[Mr. Silverback]

Not to be pedantic, but the original claim was yours: "Troops are getting out in droves, fed up." Now, this part isn't on you, but I've been hearing that from one person or another since a couple of months before the Iraq War started, and yet every year the services make their reenlistment quotas. In fact, as you'll see below, the reenlistment rate has been called "astonishing." I'd also ask how any shortfall in enlistments could be due to the prosecution of the war, when the strongest reenlistment rates are in the USMC and in the Army's combat arms branhes. I know I saw at least two or three people make that "getting out in droves claim on talking head shows last year, while the Marines were meeting their quota three months early and the Army was making theirs without breaking a sweat.

If they're having trouble meeting their quotas, the media should be reporting it all over the place...so your job would certainly be easy. But, here are two stories that indicate the trend:

More than 300 Soldiers reenlist in record breaking ceremony (4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th ID) Note that the 3rd ID had a similar mass reenlistment ceremony last year when soldiers were staying in in droves.

Then there's this line from this story: Although the Army missed its recruitment goals last year, in part because of the Iraq war, retention continues at record levels. [emphasis mine]

Also, the 4th ID was 20% past their reenlistment goal as of the end of March this year, and I believe they were in country at the time.

Then there's this:

Press Ignores Astonishing Reenlistment Rate(The good news the MSM is not reporting!)

Granted, that article's from 2005, but I refuse to buy the idea that we went from "astonishing" to "getting out in droves" in less than a year. It's not as if everything was coming up roses in Iraq last year.

Who are these troops you've been talking to?

[Irisshlass]

Who are these troops you've been talking to?


Marines..one sat in the middle of the desert for a year and never saw any combat. He said they are not utilizing the troops properly and second if they had been given an extra 100,000 men they could of sweep that entire country and been done with it quickly. They had their shot, but blew it.

Me personally, not from any soldier who has said this to me..I see a draft coming that is connected to illegals gaining citzenship. Just my theory.