Posted on 12/12/2006 2:28:38 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Though Americans are increasingly pessimistic about the war in Iraq, the Pentagon said Tuesday it is having success enlisting new troops. The Navy and Air Force met their recruiting goals last month while the Army and Marine Corps exceeded theirs, the Defense Department announced.
The Army, which is bearing the brunt of the work in Iraq, did the best. It signed up 6,485 new recruits in November compared with its target of 6,150 — meaning 105 percent of its goal.
All the services turned in similar performances in October as well, meaning they so far are meeting their goals for the 2007 budget year that began Oct. 1.
"The services are starting off well," said Maj. Stewart Upton, a Pentagon spokesman.
The progress in recruiting comes as U.S. pessimism over the Iraq campaign mounts, according to a recent AP-Ipsos poll. Some 63 percent of Americans said they don't expect a stable, democratic government to be established in Iraq, up from 54 percent who felt that way in June.
Dissatisfaction with President Bush's handling of Iraq has climbed to an all-time high of 71 percent, according to the AP-Ipsos survey this month. A bipartisan commission last week released its recommendations for a new course and the president held a series of meetings this week to hear from his advisers.
According to figures released Tuesday by the Pentagon, the Navy signed up 2,887 recruits last month, or 100 percent of its goal; Marines signed up 2,095, or 104 percent of its 2,012 target and the Air Force signed up all 1,877 it was seeking.
The Army also met its goal in the 2006 budget year after missing its target in fiscal year 2005 for the first time since 1999. It added recruiters and offered recruits bonuses to help attract more to the service.
The Army has been recruiting about 80,000 people a year, setting differing monthly goals depending on the time of the year.
Though the active services are doing well, recruiting has lagged for the Army Reserve and Navy Reserve, officials said.
The Army Reserve last month signed up 1,888, or just 79 percent of its 2,376 goal and the Navy Reserve signed up 687 recruits, or just 91 percent of its 755 goal.
___
On the Net:
Defense Department http://www.defenselink.mil
You're exactly right, and anyone who's ever been deployed, even on a 'back burner' mission, knows that feeling. Troops do not suffer by stateside discussions on the merits and flaws of the mission they're on. It's comforting to know that you're risking your neck over something that people thought about before they sent you, and are still engaged in while you're there.
Let me give you a situation that occurred in my son's unit that might belie your claim that the military is going downhill.
The unit he deployed with was a support unit with multiple people in it who were too old and too out of shape to be going into a war zone (some women). He was frustrated out of his teenaged mind at these people's apathy and weakness (and I was scared as a mother that these people might not be able to save him if he needed to be carried because he was wounded). They were still in the Reserves mostly likely to keep the income not ever thinking they would go to war.
As time has gone on since 9/11 and since Afghanistan and Iraq, those kinds of people are dropping out, and being replaced by younger, fitter recruits, including a few older ones who are in better condition.
I think that the reality is that today's military is far sharper and fitter than it was during the Clinton years.
There is a reason for the increased enlistments and reinlistments, and the anxiousness of those who have been in Iraq to go back (my son will go back as a very young staff sergeant.....he's only 22).
It's called patriotism. And it's not being falsely cheery to recognize that, nor is it being helpfully realististic to deny it.
You're looking at the wrong scale somewhere. I'm 39 and did 50 on the last APFT which gave me a score of 76-34 is passing. Maybe 42 year old females get a 100 score for 40 push ups, not males.
Good catch, my bad. I guess I did look at the female scores. That's what you get for trying to read charts before having coffee.
Thanks for the morning laugh. I didn't need the /s tag to know it was a joke. My dh and his friends pass this stuff around all the time. There is another one out there comparing the services and what they drink. I'll have to find that one. Also, I once saw a hilarious medal chart, but I haven't been able to find that one again.
Pessimism that's manufactured by a constant drumbeat of media negativity. What else is the average person supposed to think, when faced with that everyday?
*snicker* Looks like Grandpa smoked em!
I wouldn't quite say 'going downhill', but they are heading in the wrong direction. High standards and strict requirements are good things, but loosening them won't results in sudden disaster. It's just the wrong direction to be heading in the long run. I suppose it's just semantics, but I'm not really comfortable with your wording.
The unit he deployed with was a support unit with multiple people in it who were too old and too out of shape to be going into a war zone (some women). ... They were still in the Reserves mostly likely to keep the income not ever thinking they would go to war. As time has gone on since 9/11 and since Afghanistan and Iraq, those kinds of people are dropping out, and being replaced by younger, fitter recruits, including a few older ones who are in better condition.
I wasn't a reservist, and can't really say I know any current that well, but I imagine that going to war shook a lot of these types loose. I don't really see this as holding true for the Active Duty, but considering what a large percentage the Reserves makes up, it's definitely not a bad thing that this happened.
I think that the reality is that today's military is far sharper and fitter than it was during the Clinton years.
Hard to say, and I joined in the early Clinton years. In some ways yes, and others no. Most of the Clinton military was former Reagan military, and they weren't a very PC crew. Much of the Bush military is former Clinton military, and, well, it kinda shows. Military generations are like civilian generations, and some stereotypes about them are generally true.
At any rate, cut and paste this thread to your son and see what he thinks. He may disagree with me, but I doubt he'd think I'm a pacifist leafeater who's down on the military.
Don't be so uptight! I thought it was funny, and I daresay any guy or gal in uniform would get a kick out of it too, especially a Marine!
I could see your point if we were talking about the Army of WWII, or even Vietnam, which relied on sheer numbers of men in the field of battle. It seems today that wars are not fought the same way, so that young strapping fellow needed before, in large numbers, is not as necessary, anymore. We need young recruits, to be sure, we always will, but we also need folks with good skills in other areas who will not be on the ground, but may be directing the fighting based on intelligence, or who are directing communications, etc. Not all recruits will be doing hand to hand combat, some will be doing other important jobs as the needs arise.
No one's forcing those 'older' folks to join. It's a volunteer service, so how is the military "calling on the generation before us"? Sounds to me like they're simply accepting some volunteers who happen to be older than the average new recruit. I'm sure the military is happy to have some mature folks who can assume positions of leadership, if not on the field, then off of it.
I just read it to my dh, a Marine, over the phone, and he got a huge laugh out of it. He and his buddies email stuff like that to each other all the time.
He especially liked the 24 hour uniform thing for the Army, because the Guard units train on our base, and we are constantly laughing at the fact that they never, EVER take the cammies (I know, BDUs) off. Marines aren't allowed to wear theirs out and about off base, so we can't figure out the joy in sitting at the bar in Applebee's or wandering aimlessly through Target in your cammies. My dh can't wait to get his off at then end of the day.
yup... I put this up on the bulkhead at work a while back...
I dunno, I've been hearing rumors that the ASFAB(VAB?) grades have been lowered, minor convictions being overlooked and that recruiters are coaching people in avoiding popping posititive in the drug test. That, combined with raising the maximum age to enlist is allowing the Army to maintain their numbers.
If you've served, have you seen any of what you're suggesting? If you haven't seen evidence of it, do you have any idea from where are these rumors coming?
Secondly, it occurred to me while I was 'out' that the Reservist situation may well be different than the active duty situation, and the only contact I have or know anything about since I am not military myself is through my son (though it's a very real possibility that he will decide to go career military after he's got his degree).... and whatever I can get my hands on to read.
It's definitely good that certain people have been shaken loose from the Reserves and Guard. I believe, though I don't have stats to back it up, that both have become more fit for the fight, as it were, in the past five years.
I'm not sure how you completely reverse the mess that Clinton made by the end of his eight years (and my son definitely agrees that it still needs a lot of work.....as do both his parents), but the one thing I know now is that the young men and women signing up now do so with love of country and desire to serve and protect at the top of their list of goals in being there. And they are proud of their Commander in Chief, whom they know has their best interests at heart.
This is the finest military in the history of the world, and though progress still needs to be made, I don't like discussion of those issues to reflect negatively on those who have CHOSEN to sacrifice their freedom for ours.
The level that I'm at I really can't say. The people I serve with really form a bell curve. The reserve unit I'm in tends toward the more intelligent, hard working and dedicated person because of the nature of the unit.
The rumours I hear are from people I know in the service. I take them with a grain of salt to some degree, but not entirely.
I have experienced some of Steel Wolf's concerns about older folks in the service. When I was deployed to Kuwait, there were guys in my unit in their 50s (and some pushing 60). Injuries, illness requiring SIQ, etc. were much higher amongst the older Sailors then the ones in their twenties. Sailors in their 20s bounced right back whereas some of the older ones had some significant problems.
I would expect some of that in the reserves. These folks have likely been in a long time, and were caught there when war broke out. I suspect there will be much less of the single mom, or folks looking for college funding, Reservists in the near future, simply because they now understand the seriesness of their being there. I'd expect those who are volunteering to serve at this point would not have the same problems as you saw.
Amazingly, you still run into the "Whaddaya mean we have to go fight? I signed up for the college money." even now. My unit has been deployed 4 times since 9/11 and they still send us single moms, etc.
I still think that you will have reservists who will sign up for the wrong reasons, no matter what. The other problem in the reserves (at least in the Navy Reserves) is people trying to scam out of being deployed.
Thank you! For your service and for encouraging those who have signed up! The military families are in a class of patriots - which the left know noting about! (see my webpage) Their only interest is hide and retreat! Not Protect and rescue!
re: "I dislike and distrust any politician that doesn't WANT a victory..."
I'm in agreement with you - the Dems and the media sure are disgusting and treasonous to say the least!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.