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Soldiers come back for more

Jan-13-2008 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

MICHAEL GILBERT, The News Tribune

While he was in Iraq, the re-enlistment sergeant for the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, kept a competitive eye on his counterpart from another brigade.

That unit was racking up impressive numbers – so much so that by the time it returned home last month to Fort Richardson, Alaska, it had the highest re-enlistments of any combat brigade in the Army.

But only in terms of percentages.

In raw numbers, the Fort Lewis-based 3rd Brigade was tops, said Master Sgt. Ned Longoria, its senior career counselor.

His unit re-upped 1,254 soldiers last year; its goal was 929. As a whole, Fort Lewis has surpassed its re-enlistment goals the past two years.

The local numbers continue a trend that’s held fast for the more than six years that the country has been at war: While the Army has struggled to bring in new recruits, it’s more than meeting its goals for keeping the soldiers it already has.

“Retention has been going pretty well overall for several years now,” said Beth Asch, a senior economist at the Rand Corp. who has studied recruiting and retention for the Army.

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