[68skylark]

Here's the graphic.

The problem doesn't look as bad at the Times would like us to think. The real news was the drop in '02 and '03, and the fact that the attrition is still low in '04, '05 and '06.

[L98Fiero]

"The real news was the drop in '02 and '03,"

Where was the Times on that one?

[dirtboy]

So, in other words, the graph tells us that Bill Clinton's presidency drove a higher percentage of young officers out of the military than the Iraq War has.

[longtermmemmory]

I would submit the drop is the Clinton era military blue helmet types who were bailing because they could not advance their careers in a real army vs a PC army.

[tanknetter]

The problem doesn't look as bad at the Times would like us to think. The real news was the drop in '02 and '03, and the fact that the attrition is still low in '04, '05 and '06.

I'd like to see a second line on that chart that plots economic performance. The spike in loss-rate in 98-00 corresponds almost directly with the peak of the internet boom/tech bubble ... when there was a LOT of incentive for young officers to leave the service for the private sector.

With the economy continuing to grow out of the Clinton Recession, I think it more likely that we're seeing the same effect - good private sector jobs that are more appealing than a career in the service.

[JamesP81]

The problem doesn't look as bad at the Times would like us to think. The real news was the drop in '02 and '03, and the fact that the attrition is still low in '04, '05 and '06.

Just another of the Slimes near-lies.

[TheDon]

I'm thinking the roaring economy has just a little something to do with it.

[marron]

The chart shows that our wartime retention rates are higher than our peacetime retention rates during the nineties.

Guys who normally would have got out, delayed getting out while the fighting was thickest; now that things are leveling out, they are pulling the plug. But still at lower rates than in the nineties.

I've always believed that they should recruit more officers from among the NCOs. A captain who was a sergeant would probably be a different breed of cat, compared to the guy who came from ROTC at State College.