significantly in the last several years, high enlistment and re-enlistment rates resulted in the Air Force beginning Fiscal Year 2005 with about 20,000 more people than Congress says they can have.

[ET Awful]

13. So, is your point that they haven't reduced recruitment goals?

If that's your point, then you're flat-out wrong.

Read the other link I posted and it's sources. The Army has reduced it's goals by a very high percentage.

[seriousstan]

15. My point is, the Army didn't reduce goals because they couldn't make them

The armed forces have more enlistees than congress allows them to take. This is not a case of the numbers being worked by the armed forces in order to look good. Ther really do have a great number of people signing up.

[ET Awful]

16. Wrong again.

Of course, if you'd actually researched the matter, you'd know that.

[Silverhair]

2. That is because the have lowered the standards for enlistment.

They are now accepting people that they once turned away.

[Ian David]

7. This is true...

And this lady got in under the old standards:


Welcome to Project 100,000: Bush's Moron Corps.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. I wonder how much they reduced their quotas to be able to meet....

...or exceed those new goals?

This is just more of the same disinformation.

[dkofos]

4. Not exactly true.

The recuiting goals were reduced.

* rule #1 If you can't meet expectations, lower expectations.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. rule #2

Larger signing bonuses. cha-ching! $$$$

[Ian David]

8. Maybe they should lift the army's ban on masturbation?

Can anyone find the citation where it says it's illegal for a soldier to masturbate?

[seriousstan]

12. They have been forced by Congress. Congress won't support the troops.

The goals have been reduced because of the congressional limits set on troop size.

[dkofos]

14. Didn't they increase # of troops by 80,000 this year??

[BOSSHOG]

9. The Army should have no problem ever meetings its goals

This country is full of flag waving, magnet displaying, testosterone laden patriots ready and willing to go kill em some ragheads. Since there are so many proud conservatives in this country, recruitment should only be a story if the Army does not meet goal, like last year, when the patriots obviously had a shortage of testosterone.

[tabasco]

17. Wow ! You're right ! I see those magnets everywhere !

Those stories about the recruiting disaster must be just librul propaganda to demoralize the troops !