U.S. Soldiers Re-Enlist in Strong Numbers

[RamboLiberal]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&u=/ap/20040423/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/army_re_enlistments_1&printer=1

Despite the shrapnel wounds Staff Sgt. William Pinkley suffered during his tour in Iraq (news - web sites), the 26-year-old is joining other soldiers who are re-enlisting at rates that exceed the retention goals set by the Pentagon (news - web sites).

As of March 31 — halfway through the Army's fiscal year — 28,406 soldiers had signed on for another tour of duty, topping the six-month goal of 28,377. The Army's goal is to re-enlist 56,100 soldiers by the end of September.

<snip>

The only Army division to not meet its goal in the six-month period was the 82nd Airborne Division, whose members have been sent to fight in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq since the Sept. 11 attacks. The division wanted to re-enlist 1,221 soldiers, but got only 1,136

[Beetwasher]

1. Propoganda at it's finest!

Yes, I'm sure the divisions all met their "goals" for re-enlistment, that is, after the "goals" were "re-evaluated".

[RamboLiberal]

9. You're right on the propaganda

I bet they're playing with the numbers.

1-I want to hear the stop-loss numbers.

2-They're talking about elite units here which should have higher retention rates. I want to hear all the units.

3-I want to hear Guard/Reserve reenlistment rates.

4-I bet if they don't meet the numbers they revise them downward. They were caught doing that last year in enlistment or reenlistment rates. Anyone remember or have link to that story?

[central scrutinizer]

26. exactly - these are not the rates

A rate would be given as a percentage of current GIs who are re-upping. By giving us the number of re-uppers but omitting the total eligible to re-up, it is impossible to calculate the rate. But of course the rate could also be cooked by how they define the base.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Hard to find a paycheck anywhere else in the US.

At least we haven't started offshoring the military....

[fryguy]

28. not off-shoring, but privatizing...

Whether it be groups like Blackwater or Custer Battles providing security in place of troops, or Kellogg Burns and Root transporting supplies and cooking meals, jobs that were in the past assigned to the military are now being done for profit by the GOPher's high donor friends.....

[BlueEyedSon]

29. US Military is still the "low-cost vendor" (vs the Mercs)

[fryguy]

30. agreed, but..

the Pentagon isn't donating to bUshco's re-appointment campagin...the aforementioned firms are.....so take the jobs away from the military, give them to private companies who charge twice, if not more, for the same service, and watch the kick-backs come rolling onto KKKarl's desk.....

[MaineDem]

3. That's not what the head of the National Guard said here

He's sure most won't re-enlist.

[northzax]

5. there's a big difference

between the Guard and the Active Duty Military.

[MaineDem]

8. Oh I know that

I was just stating what he had said.

[hellboy]

6. Bullsh*t

Soldiers are on mandatory extended tours so they couldn't quit even if they wanted to. There will be a mass exodus from the military once this b.s. war is over.

[DoverFrank]

17. Exactly!

My brother in law was supposed to retire in march. He is stuck there and his son is about to graduate school. He wont be home to go. If there are anyone who are re signing, they have to be insane.

[movonne]

4. Well good maybe no draft.

[shanti]

7. so how much of a signing bonus

are they offering them? follow the money....

[RamboLiberal]

I thought I read something like $10,000

can anyone verify?

[Avis]

10. lots

up to $20,000 I hear - and no tax if overseas

[LagaLover]

16. Depends on AFSC or MOS

and it's only tax free if overseas in a combat zone...not all overseas military get their bonuses tax free.

[RobertSeattle]

11. Goal: 28,377. Actual: 28,406

Um, 29 more that the goal is a great success?

Spinnnnnnn.

[Columbia]

13. Army had a tough time meeting their goal for a long time

I suppose any time they do meet it is a great success.

[RobertSeattle]

19. Interesting

Seems like in the Rumsfield Pentagon they'd just change the goal then...

[Columbia]

24. Perhaps

But really, all they would have to do is relax slightly the standards for enlistment.

[SeattleDem]

32. that's an increase of 0.102%

wow - they should be thrilled with their "success"

[LiberalFighter]

36. Did they change their goal so it was less than previously?

[RummyTheDummy]

12. LMAO

I read this and laughed. I don't believe a fucking thing the military says on anything. If they told me the sky was blue I'd have to double check it.

They've never been known to lie about anything have they?

[Dark]

14. Maybe the soldiers

want to be with their comrades in battle so that they can help to protect them.

[Bandit]

15. Okay let's see the numbers for the National Guard

I can believe this because they are offering ungodly amounts of money for re-enlistment bonus but how about the National Guard? These are the ones that matter most to me because they actually do help protect Americans and not just some oil oligarchy.

[cap]

18. how much of the national guard are really over in Iraq???

and how much has stayed here.

[Dhalgren]

31. I read somewhere that about 40% of the 135,000

troops in Iraq are Reserves/NG.

[Claire Beth]

20. I find that story hard to believe! n/t

[SEpatriot]

21. So, will the bonuses also include the food-stamp applcation packages??

Yeah, this article is pure spin, but economic reality for a lot of folks in the military. Most of these people have a relatively secure job in the military because it is the only growth market in their state.

If you haven't read Barbara Ehrenreich's article on this go here:
http://www.progressive.org/april04/ehren0404.html

[fryguy]

22. bushco hasn't created any new jobs

so of course re-enlistment is up....how else are the supposed to make a living???

[lebkuchen]

23. BS flag

No, they're not reenlisting at rates that exceed retention goals. That is complete bullshit. They're getting out at the first available moment. Comment sense would tell anyone that. I live on an army base, w/a division recently deployed. These people want OUT!

[bedtimeforbonzo]

25. "Military Numbers Are Rising"

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_numbers_041404,00.html

Despite a rising tide of combat deaths and the prospect of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan for years to come, Americans continue to volunteer for duty and are re-enlisting at record rates.

[bloom]

34. From the article - Coast Guard attrition rates 8% now down to 2.68%

" The Coast Guard has lost 7 percent to 8 percent of its force through attrition each year. In 2001 the rate was 7.65 percent; in 2002 it was 7.9 percent, said Chief Petty Officer Paul Rhynarb, at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington.

But in 2003 the rate fell to just 2.68 percent, Rhynarb said.

Chief Petty Officer John Hoesli, who heads the Coast Guard's recruiting station in Chesapeake, responsible for recruiting from Williamsburg to Cape Hatteras, has never seen recruiting so good. His office has been the most productive in the past four years and was named the best throughout the Coast Guard in 2001.

"Whether it's patriotism, or defending the nation by keeping the fight here and keeping terrorism out of here that draws people, I don't know," Hoesli said. He suspects those are some of the reasons, along with an economy that is sending more people into the service
"

[2Design]

27. when there are no jobs on the outside some sign back up

I knew a guy who had gotten out but found he could not find a job that paid over $7 / hr. He had a wife and two kids. So he signed back into the service. Had to sign up for Army. Came out of navy.

[Voltaire99]

33. Kill or work at Wal-Mart.

When there aren't any decent jobs, it's not hard to choose killing in Iraq over living on the street. But what a devil's bargain they've left these men, eh?

Sounds like indentured servitude to me.

[LiberalFighter]

35. Iraq duty deters re-enlistment USAToday 4/15/2004

Iraq duty deters re-enlistment

The number of soldiers staying in the Army is falling just as the demand is increasing in Iraq.

Through March 17, nearly halfway through the fiscal year, the Army fell about 1,000 short of meeting its goal of keeping 25,786 soldiers whose enlistments were ending or who were eligible to retire. That works out to a 96% retention rate.


SO WHAT IS THE STORY??

[llmart]

39. I saw this front page headline last week also.

So what is the truth? I have never believed the military bigwigs one iota.

[KAZ]

41. They exceeded lowered targets. n/t

Great headlines, eh?

[LiberalFighter]

43. I think they just lowered the goal so it looked like they achieved it.

[LiberalFighter]

37. Army exceeds retention goals 11/07/2003

Army exceeds retention goals November 7, 2003
This year’s re-enlistment success comes after the Army dropped its goals twice over the past 12 months. Initially, Army officials had tasked retention noncommissioned officers to keep 57,000 soldiers from getting out of the Army.

“The goal for careerists was totally unattainable,” said Sgt. Maj. Luis Santos Jr., referring to the re-enlistment quota for soldiers who had already spent 10 years in uniform and are widely considered the easiest to persuade to re-enlist because they’re over the halfway hump to a 20-year retirement. Santos is the top retention manager in Europe.

In response to the outcry from retention NCOs in the field, the goal was quickly reduced by 3,000 troops at the beginning of the fiscal year. A few months later, another 3,000 troops were dropped from the first-termers’ goal.

[LiberalFighter]

38. Stars & Stripes LETTERS

Stars and Stripes: European and Mideast editions April 14, 2004

Should read some of these letters

[duvinnie]

40. It may be what's known as

- moving the goalposts. i.e., first you figure out how
many soliders re-enlisted, then you come up with a
"target" figure thats slightly higher, then you announce
both figures to the media.
Mission Accomplished!

</cynicism>

[jmowreader]

42. The 82nd Airborne numbers are the most telling

The paratrooper is an odd breed. He will move heaven and earth to get into the 82nd Airborne Division, and continue to move it to stay there. There are guys who retire from the 82nd Airborne every year (well, maybe not this year...) who went from civilian life to basic training, infantry training and airborne school at Fort Benning straight to the 82nd Airborne, and that's where they stayed. The division command sergeant major is a Bragg lifer.

If the 82nd's career counselors are failing to make mission, that's huge since "career counselor at Fort Bragg" is one of the easiest gigs in the government.