More enlisted personnel leaving armed services

[deadparrot]

Drug use, weight problems and parenthood have been taking their toll on the military in the past three years, since the war on terror began, according to newly released Pentagon data.

Documents released to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act indicate the number of enlisted personnel leaving the military each year has increased from 8.7% in 2002 to 10.5% last year.

Enlisted losses — including people whose enlistments had expired — increased from 118,206 in 2002 to more than 137,465 last year, while officer losses have increased from 5,619 in 2002 to more than 7,500 last year.

The subset of those leaving before their term was up, for reasons ranging from disability to drug abuse, increased from 58,214 in 2002 to 60,406 last year among enlisted personnel and from 1,011 in 2002 to 1,280 for officers.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-01-15-military-losses_x.htm

[Mythsaje]

1. Anything to escape, I guess...n/t

[niyad]

2. I guess even stop-loss can't keep ALL of them from leaving.

[corporatemedia]

3. Pass the joint, give me some twinkies, and let's make a baby....

I WANT OUT!

[rodeodance]

4. 10-year highs. Pregnancy and parenthood,

......None of the 1.4 million soldiers, sailors and Marines on active duty today is allowed to simply quit the military, but they can be kicked out, or in certain cases receive special discharges.

The reasons for leaving the service differ in each branch, though general misconduct — a term which can mean anything from petty theft to brawling with colleagues — has consistently been the most common explanation.

Pentagon data going back 10 years shows that service losses last year are still below overall levels in the mid-90s, when the Defense Department struggled with both retention and recruiting.

But in recent years, some categories reached 10-year highs. Pregnancy and parenthood, for example, have steadily increased as a reason for personnel losses, especially in the Army, where last year 4,238 soldiers were discharged from the Army for pregnancy and parenthood, up from 2,862 in 2002 and 2,565 in 1996. This reflects what military officials say is a baby boom, especially at bases with high deployments.

[lovuian]

5. There fed up

at being misused!!!

[tecelote]

6. Here comes the draft!

[Nomen Tuum]

7. Guess all that cheap Afghani heroin is backfiring on the Neocons!

Although, I'm sure Ollie North got in on the ground floor. Just as Ollie brought crack cocaine into South Central LA, now Ollie and his Contra Pals will bring that fresh Afghani heroin, too!