that s quite a climb down from  all time high isn t it?

Look at the historical targets and the historical rates. I am correct, but I didn’t go find the articles that studied the history. I just linked to a current, mainstream article because it was quick. So I used language that was more in line with the article to which I linked.

Whatever adverb you choose to accept as a modifier to the reenlistment numbers, current military members are willing to continue their mission.

but reenlistments are much higher than usual.

The story said “higher than target” which may or may not be “higher than usual”.

Either way, that’s quite a climb down from “all time high” isn’t it?

It s a back door draft, where the people who are already in are sent back over again.

It’s not anything like a draft if she’s still within her original enlistment dates.

if my choice was don t reenlist and be stop lossed and have to stay anyway

The stop loss prevents deployed troops (or troops within 90 days of deployment) from leaving their units until the unit returns. They are not under a stop loss otherwise. The stop loss is at least 3 years shorter, and much shorter for most units, than a reenlistment. Otherwise, where are these current war veterans who are now civilians coming from?

No respect. All you have to offer is complete denigration of those who serve

Except both my parents served in Vietnam, and my father served in Vietnam twice more after I was born. I grew up an Army brat.

Question is: When the hell are YOU going to sign up?

As it happens, I did serve many years in the Air Force during the 80’s and early 90’s including deployment to northern Iraq during the first Gulf War. The so-called “back door draft” delayed my expected separation from service until 6 months after the war. I am too old to reenlist now.

My oldest child is only 5 years old, but I would be proud for her or my other two girls to eventually serve in our armed services.

Which brings me back to my initial point. New enlistments are down, but reenlistments are up. Obviously those who are already serving feel their efforts are worth continuing. Since people like curmudgeon argue that only those who are not “chickenhawks” are eligible to support the war, then high reenlistment statistics should provide evidence that the war is to be supported.

The Army is pressing Congress to approve several incentives. These include doubling the maximum enlistment bonus, from $20,000 to $40,000, and an Army home mortgage program that would make a $25,000 down payment for soldiers who stay in the service four years.

Do you have trouble believing people would be reenlisting?

Do you think the bonuses could have had anything to do with it?

it’s true that re-enlistments are at an all-time high, but all that does is ensure that our forces don’t shrink too badly. New enlistment is the problem. It’s such a problem, the Pentagon lowered their monthly goal so they could claim a victory a few months ago.

Even Casey? What’s that supposed to mean?

No respect. All you have to offer is complete denigration of those who serve, and may have family that oppose your views?

Question is: When the hell are YOU going to sign up? ya’ know, to buck up those NEW enlistment numbers your trying so desperately to dig up.

It’s that fact that nobody new is enlisting.

Maybe it s a change of policy that allows the military to keep drunks, drug addicts, and goldbricks.

You’re confusing a prevention of attrition with reenlistment. Attrition is when people leave early.

Do you have trouble believing people would be reenlisting? Heck…even Casey Sheehan reenlisted.

…the Army has a high retention rate — keeping 108 percent of its target retention number — with units that have served in Iraq and Afghanistan maintaining high rates of reenlistment

There have been other reports that I’ve seen which claim that first time enlistments are lower, but reenlistments are much higher than usual.

As for U.S. military: my two brothers-in-law have been Reservists for 20 years. One has been a full-time enlisted man his whole career, and was in Tikrit for 18 months, another was weekend-warrior MAJ and got activated and sent to Kuwait for a year during the invasion. He tried like hell to get out of there, finally got himself released from active duty, then got laid off by the employer (IBM) he was in such a hurry to get back to. Uh oh. Over the summer this guy actively signed up again for active duty… because he couldn’t find work and had a mortgate to pay. He had no choice. He’s in Egypt now… hatin’ life and likely preparing for the invasion of Iran, or whatever the hell he’s doing there.

Enlistment will continue to stay stable as long as unemployment remains high. This is Bush Socialism: the State in its infinite benevolence will be glad to provide full employment for everyone– in the army.

Recruitment of new militant recruits does not seem to be lagging at all

Well, they’re not going through training camps by the tens of thousands evey year.

in contrast with the ongoing recruitment shortfall in our own ground forces

Reenlistment is at an all-time high. What does it tell you when those who are already serving are willing to continue?

Reenlistment is at an all-time high. What does it tell you when those who are already serving are willing to continue?

That depends.

What do you mean by “all-time high”? The proportion of signups that are re-enlisting vs. new enlistees?

That would tell me that the number of new enlistees is very low.

Share with us the source for your claim. I’m willing to bet there’s more than one way to interpret the numbers.

Nothing, immediately. Some soldiers re-enlist because they are true believers in the cause, some re-enlist because they see it as a matter of duty and honor, some re-enlist for the job security, and some–sad, but true–re-enlist because they’ve gone blood simple. I’m sure Lynndie England would have gladly re-enlisted if those photos hadn’t gotten out (or if she hadn’t gotten pregnant).

I find it interesting that he said they plan to “enslave the world.” Perhaps they would come across more threatening if they sounded like Martian invaders, but nothing in al-Qaida’s press releases have talked about enslavement, just utter destruction.

Reenlistment is at an all-time high. What does it tell you when those who are already serving are willing to continue?

It tells me that it doesn’t increase our ground forces at all, just keeps them at the sorry levels they’re at now.