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Saturday 21 april 2018

Army lowers 2017 recruiting goal; more soldiers staying on

By LOLITA C. BALDOR to an arrest. But in Decem-
Associated Press ber, Snow said his goal for
WASHINGTON (AP) — The 2017 was to have fewer
U.S. Army will not meet its than 2 percent of the new
mission to recruit 80,000 ac- recruits be considered
tive duty soldiers this year “category four,” meaning
and has officially lowered they scored 31 or less, out
that goal. But Army leaders of 99, on the aptitude test.
said the service has been Esper said Friday that he
able to encourage more had directed that the Army
experienced service mem- not exceed the 2 percent
bers to stay on the job to limit, even though the De-
satisfy a growing demand fense Department allows
for troops. up to 4 percent.
Army Sgt. Maj. Daniel Dai- Military leaders have in-
ley said Friday that the up- creasingly warned of re-
dated goal will be 76,500. cruiting challenges, noting
Six months into the recruit- that lower unemployment,
ing year, the service has a strong economy and
brought in just 28,000 new the declining quality of the
soldiers. Dailey said the youth market have steadi-
goal is to grow the Army to The Pentagon is seen in this aerial view in Washington, in this March 27, 2008 file photo. ly shrunk the number of
483,500, as approved by Associated Press young people considered
Congress, and it’s up to the ity for quantity and that last year that the higher en- health issues. eligible to be recruits.
Army whether to use more standards will not be low- listment goal would be dif- Asked if the Army has ap- Defense officials have also
recruiting or re-enlistment. ered to meet recruiting ficult to meet, considering proved more waivers so far complained that despite
He said that retaining cur- goals. economic factors and the this year, Esper and Dailey the last 16 years of war in
rent soldiers has been more The struggle to meet this military’s need for recruits said they didn’t know to- Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria,
successful this year than in year’s higher recruiting to pass strict physical test- tals. The Army has histori- the American public is in-
the past, with 86 percent numbers — a significant ing that many young peo- cally kept and provided creasingly disconnected
staying on, compared increase over last year’s ple can’t complete. detailed data on waivers. from the military, and they
with 81 percent in previous mission of 69,000 — was ex- “This mission is going to be “The numbers don’t tell the say many people have
years. Army Secretary Mark pected, mainly due to the a significant challenge for whole story,” Dailey said, misperceptions about serv-
Esper said there is a mis- favorable American econ- the command,” he told The adding that waivers require ing and often don’t person-
match between the num- omy and increased com- Associated Press in Decem- the Army to take a closer ally know any service mem-
ber of soldiers in the Army petition from private sector ber. Meeting the increased look at a recruit who may bers.
and the demand for more employers who are able to mission this year, Snow said, have had a legal problem This time of year is usually
troops, and acknowledged pay graduates more mon- could force the Army to when they were younger, the toughest for military re-
that the “strong economy ey. take in more recruits who smoked pot, or has had cruiters, since this is the peri-
does make it challenging.” Maj. Gen. Jeff Snow, head would require waivers for some type of heath prob- od when high school seniors
He said, however, that the of the Army’s recruiting marijuana use, low test lem. The issue could range start getting acceptance
Army will not sacrifice qual- command, predicted late scores or other more basic from simple colorblindness letters from colleges.q

Senate panel talks to Russian

lawyer who met with Trump Jr.

Berlin hotel, according to dossier was discussed more The Senate investigators
the person, who spoke on than her involvement in the have expressed interest in
condition of anonymity be- Trump Tower meeting. determining whether the
cause the details of the in- A spokeswoman for Sen- meeting was part of a Rus-
terview are confidential. ate Intelligence Commit- sian government effort to
The interview lasted about tee Chairman Richard help Donald Trump’s White
three hours and was fo- Burr, R-N.C., didn’t return House campaign, which
cused on information con- a request for comment. A was how it was described
tained in a collection of spokeswoman for Virginia in emails to Trump Jr. in the
In this July 11, 2017, file photo, Kremlin-linked lawyer Natalia memos compiled by a Sen. Mark Warner, the top days before it occurred.
Veselnitskaya speaks to journalists in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, former British spy, whose Democrat on the panel, Veselnitskaya has denied
July 11, 2017. worked was funded by the declined to comment. having any ties to the Rus-
Associated Press Democratic National Com- Trump Jr., along with the sian government. She is a
By DESMOND BUTLER and met U.S. Senate investiga- mittee and the campaign president’s son-in-law, well-connected Moscow
MARY CLARE JALONICK tors in Berlin, a person famil- of Hillary Clinton. The dossier Jared Kushner, and then- lawyer who has worked
Associated Press iar with the interview told contains numerous allega- campaign chairman Paul with a company called
WASHINGTON (AP) — A The Associated Press. tions of Russian ties to Don- Manafort met with Vesel- Prevezon Holdings Ltd. and
Russian lawyer who dis- Senate intelligence com- ald Trump, his associates nitskaya in June 2016 after its owner, who is the son of
cussed sanctions with Don- mittee investigators looking and the Trump campaign. Trump Jr. was told in emails a former Russian govern-
ald Trump Jr. at a Trump into Russian interference in The person familiar with the that she could provide po- ment official and a fierce
Tower meeting during the the campaign interviewed conversation, who spoke tentially incriminating in- advocate for rolling back
2016 campaign recently Natalia Veselnitskaya at a to Veselnitskaya, said the formation about Clinton. U.S. sanctions.q