Recruiting in a Time of War

By Melissa Block

Published May 20, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT

Army recruiter Sgt. 1st Class Jimmy Bowie is based out of Huntsville, Texas -- a community, he says, that respects its soldiers.

The U.S. military needs to attract nearly 200,000 new recruits every year to maintain troop strength.

The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines all report they've had no trouble reaching their recruiting goals, even with the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. By far, the Army is the largest of the service groups. Since last October, more than 40,000 young men and women have enlisted for active Army duty.

To get a sense of how the Army draws in new recruits, NPR's Melissa Block, host of All Things Considered, traveled to Huntsville, Texas, to spend several days on the job with one of the Army's 6,000 recruiters: Sgt. 1st Class Jimmy Bowie.

Melissa Block

As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.

See stories by Melissa Block