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US military meets or exceeds most recruiting, retention targets
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The active duty US military met or exceeded its recruiting goals in November, the Pentagon said, staying on track to meet its annual troop requirements. The recruiting and retention numbers have been closely watched for signs of cracks under the strains of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The army and marine corps, the military services most strained by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, exceeded their monthly recruiting goal by five and four percent respectively, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. The air force and navy met their monthly target, he said. Most reserve and national guard components also met or exceeded their monthly goal, except the army reserve which fell 21 percent of the mark and the navy reserve, which was nine percent off, according to Whitman. "With respect to retention, the active duty services are all starting off well, exceeding their overall retention missions right now," he said, adding that navy re-enlistments fell short for the month but remained on course to meet the service's target for the year. The army, which has struggled to replenish its ranks in the midst of an unpopular war, has responded with lavish signing bonuses, revamped ad campaigns, beefed-up recruiting forces and an easing of standards that have allowed in older recruits and more that tested in the bottom third. The army's goal is to enlist 80,000 fresh troops in fiscal 2007. It met that goal last year but fell eight percent short the year before. Posted by: tu3031 2006-12-12 |
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