US Army re-enlistment 'strong'

HIGH re-enlistment rates in combat units that have served in Iraq shows the army is far from being a broken force despite a likely shortfall in recruiting, the US Army's chief of staff said today.

"I think we're a heck of a long way away from the breaking the army. It is a lot more resilient than people believe," General Peter Schoomaker told reporters in Washington.

General Schoomaker said the army probably will fall short of the active duty forces recruitment goal this year by about 2000, and he acknowledged that the recruiting climate is likely to remain tough next year as well.

But he said re-enlistment rates in the active duty force were exceeding requirements.

The negative drumbeat that we hear is not helpful," General Schoomaker said. "The overemphasis on the negative is not helpful."

"I personally believe this is a very important undertaking," he said.

"It is very important to the security of our nation that we be successful. I think people are being very short-sighted who don't understand that.

"This is a dangerous time. And it is going to get more dangerous as we go forward," he said.

The army's recruitment goal this year is 80,000 new soldiers.

The army has exceeded its monthly recruitment goals for the last two months and was expected to surpass it again in August, but not enough to make up for a yawning shortfall earlier in the year.