Army enlistments way up or more BS from Bushco?

[Number9Dream]

I was glancing through a co-worker's NY Post, when I stumbled across the following article. Is this more numbers juggling by Bushco? If it is, can anybody out there refute this, and quick?

THE REAL IRAQ NEWS By RALPH PETERS
http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/52321.htm

snip

-Locked in a difficult war, the U.S. Army is exceeding its re-enlistment and first-time enlistment goals.
-Now, as the fiscal year nears an end, the Army's numbers look great. Especially in combat units and Iraq, soldiers are re-enlisting at record levels.
-What about first-time enlistment rates, since that was the issue last spring? The Army is running at 108 percent of its needs. Guess not every young American despises his or her country and our president.
-Every one of the Army's 10 divisions — its key combat organizations — has exceeded its re-enlistment goal for the year to date. Those with the most intense experience in Iraq have the best rates. The 1st Cavalry Division is at 136 percent of its target, the 3rd Infantry Division at 117 percent.

[bryant69]

1. Maybe the lowered the goals significantly

"How many did we get sarge?"

"Five, but we had to turn two away."

"Ah, good thing our goal was two, isn't it" wink wink

Bryant
Check it out --. http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. They have been doing this now for years

and I know this because a Navy Recruiter told us such, he was our neighbor in Hawaii at housing

[newscott]

2. And a lot of guys signed up for the airborne divisions

in WWII, cause the pay was better.

I think this is all economics.

[pitohui]

6. why would re-enlistments be up if it's economics

i'm not sure of the economics

why re-up when you could sign on as a civilian contractor w. iraq experience & earn 10 times the money

my suspicion would be the numbers are somehow massaged

sure can't prove it tho

there's a poster who works in recruitment, i think navy, who posts sometime on bartcop forum

would be interesting to hear what he thought

[newscott]

8. I got thrown off by the title of the thread and the content

I was reading re-enlistment as enlistment.

My bad.

[Supersedeas]

16. very very nice re-enlistment bonuses

[getmeouttahere]

3. Unemployed or dead in Iraq quagmire....

I don't care what your economic situation is, if you choose that path, well, you're not getting my symphathy

[Drum]

4. the numbers are probably close,

but I think it's just because the armed "services" are lowering their standards: overlooking criminal records, drug indiscretions, and sub-par education minimums, as well as upping the lucre (bribes) that they offer potential recruits. Oh yes, as well as "honing the message," aka better lying and propaganda they use to con these kids.
But hey, that's probably just the Bush-era cynic in me....

[wake.up.america]

5. Be very careful when reading statistics,

Lower the expectation or goal significantly, the percentage goes up.

Re-enlisting at record levels. This says nothing Compared to last week, last month?

According to the story, those who refuse to sign up despise America.

This is the knd of crap many Americans read and believe.

[Ganja Ninja]

9. Exactly! They've lower the goals for the past three months or so.

And are the goals enough to meet the needs?
Don't forget that June is graduation month when a lot of young kids get out of school and start looking for a direction for their lives.
One month does not a year make. You can't have 3 or 4 months of shortfalls and make that up in one month where you've lowered the goals to start with.
Recruitment of reserves is falling short too.
Here's an article on the July figures: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2005/20050810_2387.html

[seabeyond]

7. didnt they lower the expectation number a month ago

and it was the first time the met their number.

i seem to remember.

and of course lowered their requirements for enrollees. one of the to do's with the four star general that was training these soon to be soldiers

[HamdenRice]

11. Re-enlistment??? Do they have a choice?

To the extent the article mentions re-enlistment, it's bogus. The armed services have adopted the stop-loss policy that forces people to re-enlist.

Imagine this conversation: "Private Jones, we would sure like you to re-enlist."

"Well, Captain, I really think it's time for me to get back to civilian life"

"Son, you realize if you don't re-enlist, we'll have you anyway under stop-loss, and if you come back as a stop-loss, your assignments might not be pretty. Riding shotgun on fuel supply runs between Baghdad and Mosul and such."

"Well sir, I think I mispoke. I meant to say I don't think I'm ready to get back to civilian life and would really like to re-enlist."

"Son, I thought that's what you meant. You've made an outstanding decision."

[charlie]

14. Ayup

Coercive reenlistment since the Iraq clusterfuck has been an open secret. Those poor fools have their nuts in a vice and none of the "support the troops" "THANK YOU for your service" types want to hear anything about it.

[Maclilly]

15. They are being forced

to re-enilst or face stop-loss. So why not re-enlist and get a financial bonus. Also, the new recruits are from promises to illegal mexicans. They are being promised amnesty and citizenship once their duty is over. They are going to have about 50,000 new recruits. All Mexicans. That is where they found people to sign up.

[Zinfandel]

12. They don't want a draft! They don't need no stinkin draft!!!

No jobs, college tuition out of reach, student loads drastically cut...outragous promises being made by requiters, to load 'em in.

Why have a draft and bring the whole country out into the streets?

100's of thousands of mercenaries "contractors" just begging to go "fight' for 130K and benefits...Not to mention immigrants fighting with promises of citizenship and Americans prisoners signing up to get out of prison...

They'll get enough people to fight their wars of imperialism using our tax dollars without a draft!!!

"This is an all volunteer army, no one forced them to go fight for your freedom!" Get it?

[Mr_Spock]

13. Lower goals, kids with free time during summer and a big marketing blitz..

I believe it - don't expect the good news to last though...