Press Ignores Astonishing Reenlistment Rate
August 5, 2005
Michael Medved

Recent media coverage has given extended time to the Army's difficulties in signing new recruits while largely ignoring the phenomenal recent success in getting combat veterans to reenlist.

The Army is already far ahead of the pace needed to reach its goal of persuading 64,162 current enlisted men, from privates to top sergeants, to commit to additional service. Among elite units bearing the brunt of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, overwhelming numbers want to return to the fight: the 82nd Airborne, for instance, reached an astonishing 97 percent of its yearly reenlistment goal by the end of May! These numbers show that alarming press coverage of fighting in Iraq may scare away some civilians from military service, but those who know the situation first hand feel disproportionately eager to continue the struggle.

Despite any stateside skepticism, the rising numbers of reenlistments prove that our men and women in uniform overwhelmingly believe in their mission, and want to insure its ultimate success.

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Reenlistment rate remains high