Dback Jon

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army missed its recruiting goal in April, marking the third consecutive monthly shortfall.
Army spokesman Paul Boyce said officials believe that increases in the number of recruiters, as well as new advertising and publicity efforts, will produce a surge in recruiting this summer so that the Army can meet its full-year goal of 80,000 recruits by Sept. 30.

As of April 30 the Army had achieved only 85% of its target for the first five months of the fiscal year, which began Oct. 1.

Boyce said big gains are expected this summer, and the Army is cautiously optimistic it will overcome the current recruiting deficit during a summer period that traditionally is a good period of recruiters.

Opinion surveys have indicated that a growing number of young people and their parents are wary of the Army's recruiting pitch at a time when soldiers in Iraq are killed and wounded virtually every day.

Spring is typically one of the more difficult periods of the year for military recruiters.

Boyce said he did not have specific figures for April but it fell short of the monthly goal of 6,600. In March the Army had hoped to sign up 6,800 recruits but fell 32% short. That was slightly worse than in February, when a goal of 7,050 was missed by 27%.

Prior to missing the February target the Army had not fallen short of a monthly goal since May 2000.

The Army National Guard and Army Reserve have had even more trouble recruiting. In March the Army Reserve signed up barely half the 1,600 soldiers it sought. It has not met a monthly goal since December 2004, and for the period from October 2004 through March it met only 82% of its goal.

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R.I.P Tim Minnick

The KING of Cards

SirStefan32

I don't know man, I think the Congress needs to stop wasting money on crap and give it to the military. I was considering joining until I realized that there was no chance in hell I could make it on that little money.

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"Don't try to threaten me Mulder! I've watched presidents die."

"If people would know the things I know, we'd all fall apart."

"Once again, tonight, the course of human history will be set by two unknown men standing in the shadows."

Cigarette Smoking Man

Dan H

That's a good point. Military benefits are in general pretty good but their pay is so low and the on-base housing so poor that many military families have to go on food stamps.

40yearfan

And on top of it, we expect them to go to Iraq and get shot at. If we spent a little less on pork, these people would get the pay they deserve.

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“So I became a newspaperman. I hated to do it but I couldn’t find honest employment.” —Mark Twain

Dan H

One of my best friends was a sergeant in the 101st Airborne. He got a medical discharge because he was undeployable (sleep apnia) and easily found a job in the private sector making double his previous salary. Pretty insane that we pay people twice as much to fix air conditioners as we do to protect our nation.

wallyburger

Another very good reason to

"Stop the War".

Just seems to me that sending off defense troops to engage in expeditionary ventures undermines the concept of an able National Guard. It's not about the money IMHO.

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In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
--Voltaire

SirStefan32

Actually I wanted to join because of the war. I have no problem getting shot at protecting our way of life, but I do have a problem living on $1200 or so... (forget the exact number)

So it IS about money. What do you expect when you join the "MILITARY"? To sit around the fire and sing "cumbaya?" Hell ,military is there FOR the war, you join to fight, not to be a bloody peace activist.

Stefan

__________________
"Don't try to threaten me Mulder! I've watched presidents die."

"If people would know the things I know, we'd all fall apart."

"Once again, tonight, the course of human history will be set by two unknown men standing in the shadows."

Cigarette Smoking Man