With Smaller Force Coming, Army Calls For Fewer Recruits, Promotions

The U.S. Army has been scaling back on recruitment and promotions as part of its efforts to cut the active-duty force, the Army Times reports.

The recruitment goal for this fiscal year is 67,000; down from 74,500 for 2010; 70,045 for 2009; and 80,000 annually over 2006-08.

In addition, retention and re-enlistment goals are down. They had been generating 60,000 to 70,000 re-enlistments annually.

The idea is to trim a temporary 22,000-soldier surge that began in 2009, said...