Number of Blacks Joining Military Down

Gen. James Conway, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force talks with reporters at his base on the outskirts of Fallujah, Iraq, in this May 1, 2004, file photo. Conway, now Marine Commandant, says the bloodshed in Iraq is the biggest deterrent for prospective recruits. "The daily death toll that comes out is, I think, causing people who are the influencers of young men and women in America to take a second look," he said. "So I think that's probably the single most dominant feature." (AP Photo/John Moore, File) (John Moore - AP)

The decline in black recruits overall has been offset partly by an increase in Hispanic recruits and those who classify themselves as other races or nationalities.

This category could include people who consider themselves Portuguese, or of other European descent that are not covered by the main categories of white, Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaskan, black or Hispanic.

The active duty services largely have met recruiting targets in the past two years, while the Army, Army National Guard and Air National Guard fell short of their goals last month.

Sgt. Terry Wright, an Army recruiter in Tampa, Fla. said young people in the black community have more education and job opportunities now than when he joined the service 14 years ago.

"I go to high schools every day, and for the most part it strikes me how many of them are serious about going to college," said Wright, 32.

He acknowledged recruiters are spending more time with parents and other adults from whom potential recruits seek advice. In addition, he said recruiters are speaking more often to community and ethnic groups to encourage military service.

According to Conway, the Marine commandant, Marine recruiters "used to spend four hours with the young recruit and four hours with those people that we would call the influencers: the parents, the pastors, the coaches, the teachers." Now, he said, they spend four hours with recruits and 14 hours with influencers.

Gilroy, the Pentagon official, said the improving economy is giving potential recruits more opportunities for better paying jobs outside the military.

But he said the growing dissatisfaction with the war among black political and community leaders, as well as parents and teachers, is a major factor, too.

"The influencers of these youth have a larger effect on African-Americans," Gilroy said. "Some have argued that, because of the makeup of African-American families and the relatively more significant roles (the families) play, moms have a greater influence on their families. And we know that moms, in general, do not support the war."

Citing high-profile black leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, Gilroy said, "We hear greater criticism of this administration's policies and greater concerns about the effects of the war."

He said it is up to the country's leaders, particularly members of Congress who have served in the military to "talk about the nobility of service."