Washington – Though Americans are increasingly pessimistic about the war in Iraq, the Pentagon said Tuesday that it is having success enlisting new troops.
The Navy and Air Force met their recruiting goals last month while the Army and Marine Corps exceeded theirs, the Defense Department announced.
The Army, which is bearing the brunt of the work in Iraq, did the best. It signed up 6,485 new recruits in November – 105 percent of its target of 6,150.
All the services turned in similar performances in October as well, meaning they so far are meeting their goals for the 2007 budget year, which began Oct. 1.
The progress in recruiting comes as U.S. pessimism over the Iraq campaign mounts, according to a recent AP-Ipsos poll. Sixty-three percent of Americans said they don’t expect a stable, democratic government to be established in Iraq, up from 54 percent who felt that way in June.
According to figures released Tuesday by the Pentagon, the Navy signed up 2,887 recruits last month, or 100 percent of its goal; the Marines signed up 2,095, or 104 percent of its 2,012 target, and the Air Force signed up all 1,877 it was seeking.
Recruiting has lagged, however, for the Army Reserve and Navy Reserve. The Army Reserve last month signed up 1,888 recruits, or 79 percent of its goal, and the Navy Reserve signed up 687, or 91 percent of its goal.
