CAN’T IMAGINE WHY

**************************************************************

The Pentagon is facing its worst enlistment crisis
since the all-volunteer army began in 1973. The
shortfall in manpower is so bad that the army is
taking people with criminal records and pending
criminal charges, and offering them enlistment bonuses
ranging from $14,400 to $20,000 in addition to as much
as $70,000 towards college loan repayments.

To retain soldiers already enlisted, the Army was
forced to offer as much as $150,000 to some soldiers
in key areas as a means of retaining them. The
Pentagon also asked Congress to lift the age of
military recruits to 42, a full six years older than
it had been three years earlier.

Despite all of these inducements, admitted Lt. Gen.
Franklin L. Hagenbeck at a Congressional hearing, "We
will likely miss recruiting missions for all three
components."

********************************************************