Military Recruiting "purely remarkable."

I’ve never seen a better Army, said Major General Thomas P. Bostick, Commanding General of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, at a briefing on FY2008 Recruiting and Retention for the AVF (All Volunteer Force) Military, held at the Pentagon. Each person, Bostick said, became a hero the day they enlisted. Dr. David S.C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, echoed this sentiment by saying that a willingness to step forward and serve is a great tribute to our military.

Ninety-two percent of those enlisting overall in FY2008 had high school diplomas, with the Army having the lowest score, with only eighty-three percent having diplomas. The Air Force, at ninety-nine percent, is the branch of service having the highest amount of enlistees with diplomas in FY2008. One of the ways the Army is working with that, is by their Army Prep School, where potential recruits can get GEDs before they go to Basic Training for the Army.

All services met or even exceeded their recruiting goals for FY2008. At the end of the year, the totals for Accessions were 80, 517 Army; 38,485 Navy; 37, 991 Marine Corps; and 27, 848 Air Force. Of special note was the waiver system in place, where individuals are granted waivers to enter the military when ordinarily a medical problem, a criminal offense of some sort, or even their age wouldn’t have allowed them to do so before. Specific numbers were not announced for the waivers, though when the question was asked how many waivers were issued for overweight individuals Major General Robert E. Milstead, Jr, Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, boomed from the back of the stage, "THE MARINE CORPS HAS NONE!!"

Rear Admiral Joseph F. Kilkenny, Commander, Navy Recruiting Command said in the Navy that they were successful in all fronts, and the total force team is “definitely firing on all cylinders.” The results achieved were “purely remarkable” and they were pleased they have exceeded retention goals in the Navy. But as Brigadier General Alfred J. Stewart, Commander, Air Force Recruiting Service pointed out, the retention in the Air Force is a little soft likely due to the high-skilled jobs competing with high paying competition in the private sector.

Of huge concern was how the economy affects recruitment. While Dr. Chu wouldn’t directly quote numbers, he did say that people are more willing to “give us a chance” because of it. Older adults, Chu said, need to be more supportive of young people’s decision to go into the military. If you treat people right, such as equal pay for a job they could hold in the civilian sector, good benefits, and use of deployments, they will stay in. There are many discussions about “public service,” said Chu, but few mention the military as a way to do that.

House Armed Services Committee hearing on AMAP

At the House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Army’s Medical Action Plan and Other Services’ Support for Wounded Service Members, Subcommittee Chairwoman Susan Davis (D-CA) said "our challenge and our responsibility" is to make sure that the military as a whole, not just the health care system, remains focused on the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded soldiers and their families.

Congressman John M. McHugh (R-NY), ranking Republican on the Military Personnel Subcommittee, said he is concerned about reports from Fort Drum highlighting an apparent disconnect between the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs personnel as to the type of support to be provided disabled soldiers.

In a joint prepared statement by Army Surgeon General Lieutenant General Eric B. Schoomaker and Assistant Army Surgeon General Brigadier General Mike Tucker, they said that because of the extraordinary success of modern battlefield medicine, there are many more wounded soldiers with injuries that are now struggling to recover. Walter Reed Army Medical Center is trying to support a population of outpatients that is six times greater than it was designed to support. Wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers are under the command and control of the medical treatment facility commander, in medical facilities called Warrior Transition Units. There are 35 Warrior Transition Units, and they are at full operational capability but staffed at 90%. One of the issues, they said, is of "sustainability."

Navy surgeon General Vice Admiral Adam Robinson said "our focus is to get the family back to ‘normal’ as soon as possible." Families, he said, are part of the care team and their needs are integrated into the planning process. Beginning in 2006, he said, Navy Medicine established Deployment Health Centers (DHCs) to provide care for Marines and Sailors who self-identify mental health concerns on the Post Deployment Health Assessment and Reassessment. From 2006 through January 2008, 28% of visits were for mental health issues.

Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. James Roudebush said to be assured that the Air Force’s Medical Services is ready for today’s challenges. To execute their broad missions, he said, all military sections must work together, and also independently, as we are in the trust of today’s All-Volunteer Military.