Recr
uiting is still up across the board, according to the latest Pentagon figures that cover the month of July. Staying way ahead, for the sixth month in a row, is the Air National Guard, which achieved 129 percent of accessions compared to its goal. Next closest is the active Marine Corps at 117 percent. In July, each active and reserve component met or exceeded its recruiting goal. The gone-south economy has trumped predictions by defense officials earlier this fiscal year that it would be a tough year.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.

