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Worst recruiting years for army in decades { September 30 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-army-recruiting-slump,0,7191069.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-army-recruiting-slump,0,7191069.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines Army Sees Uphill Recruiting Battle By ROBERT BURNS AP Military Writer September 30, 2005, 2:18 PM EDT WASHINGTON -- The Army closed the books Friday on one of the leanest recruiting years since it became an all-volunteer service, missing its enlistment target by the widest margin since 1979 and raising questions about its plans for growth. Many in Congress believe the Army needs to get bigger -- perhaps by 50,000 soldiers over its current 1 million -- in order to meet its overseas commitments, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army is on a path to add 30,000 soldiers, but that will be hard to achieve if recruiters cannot persuade more to join. Officials insist the slump is not a crisis, although they predict that 2006 will as tough as 2005, if not tougher. "Combined with a good economy and continued negative news from the Middle East, that means recruiting in fiscal year 2006 will be challenging," Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, an Army spokesman, said Friday. Michael O'Hanlon, a defense analyst at the Brookings Institution think tank, said the recruiting shortfall this year does not matter greatly -- for now. "The bad news is that any shortfall shows how hard it would be to increase the Army's size by 50,000 or more as many of us think appropriate," O'Hanlon said. "We appear to have waited too long to try." The Army has not published official figures yet, but it apparently finished the 12-month counting period with about 73,000 recruits. Its goal was 80,000. A gap of 7,000 enlistees would be the largest -- in absolute number as well as in percentage terms -- since 1979. The Army National Guard and the Army Reserve, which are smaller than the regular Army, had even worse results. The active-duty Army had not missed its target since 1999, when it was 6,290 recruits short; in 1998 it fell short by 801, and in 1995 it was off by 33. Prior to that the last shortfall was in 1979 when the Army missed by 17,054 during a period when the Army was much bigger and its recruiting goals were double today's. The Army became an all-volunteer service in 1974. Army officials knew at the outset that 2005 would be a tough year to snag new recruits. By May it was obvious that after four consecutive months of coming up short there was little chance of meeting the full-year goal. A summertime surge of signups offered some hope the slump might be ending. Hilferty, the Army spokesman, said that despite the difficulties, recruiters were going full speed as the end of fiscal year 2005 arrived Friday. "We have met the active Army's monthly recruiting goals since June, and we expect to meet it for September, which sends us into fiscal year 2006 on a winning streak," Hilferty said. He also noted that the Army has met its re-enlistment goals, even among units that have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The outlook for reaching 80,000 recruits in 2006 is dimmed by several factors, including: * The daily reports of American deaths in Iraq and the uncertain nature of the struggle against the insurgency have put a damper on young people's enthusiasm for joining the military, according to opinion surveys. * The Army has a smaller-then-usual reservoir of enlistees as it begins the new recruiting year on Saturday. This pool comes from what the Army calls its delayed-entry program in which recruits commit to join the Army and then ship to boot camp months later. Normally that pool is large enough at the start of the recruiting year to fill at least one-quarter of the Army's full-year need. As the new fiscal year begins Saturday, the figure apparently has dwindled to between 5 percent and 10 percent, although the official number has not been released. Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff, has said it would be the smallest in history. Charles Moskos, a military sociologist at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., said in an interview that the Army would attract more recruits if it could offer shorter enlistments than the current three-year norm. As it stands, the Army faces a tough challenge for the foreseeable future. "The future looks even grimmer. Recruiting is going to get harder and harder," Moskos said. * __ On the Net: Army Recruiting Command at http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq.html Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

soldiers-mental-toll 15 000 more troops iraq { May 16 2003 } 1700 soliders have deserted in iraq { December 5 2003 } 20 000 more troops 6 louisiana national guard soldiers mourned { January 11 2005 } 63 percent voters call for immediate troop withdrawal Abandoned pets problem while troops gone { April 12 2005 } America will stay in iraq says bush Army accepting more recruits with felonies { April 22 2008 } Army allows criminals for recruitment Army captain sues government about iraq assignment Army covers up soldier dissenters assassination Army keeping soldiers on duty { June 2 2004 } Army misses recruitment by 42 percent { May 16 2005 } Army not meeting recruiting goals { February 21 2005 } Army orders mother of 7 to duty { November 9 2003 } Army plans to keep troop level through 2006 { January 25 2005 } Army raises enlistment age for reservists { March 21 2005 } Army recalling thousands who left service Army recruiter threatens warrant on recruitee { May 11 2005 } Army reserve becoming broken force says general { January 6 2005 } Army reserve fears troop exodus Army sergeant refused iraq duty charged with desertion Army spread thin caling on same units Army stop loss prevents soliders from leaving army { January 28 2006 } Army trying to keep troops from leaving { January 5 2004 } Army will ease standards for recruits { October 1 2004 } Awol desserters crisis hits armed forces Black army recruits down 41perc since 2000 { March 6 2005 } British troops may stay 10 years Delayed troop return frustrates families Draft discussed by senator on hill Female soldiers eyed for combat Fewer army recruits lined up { July 22 2004 } Franks US stay for years { July 10 2003 } Ged no longer required for recruitment { September 20 2005 } General war has not ended { May 30 2003 } GI bill cant cover soldiers community college { April 29 2008 } Gis want home { August 10 2003 } Iraq combat veterans committing increased homicides { January 13 2008 } Kennedy calls for troops withdrawal Low morale plagues us troops in iraq Marine suicide by cop rather than return to iraq Marines come up short on recruits { February 3 2005 } Marines to reactive thousands reserves { July 2006 } Military opposes draft bill introduced by democrat Mississippi guardsmen denied leave for katrina { September 11 2005 } National guard 10 year record lows on recruiting { July 25 2005 } National guard recruiting slips National guard shipped { June 26 2002 } National guard treated like prisoners { November 25 2004 } New generation of homeless vets emerges { December 2008 } Pentagon delays us troops trip home Pentagon extends tour of duty for 6500 soldiers { October 30 2004 } Reservist commits suicide over city job { March 19 2004 } Reservists may face longer tours of duty { January 7 2005 } Reservists reservations { September 26 2002 } Returned iraq veteran soldier fires at police officer { July 23 2007 } Returning soldiers traumatized by occupation Scores denies leave time to displaced katrina families { September 11 2005 } Seattle high school attempts banning recruiters { May 18 2005 } Seventh day adventist marine jailed { January 5 2005 } Sick wounded us troops wait months barracks Soldier paid to get shot to avoid iraq { August 15 2007 } Soldier sues US military over extended service Soldier who married iraqi to be discharged { December 1 2003 } Soldiers are threatened with iraq duty Soldiers contest stop loss policy in court { December 6 2004 } Soldiers marry iraqi women Soldiers returning hard time to adjust { September 12 2003 } Soldiers sued over forced extension of service { October 20 2004 } Soldiers trying not to report States helpding guardsman because fed wont { January 19 2005 } Strained army extends tours to 15 months { April 12 2007 } Thousands of soldiers older than 50 deployed { October 17 2004 } Top democrats call for iraq pullout Tour of duty extended reserve forces Troop r and r budget wont cover costs Troops buy their own body armor { September 30 2005 } Troops have tough questions for rumsfeld { December 8 2004 } Troops questioned rumsfeld on long deployments { December 8 2004 } Troops return after 2 years { January 4 2004 } Troops to stay assignment seven years Unconfirmed mutiny in iraq Us forces extended tours duty US soldier suicide rate highest for 26 years { August 16 2007 } Us troops question presence in iraq { October 17 2003 } War veterans neglected abused at top medical facility { February 18 2007 } Worst recruiting years for army in decades { September 30 2005 } Files Listed: 88

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