Recruitment Rises

Recruitment for all components of the armed services rose during fiscal year 2008, which began last Oct. 1 and ended Sept. 30. The Army enlisted 80,517 active duty, 39,870 reserve and 65,200 National Guard soldiers; the Navy enlisted 38,485 active duty and 9,134 reserve sailors; the Air Force signed 27,848 active duty, 7,323 reserve and 10,748 National Guard airmen; and the Marine Corps signed 37,991 active duty and 7,628 reserve Marines. The increase was the highest in five years. Meanwhile, retention remained high for the Army’s and Navy’s active components, but lagged to 95 percent for the Marines. The Air Force endured a "tumultuous year" regarding retention according to the Defense Department, largely due to the force drawdown that was still underway as fiscal year 2008 began. The Air Force did not release any retention statistics.