New Report Reveals Pentagon Misled Congress On Recruiment, Far Worse

Military's recruiting woes worse than previously realized; Concerns that Pentagon misled Congress

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Milita...usly_1117.html

11/17/2005

A congressional report released Thursday that analyzes military recruiting and re-enlistment shows that the military has been failing to adequately fill many of its most vital combat job occupations for years, even as it is deep in enlistees for other positions, the New York Times is set to report in Friday editions, RAW STORY has learned. Excerpts.

The study, completed by the General Accountability Office, an investigative arm of Congress, shows that 41 percent of the military's 1,484 job specialties have been consistently understaffed over the past five years, while 19 percent maintained staffing levels beyond what the Pentagon had authorized.

The report suggests that for the active-duty Army, the Reserves, and the National Guard, the recruiting shortfalls of the past year have been even more severe than the aggregate numbers imply.

The policy of overfilling positions while others languished, the report said, raised concerns about whether the Pentagon had given Congress an accurate picture of its ability to maintain the force it needs for Iraq and Afghanistan.