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Air Force’s Active Duty component met its numerical recruiting accession goals through April, the seventh month of Fiscal 2012, according to the Pentagon’s newest recruiting data, released on May 22. The Active Duty force brought in 16,309 accessions, exactly matching its fiscal-year-to-date goal. The Air National Guard attracted 4,893 new recruits through April, 14 more than its target. Rounding out the Total Force, the Air Force Reserve met its fiscal-year-to-date goal by accepting 5,013 new accessions, show the Defense Department’s figures. All of the other services’ Active Duty forces met or exceeded their year-to-date targets. Across their reserve components, only the Army National Guard did not meet or exceed its recruiting goal through April. (See also our coverage of March’s recruiting numbers.)
Walking the flight line occupied by Blackhawk attack helicopters and American troops on rotation at the “MK” air base in Romania, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III highlighted the important strategic value of one of NATO’s newest members Oct. 20 ahead of NATO defense ministerial meetings in Brussels Oct. 21-22.…