After delaying the announcement for a week, the Army announced yesterday that it missed its original goal for May by over 3,000 recruits. The Army had originally hoped to recruit 8,050 in May, but took in just over 5,000, only 62% of the goal.

Early in May, with no public notice, the Army had reduced its official goal to 6,700, claiming that it was shifting some of its quota to the summer months, however two recruiters, speaking anonymously, said their goals for the summer months had not been changed. The Army, which had hoped to recruit 80,000 new soldiers this year is already 8,000 behind its year to date goals.

People are voting with their feet; they are crossing to the other side of the street when they see a recruiting station. The recruiting gap could become the Achilles Heel for the war hawks. With the Army already overstretched, the possibility of new military ventures is becoming increasingly remote.