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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 19 May 2020
Thousands defer plans to leave the military during crisis

Continued from Front only be temporary, if the
economic downturn conti-
Gozikowski, who is from nued. “I need stability in my
Cherry Hill, New Jersey, life. There’s no steady inco-
and is serving at Fort Hood, me on the outside, or gu-
Texas, is one of hundreds of aranteed income either,”
service members who are said the pilot, adding that
taking advantage of newly in the military, he’s guaran-
developed, short-term ex- teed a job. “While other
tensions being offered by people are getting laid off
the military. and not working, we’re still
As of last week, the Army collecting a paycheck and
had already exceeded going to work.”
its retention goal of 50,000 Retention is also on the rise
soldiers for the fiscal year in the Marine Corps.
ending in September, re- Currently there are about
enlisting more than 52,000 183,000 Marines, and the
so far. And the other servi- goal for the end of the fiscal
ces have also met or are year is about 184,600. The
closer than planned to Corps has nearly reached
their target numbers. The its retention goal of about
influx of people re-enlisting 12,600 for the fiscal year,
will offset any shortfalls in with only about 100 or so
recruiting, which has been In this April 5, 2020, file photo soldiers work next to an isolation tent at a military field hospital at the to get by the end of Sep-
hampered by the out- CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle. tember. The Navy was not
break. And that will help Associated Press able to provide retention
the services meet their total navirus period. By early last vice members who decide next career. For months, he numbers. In addition, Mari-
required troop levels for the week, he said, 745 soldiers to re-enlist or extend their and his fellow pilots at Scott nes who were planning to
end of the year. had signed up. service. So far, the num- Air Force Base in Illinois had leave the service are being
“We’re hiring,” said Army “What we’re seeing this ber of Air Force personnel been talking about which allowed to extend their en-
Secretary Ryan McCarthy. year, which is directly re- who have withdrawn their airlines were hiring. listments by a few months,
“Like anything, market dy- lated to COVID, is we do requests to leave the ser- “Everybody was getting to get past the initial COVID
namics come into effect have a population of sol- vice or have asked to ex- out,” the 10-year transport crisis, or by a year or two.
and people will see where diers that what they were tend their enlistment is 700 aircraft pilot said in an inter- Maj. Craig Thomas, a Ma-
the opportunities lie.” expecting at the end of more than last year at this view from the air base. “The rine Corps spokesman, said
Sgt. Maj. Stuart Morgan, the transition has suddenly time, including 230 pilots conversations were like, oh, virus-related restrictions
senior Army career coun- disappeared,” Morgan and medical staff. who got picked up by Sou- on recruiting and shipping
selor, said Gozikowski was said. “And now you have For one pilot, the opportu- thwest, who got picked up new Marines to initial trai-
able to take advantage of a soldier that is trying to go nity to make that sudden by American, who got pic- ning will likely mean the
a new program designed through a transition period change of course was a ked up by Delta. And then service won’t meet its goal
to help soldiers who were that is now facing uncer- relief. In discussing his plans, the whole coronavirus thing for total force size this year.
planning to leave this year tainty on the outside.” he asked that his name not started to play its course.” He added, however, that
but are now worried and The Air Force is already ex- be used to preserve any fu- Suddenly, he said, “the dis- while it is too early to tell
reconsidering their options. pecting to fall short of its re- ture employment options. cussions are more like, what if the bad economy will
The program allows them cruiting goal by as much as Nearly two months ago, are we gonna do now?” further boost retention, the
to delay their departure 5,800 as a result of the virus. he was in Miami taking an The pilot said he was wor- enlistment extensions could
for up to 11 months to get And that gap, the Air Force airline certification course ried about the uncertainty. make up for the recruiting
them past the peak coro- said, could be filled by ser- and getting ready for his Even if he got a job, it might shortfalls.q

ATF joins probe of LA blast that injured 12 firefighters

By STEFANIE DAZIO and identify where the fire start- the roof, normal proce-
JOHN ANTCZAK ed and determine what dures to try to quickly knock
Associated Press caused it. down any flames, officials
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Inves- Capt. Robert Long, com- said.
tigators on Monday began manding officer of the Los One of the firefighters no-
combing the wreckage Angeles Police Depart- ticed that the pressure from
of a fire and explosion at ment's major crimes unit, the smoke and heat com-
a downtown Los Angeles said his detectives will be ing from the rear of the
hash oil manufacturer as working with the ATF and building were increasing.
six burned firefighters re- "looking at all aspects of He ordered everyone to
mained in the hospital and the business to see if all ap- get out but a thunderous
two more went home. plicable safety rules were explosion rocked the build-
The Bureau of Alcohol, To- followed." ing. Firefighters on the roof
bacco, Firearms and Ex- The blaze began late Sat- scrambled down ladders
plosives is sending in spe- urday afternoon at a one- through a fireball, with their
cial agents from around story commercial building protective coats aflame. Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters push ambulance cots
the country to help with in the city's Toy District. The wall of flames shot out at the scene of a structure fire that injured multiple firefighters,
the criminal investigation. Firefighters entered the the building and burned according to a fire department spokesman, Saturday, May 16,
They are expected to help building amid light to mod- seats inside a fire truck 2020, in Los Angeles.
reconstruct the scene, erate smoke and went on across the street. q Associated Press