Military Recruitments Shockingly High Despite War

Bottom Line Up Front: U.S. troops support the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.



Despite the war of words over "supporting the troops" in Iraq, the troops are speaking for themselves through recruitment and retention rates, which are through the roof. The Defense Department released yesterday it's April 2007 Recruitment and Retention figures.

Don't think that these are high school drop out or inner city juvenile delinquents. The military is reporting a very educated, middle class enlisting to serve our country:

The DOD study Who is Volunteering For Today's Military? reports these findings:

Myth: Military recruits are less educated and of lower aptitude than American youth.

Fact: The opposite is true

Myth: The Military attracts disproportionately from poor or underprivileged youth.

Fact: Military recruits mirror the US population and are solidly middle class.

Myth: A disproportionate number of military recruits come from urban areas.

Fact: Urban areas are the most underrepresented and suburban and rural areas are overrepresented.

Myth: African Americans suffer a disproportionate number of casualties.

Fact: The opposite is true.

Myth: The military is not geographically representative of America.

Fact: Military recruits are closely proportionate to the general population.

Myth: The military takes no better than an average cut of American youth when it comes to medical or physical conditioning.

Fact: About half of today's youth are not medically or physically qualified against current, and necessary, enlistment standards.

Myth: The Military is a good alternative for youthful offenders.

Fact: Current enlistment standards bar many youthful offenders from enlisting.

This reiterates the truth about America's fighting forces: they are the best and the brightest. Democrats and anti-war proponents are confused by these numbers and they won't be discussed in interviews with leading Democratic officials, but the truth is that most soldiers want to serve and finish the missions. In Tikrit, Iraq, 150 soldiers from ONE BATTALION with the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade have reenlisted in theater. At Camp Taji, Iraq, the 1st Cavalry Division marked its 450th reenlistment on April 9 during this deployment alone. Private First Class (PFC) Andrew Dubay reenlisted at Camp Taji on April 9 and said:

"The Army has leadership traits and discipline that you just can't find in the civilian world. I love the Army. I wanted to reenlist for the entire 20 years but they wouldn't give me that option."

"I'm privileged to be able to serve in the military, rather than a civilian job. It like it for the military history-serving is something everyone is honored to do, and it's nice to be a part of something where people tend to look up to us because of who we are (as soldiers)and what we do."

HOOAH, PFC Dubay. Now if we could just get the Democrats to stop trying to foul up the mission.