Easy on the Dead End Stuff

Recruiting, to use the words of the Commander In Chief, "is hard work." Kevin Drum at the Washington Monthly site has this example of how one recruiting office is having trouble with its message. "Take the challenge" or "Dead End", which is it?

But, it's not just one recruiting office that is struggling to find enough new recruits. Let's face it, if the folks over at Operation Yellow Elephant can't inspire Young Republicans to sign up for military service, then why should anyone else?

The Army continues to struggle to meet its recruiting goals at every level: active duty, reserve and guard.

The entire Army is suffering from recruiting problems, but the other components of the service — the active-duty force and the Reserve — made their goals for June. Both, however, remain well behind their annual goals, which they measure from October 2004 to September 2005.

The regular Army has recruited 47,121 soldiers, or 86 percent of its goal of 54,935 for this point in the year. It is trying to reach 80,000by the end of September. Officials are becoming less hopeful they will make it ,even though the summer is considered the high season for recruiting, as recent high school graduates look for jobs.

It is not going to get easier for the Army.