Army, Marines say they made recruiting goals

By Andrew Gray

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army and Marine Corps said on Thursday that they had met annual targets for recruiting and retaining troops despite the dangers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"To re-enlist in a time of war is a powerful commitment," Gen. Richard Cody, the Army's vice chief of staff said at a ceremony on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial to mark the occasion.

"It says a great deal about our Army today as a whole."

Army officials said they had exceeded by several hundred their target of recruiting 80,000 new active duty soldiers for fiscal year 2007, which ended on September 30.

Last month, the Army said it had already gone beyond its retention target of getting 62,200 soldiers to re-enlist for the same period.

The Marine Corps said it had exceeded its goal of growing its ranks to 184,000 in the same fiscal year and now had 186,000 Marines.

The U.S. military's reserve components, such as the National Guard, have yet to release their recruitment and retention figures for the year.

Some analysts have cautioned that the Army, stretched by the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, risks problems by accepting more recruits who rate lower in its quality assessments. The Army has also offered substantial cash bonuses to new recruits.