Active Components Meet April Recruiting Goals

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2007 – All active-duty components of the military met or exceeded recruiting goals for April, Defense Department officials announced today.

The Army recruited 5,804 troops, which was 107 percent of its goal; the Marine Corps recruited 1,899, which was 141 percent of its goal; the Navy recruited 2,718, 100 percent of its goal; and the Air Force recruited 2,040, 100 percent of its goal.

Retention among the active ranks also remained strong, with the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy all meeting or exceeding their goals.

In the reserve forces, two of the six components, the Marine Corps Reserve and Air Force Reserve, met or exceeded recruiting goals. The Army National Guard achieved 89 percent of its goal, the Army Reserve 81 percent, the Navy Reserve 94 percent, and the Air National Guard 84 percent.

Also for April, Army National Guard retention was 107 percent of its goal of 20,069, and Air National Guard retention was 102 percent of its goal of 936. The Army National Guard is at 100 percent of its target end strength, while the Air National Guard is at 96 percent.

Losses in all reserve components for March were well within acceptable limits, officials said, and indications are that that trend will continue into April.