All Services Meet Active-Duty Recruiting Goals for August

American Forces Press Service ^ | Donna Miles

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2007 – All four services reported strong recruiting success in August, with the Army marking its second consecutive month exceeding its monthly goal, Defense Department officials announced today.

The Army topped its August goal by 6 percent, bringing 10,126 new soldiers into the force. The Army made 102 percent of its goal in July. Officials expressed confidence that the consecutive successes mark a turnaround from May and June, when the Army fell short in recruiting.

Army Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commander of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, attributes much of the rebound to the Army’s new “quick-ship” bonus program that provides $20,000 in financial incentives for recruits willing to ship off quickly to basic training.

Bostick told Pentagon reporters last week that it’s one of several initiatives the Army has put in place to ensure it meets its fiscal 2007 recruiting goals. He vowed to close any remaining gaps by Sept. 30 to meet the active Army’s year-end goal of 80,000 recruits and the Army Reserve’s goal of 26,500.

The other services enjoyed strong recruiting months in August, too. The Marine Corps topped its monthly goal by 5 percent, bringing in 4,700 new Marines. The Navy and Air Force both reached their goals, 4,194 and 3,128, respectively.

In the reserve components, the Army Reserve reported a successful August, too, reaching 107 percent of its monthly goal. As it brought in 3,659 recruits, it also exceeded its retention goals for first-termers as well as career soldiers.

“That’s remarkable,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Leon Caffie, the Army Reserve’s top noncommissioned officer. “If you look at the stats for soldiers who have been deployed in the Army Reserve, those retention rates are astronomical, as well. … We have done a remarkable job of retaining soldiers with combat experience, who have deployed into either Afghanistan or Iraq.”

The Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve also exceeded their August goals. The Navy Reserve topped its goal by 13 percent, with 1,122 new recruits, and the Marine Corps Reserve, by 18 percent, with 560 recruits. The Air Force met its goal, recruiting 858 airmen.

The Army National Guard and Air National Guard fell short, 87 and 96 percent, respectively. The Army Guard recruited 5,596 soldiers, and the Air Guard, 1,141 airmen.

National Guard officials noted that despite a slight recruiting shortfall, both components continue to enjoy strong retention numbers. They said this has enabled them to maintain their end-strength goals at 101 and 99 percent, respectively.

Related Sites:
August Recruiting Numbers

[Larry Lucido]

This can’t be true. No one wants to join the military with that liar Bush as commander in chief.

/moonbat mode

[pissant]

All of the dem talking points are dying on the vine....

[jazusamo]

How can this be, Rangel Dangel says we need a draft? lol

[Our man in washington]

Prediction: once the Iraq war winds down, the military is going to have to beat back the flood of potential recruits.

A lot of men are going to turn 18 and realize that school failed to teach them self-discipline, physical fitness, or any marketable skills. Some of these men will realize those are good things to have.

[Wage Slave]

The Army just got my youngest child. He just contracted with them via ROTC. Two more years of college and off he goes.

[SandRat]

Rangel Dangel is a Commie Dork!

[17th Miss Regt]

No one wants to join the military with that liar Bush as commander in chief.

Actually, the higher numbers simply reflect the fact that more minorities and poor people have no other skills or choices, so they have to go into the military. They don't want to be there, but their desperation to get a job, any job, is coming out more clearly every day. When the armed forces greatly exceed their goals, it is not a case of the military being desirable. It is simply the desperation of unqualified, ill-educated minorities. (/democrat, /arrogance).

[SandRat]

You could very well be right. From your lips to GOD’s Ears.

[SeaHawkFan]

See, there is a silver lining to the mortgage industry collapse. ;-)

[NEMDF]

I believe that the numbers of minorities, particularly blacks, enlisting have fallen way off in recent months.

[ODC-GIRL]

I just got 4 new folks in my section alone this month. I will be reenlisting for 6 more years this week, giving me 32 years. Generally, the only folks we lose are to retirements or medical. Air National Guard.

[PeteB570]

Good for him. Give him a pat on the back from me.

30 years from now, if he stays in or gets out after his first hitch, he will look back with pride on his service.

The world will be a different place then and he will be one of the people who help make it so.

[17th Miss Regt]

I believe that the numbers of minorities, particularly blacks, enlisting have fallen way off in recent months.

Careful, there. I have no reason to doubt what you say, but it does not fit the template. If numbers of minorities enlisting have fallen way off in the last few months, how can we continue to have casualties that fall mainly on minorities, the poor, the ill-educated, unskilled and unfortunate (i.e. those who did not win life's lottery)? There is a template to be followed SO GET WITH THE PROGRAM!

[Wage Slave]

Thanks. He is very excited already. He’s also studying Arabic and hopes to end up with a job catching bad guys.

[SandRat]

I would encourage you to become very familiar with this URL http://www.army.mil/ and just before/barely after his Commissioning that you visit http://www.bluestarmothers.org/ and join the cause.

[SandRat]

You don’t really lose the retirees because they’d come back in a minute if they were asked (I would). In the mean time, they are the Sports Coaches, Scoutmasters, Cub Pack Leaders, etc. watching out for the military and community youth.

[Wage Slave]

I am familiar with Blue Star mothers because my oldest son was in the Navy, but I didn’t join. I’m definitely going to this time around.

[MeanWestTexan]

All the more reason to pray for a real conservative CIC.

[Past Your Eyes]

You go, ODC-GIRL! I would have stayed in for my 20 at least but back in ‘92, they didn’t want old fat pukes like me any more. Remember the “peace dividend”? I helped pay for it. Had 14 good years, 7 of those were active duty years. I’ve got a few thousand points for sale to the highest bidder. I can’t use them myself. “:^(
If I could have stayed for 20, I would have started drawing my retirement in July.

[Our man in washington]

I base my statement partly on personal experience. I joined the Navy Reserves in 2002. We weren’t in Iraq yet, so a lot of the reservists weren’t thinking that much about mobilization. After 9/11, being in the military garnered a lot of respect. Besides, the expansion of military spending meant a lot of opportunities were available for those who served or had served.

I was part of a program called the Non-prior Service. These were older recruits who went through a special training program.

Long story short: the Navy had to end the program a few years later because it was TOO SUCCESSFUL. So many people were signing up that the Navy didn’t have the resources to give them further training.

I expect with the high likelihood of mobilization, reserve duty is less appealing. But if we go back to the old days of relative peace, a lot of people will see military service as a very good deal.

I joined at age 35 and it was one of the best decisions of my life. The military really can show someone what they truly can do. So few institutions today really push people to do their best any more.

[Chode]

and the RATS, take another one in the...............HA ha!!!

[toddlintown]

My youngest went Army 3 weeks ago. Wanted the $20k.

[SandRat]

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

[toddlintown]

Thank you.

[facedown]

(/democrat, /arrogance).

LOL, you had me going there for a second.

[Larry Lucido]

You nailed it!

Too few recruits = bad war (Bush’s fault)

Too many recruits = bad economy (Bush’s fault)

[ODC-GIRL]

Ah yes, the “peace dividend”. They won’t even authorize a Cold War Medal for those of us who helped defeat the Soviet Union. Political overtones doncha know? My father gets a HUGE kick out of bragging about his daughter getting asked to come back out of retirement (retired in August 2001) when HE did not!!!

Now I’m willing to stay as long as they’ll have me to help fight this war that the terrorists escalated on 9-11, to a level we could no longer ignore.