Air 
Force recruiting across the Total Force remained strong through July, the 10th month of Fiscal 2012, according to the Pentagon’s newest recruiting data, issued last week. The Air Force’s Active Duty component brought in 23,988 new accessions through July, 14 more than its fiscal-year-to-date goal of 23,974, show these statistics. Similarly, the Air National Guard exceeded its goal for the fiscal year to date by 14, attracting 7,333 new accessions. Matching its goal through July was the Air Force Reserve, which accepted 7,121 accessions. Across the US military, only the Army Reserve fell short of its numerical accession goal, bringing in less 469 recruits than originally planned. However, that shortfall “was intentional” as the Army works to rebalance its force, states the Defense Department’s Aug. 23 release. (See also our coverage of June’s recruiting numbers.)
We looked back on the past 12 months to find the stories that resonated the most with you, our audience, and these 10 topped the list. Maybe you missed one the first time around, or perhaps you’d like to revisit a favorite.