[ti:US Army Lowers Target for New Soldiers]
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[00:00.16]The United States Army will not meet its target of adding 80,000
[00:07.80]active duty soldiers this year and has officially lowered that goal.
[00:16.32]But Army leaders say they have been able
[00:20.20]to persuade  many experienced soldiers to stay
[00:24.98]in the military to satisfy a growing need for troops.
[00:30.39]Army Sergeant Major Daniel Dailey announced this month
[00:36.36]that the new goal will be 76,500.
[00:42.20]Over the past six months, the armed forces has recruited just 28,000 new soldiers.
[00:51.96]Dailey said the goal is to grow the Army to 483,500, as approved by Congress.
[01:03.00]It is the Army's decision whether to add more recruits
[01:07.64]or extend the military service of current soldiers.
[01:13.36]Daily noted that keeping current soldiers
[01:16.97]has been more successful this year than in the past.
[01:22.08]About 86 percent of current soldiers are staying on,
[01:27.32]compared with 81 percent in recent years.
[01:32.68]Army Secretary Mark Esper said there is a difference
[01:37.54]between the number of soldiers in the Army and the demand for more troops.
[01:44.44]He noted that the "strong economy does make it challenging."
[01:50.12]He said, however, that the Army will not sacrifice quality
[01:55.36]and its standards will not be lowered to meet recruitment goals.
[02:02.04]The struggle to meet recruiting numbers
[02:05.44]— an increase over the goal of 69,000 last year — was expected.
[02:12.60]One reason is the strong American economy.
[02:17.24]Another is competition from business employers.
[02:21.68]They are able to pay high school and college graduates
[02:26.32]more money because of the economic growth.
[02:31.16]Major General Jeff Snow is head of the Army's recruiting command.
[02:37.04]He had said last year that the higher goal would be difficult to meet,
[02:42.80]considering economic conditions.
[02:46.28]He also noted the military's need for recruits
[02:50.36]to pass physical tests that many young people are unable to complete.
[02:57.40]It will be a "significant challenge for the command,"
[03:01.44]Snow told The Associated Press in December.
[03:06.20]Meeting the goal, he said, could force the Army to take in more recruits
[03:12.04]who would require special waivers for drug use,
[03:15.89]low test results or other health issues.
[03:20.24]"The numbers don't tell the whole story," noted Dailey.
[03:25.12]He said that waivers require the Army to take a closer look at a recruit
[03:31.56]who may have had a legal problem when they were younger
[03:35.80]or has had some kind of health problem.
[03:39.44]The issue could be simple colorblindness or an arrest.
[03:45.72]But in December, Snow said his goal for 2017
[03:50.92]was to have fewer than 2 percent of the new recruits with low test results.
[03:57.64]Esper said that he had told the Army not to go past the 2 percent limit;
[04:04.00]currently, the Defense Department accepts up to 4 percent.
[04:10.36]Military leaders have increasingly warned of recruiting difficulties.
[04:16.32]They say that lower unemployment rates, a strong economy,
[04:21.40]and the lowering physical abilities of young Americans
[04:25.56]have shrunk the number of people who can become recruits.
[04:31.24]Defense officials have said that after 16 years of war in Afghanistan,
[04:37.52]Iraq and Syria, the American public is increasingly disconnected from the military.
[04:45.88]Officials say many people have misunderstandings about military service
[04:52.12]and often do not personally know any service members.
[04:57.84]This time of year is usually the hardest for military recruiters.
[05:03.08]It is the time when high school seniors start learning
[05:07.04]if they have been admitted to colleges or universities.
[05:12.68]I'm Susan Shand.
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