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US army did not meet goals
11/06/2007 22:36 - (SA)
Washington - The US Army fell short of its recruiting goal in May, but it was still on track to meet its goal of recruiting 80 000 new soldiers this year, army officials said on Monday.
"It's mostly an anomaly," said Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Hilferty, an army spokesperson.
The figures are closely watched, however, for signs of weakness in a volunteer force that is supposed to grow by 7 000 troops a year over the next five years despite the strains of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The army was seven percent short of its goal of 5 500 new recruits to its active duty force in May, according to Pentagon figures released on Monday.
The army, which eased some standards and piled on recruitment bonuses and other incentives after a dismal recruiting year in 2005, has met its recruiting goal every month except one in the past 23 months, Hilferty said.
He said: "We have made our monthly goal this fiscal year, and we made all our monthly goals in fiscal year 2006.
"So the key is we're ahead of our year-to-date goal. That's what's most important.
"Our goal is 80 000 for the year, and we're going to make it."
Others 'exceeded goals'
The army increased cash bonuses and other enlistment incentives at the end of May.
Cash bonuses for a three year enlistment are up to $25 000, and up to $15 000 dollars for a two year enlistment.
With college funding added, the total for a two year enlistment can be as high as $51 864.
All the other services met or exceeded their monthly active duty recruitment goals in May.
The army national guard and air national guard fell failed to make their monthly recruitment goals, however.
The army national guard was off by 12% of its monthly goal of 6 403, while the air national guard was down 23% from its target of 955 in May.
All the services met or exceeded their retention goals.
- AFP
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