[+/-] What if they fought a war and no one came?

Col. David H. Hackworth (USA Ret.) provides an insider's view of recent Pentagon recruitment efforts:

Since this tragic war kicked off in March 2003, the United States has evacuated an estimated 50,000 KIA, WIA and non-battle casualties from Iraq back to the States – leaving 50,000 slots that have had to be filled....

“These are totals for the 41 USAREC (Recruiting Command) Battalions, so these stats represent the USAREC mission accomplishment:

  Regular Army Volume (all RA contracts):
    Mission: 25,322
    Achieved: 12,703 (50.17 percent)

  Army Reserve Volume:
    Mission: 7,373
    Achieved: 3,206 (43.48 percent).”

The Army National Guard is faring no better. A Guard retention NCO says: “The word is out on the streets of Washington, D.C. ‘Do not join the Guard.’ I see these words echoing right across the U.S.A.”

By the end of this recruiting year, the Regular Army, Reserves and Guard could fall short more than 50 percent of its projected requirement, or about 60,000 new soldiers. And according to many recruiters, quality recruits are giving way to mental midgets who have a hard time telling their left foot from their right....

“The bottom line is that Recruiting Command is in trouble”...

Don't forget they also have to pile sandbags on their trucks in lieu of armor, because they get the Army that Rummy gives them, not the one that would be most effective with fewest casualties.