Pentagon: Recruitment Up in October
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Every service in the U.S. military met or exceeded its recruiting or retention goals for October, Pentagon officials said Thursday.
The news was extremely pleasing to Pentagon officials, particularly after the Army fell short of new recruits by more than 6,600 enlistments for the year ended Sept. 30. It was the first shortfall since 1999.
Army recruiting was at 104.8 percent of its anticipated goal, the Navy at 101.1 percent, the Marine Corps at 102.2 percent and the Air Force at 100.9 percent. All retention objectives were also exceeded.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Air National Guard had enlistments at 110 percent of estimations. The Army Reserves met recruiting goals for October and the Army National Guard recruits were at 98 percent.
Retention rates for the Guard and Reserves are not yet out.
October is the first month of the new fiscal year and the first month of the new tally. It was "a very good month," one official said, adding that the numbers have not been adjusted or lowered.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While Pentagon officials were not ready to say if new incentives had anything to do with the new numbers, last month they instituted a master plan to increase financial incentives for enlistees, greater use of computers, a new way for recruiters to make their pitch and a proposed finder's fee for soldiers who refer recruits.
FOX News' Bret Baier and The Associated Press contributed to this report.