- news.uk.msn.com
AP - 11.06.2007 18:21
US Army missed its recruiting goal in May but remains on target for the budget year The U.S. Army fell short of its recruiting goal for May, its first significant slip in two years. The active-duty Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force met or surpassed their May targets, although the Army National Guard and Air National Guard fell far short. With an array of special incentives for attracting recruits, the Army recovered from a 2005 recruiting slump, but the impact of the Iraq war and the strong domestic economy have made it difficult to attract enlistees. The Army and Marine Corps have suffered most of the casualties in Iraq. The pace of recruiting is even more important now that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has set a goal of increasing the size of the active-duty Army by 65,000 to a total of 547,000 within five years. The increase is intended to ease some of the strain on the Army from its relatively heavy commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Marine Corps also is expanding, although by a small amount. Statistics released Monday showed that in May the Army signed up 5,101 new recruits, short of its goal of 5,500, although it remains on track to meet its goal of 80,000 for the budget year, which runs from last Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.
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