Army ends year with the biggest numerical recruiting shortfall since 1979

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30485223.htm

U.S. Army ends hard recruiting year, woes persist

WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The Army, hard pressed to lure new soldiers amid wariness about war in Iraq, ended on Friday one of its toughest recruiting years since the birth of the all-volunteer U.S. military in 1973, and officials said the next year looked difficult too.

The Army did not release official figures for the 2005 fiscal year, which ended on Friday, but officials said they fell about 7,000 recruits short of the annual goal of 80,000 new soldiers. Army officials previously acknowledged they would miss the target.

That marked the first time the Army had missed its recruiting goal since falling short in 1998 and 1999, but this year's shortfall was by a wider margin than in those years.

In fact, it was the biggest numerical shortfall since 1979, when the Army fell just over 17,000 short of its goal of 159,200 recruits, according to data provided by the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

The roughly 73,000 recruits in fiscal 2005 also fell about 4,000 short of the number the Army attracted in fiscal 2004.

[liberaltrucker]

1. Well, duh?

[Mr_Spock]

2. wanted more, got less

Stop lying - the kids aren't fucking stupid.

[valerief]

3. I'm hiding teenagers in my attic from them

I urge you all to do the same.