Pubdate: Fri, 13 Jan 2006
Source: Helena Independent Record (MT)
Copyright: 2006 Helena Independent Record
Contact:  http://helenair.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1187
Author: Martha Mendoza
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)

NUMBER OF ENLISTED PERSONNEL LEAVING ARMED SERVICES ON THE RISE

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 percent in 2002 to 10.5 
percent 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.

"Service members leave the military for a variety of reasons," said 
Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke. "This is an all-volunteer 
military, which is dedicated to defending its country. We appreciate 
their service and respect their reasons for leaving the service."

Krenke said the military met and in some cases exceeded its retention 
goals this year.

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.

Pregnancy used to mean an automatic discharge; these days, it's an 
option but not a requirement. Even so, increased numbers of service 
members are asking to get out because they have children.

"These days military parents are finding it very complicated to 
serve, because a lot of people are being deployed, many are being 
deployed multiple times, and these deployments have proved to be 
unpredictable in length and frequency," said Shelley M. MacDermid, 
director of the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue 
University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

MacDermid said she has even heard of instances where soldiers "use 
pregnancy as a way to get out of a situation they don't like."

Drug use is also an increasing reason soldiers are being discharged 
from the Army, up 40 percent since 2002; last year 1986 soldiers were 
kicked out of the Army for using for using marijuana, cocaine, 
ecstasy and other illegal drugs. By contrast, soldiers thrown out for 
alcohol dropped from 251 in 2002 to 164 last year.

Rod Powers, a retired Air Force sergeant who writes advice an advice 
column on the Web about military service and has written books on the 
subject, said the drug use discharges probably reflect more 
sophisticated drug testing policies in all military branches.

"The military is getting smarter about drug testing, with better 
science and more random tests," he said. "I hear from a lot of young 
recruits thinking they can beat a urinalysis, but I tell them it's 
not so easy."

Powers said the reduction in alcohol-related discharges is likely 
because most troops are not allowed to drink while they are deployed 
because they are posted in Muslim countries, and with longer and more 
frequent deployments there are simply fewer opportunities to imbibe.

Another issue that is prompting increased discharges is a failure to 
meet weight standards. The Army, which has the most stringent weight 
standards of all the military branches, kicked out more than 3,285 
soldiers last year because they were too heavy.

Beth Asch, who tracks armed forces staffing at the RAND Corp., a 
nonpartisan think tank, said the Army's weight problems may have been 
there all along.

"The big attrition due to weight is the Army trying to make its 
recruiting mission by waiving the weight standards," she said. "The 
problem with doing that is those people tend to drop out."

The Marines and Air Force, by contrast, dropped standard weight 
tables and have used body fat measurements instead. They have seen 
sharp declines in the numbers of troops being released due to weight problems.

The high profile and usually controversial discharges - like 
conscientious objection and homosexuality - represent a small 
fraction of the total losses.

Only about 40 uniformed personnel received honorable discharges as 
conscientious objectors last year. The Pentagon did not release 2005 
numbers of those released for "homosexual conduct," but in 2004 just 
653 people were discharged under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. 
That was down from a 10-year high in 2001 of 1,273.

Powers said he has heard from service members that commanders "aren't 
buying it when someone says they're a homosexual" and should be 
released from their obligation, he said.

Service members released because of pregnancy or because they are 
disabled almost always receive honorable discharges, but those who 
are kicked out for drug use or weight problems often end up with the 
black mark of a dishonorable or less than honorable discharge on their record.

Chris Lopez, a San Diego-based recruiter who helps place retiring 
military personnel in civilian jobs for the Lucas Group firm, said a 
negative discharge "is going to make it very difficult for some 
people to find work."

But he said honorable discharges for things prompted by disability or 
dependency do not hinder career placement.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman