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the services and their reserve components continue to show strong recruiting and retention efforts. Statistically, the Air National Guard fell slightly short of its goal of 855 recruits for the month of July and the Army National Guard came in at only 72 percent of its goal of 3,549. However, according to the Pentagon release, both are readjusting their recruiting drives “to meet targeted end strength” and both remain “on track to meet or exceed” annual enlisted accession goals. Indeed, as we reported the previous month, the Army Guard noted it was in “contraction mode.” The Pentagon believes all active and reserve components will meet their recruiting quotas and end strength goals for Fiscal 2009.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…

