| Page 4 of 4 < |
Number of Blacks Joining Military Down
But the key, Gilroy said, is to continue to shore up recruiting budgets, particularly for the Army and Marine Corps, who are bearing the brunt of the service on the wars' front lines.
"Recruiting is at the heart of the volunteer force," said Gilroy. "If we don't get recruiting right, nothing else matters."
  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) 
| ||||||||||||||||||||
___
Associated Press writer Natasha Metzler contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
Army: http:/
Marines: http:/
Navy: http:/
Air Force: http:/
