December
recruiting data for the month of December released by the Pentagon Jan. 12 is good across the board, with all services and reserve components reporting that they achieved at least 100 percent of their goals. As it did last month, the Air National Guard continues to lead the Total Air Force, bringing in 803 enlisted recruits against a goal of 722. The Air Force recruited 2,967 enlistees, making its goal for the third month of Fiscal 2009, and Air Force Reserve Command recruited 701 against a goal of 685. The Army National Guard drew the most recruits, achieving 143 percent of its goal of 4,625, while the active-duty Army exceeded its goal of 750 by 110 recruits. However, according to various news reports, the Army is worried about facing a glut of overweight potential recruits. Associated Press reports that Army Recruiting Command has had to turn away so many obese applicants that it may have to open a “fat farm” to ensure it can sustain future recruiting goals. The same, of course, would apply to the other services, even if to a lesser extent.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.