The National Priorities Project is out with an interesting set of numbers that show the race and ethnic makeup of Army recruits in 2004. They got them from the Army Recruiting Command via the Freedom of Information Act. Pierce County ranked 23rd in the nation in 2004 with 287 Army recruits, although the U.S. Census Bureau says we’re the nation’s 68th largest county.King County is 14th largest in the U.S., and 15th in terms of recruits (with 354).

Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey spent April 7-13 talking with U.S. commanders and troops in Iraq and Kuwait and is out with a seven-page assessment for his fellow profs at West Point. There’s no hiding his love for the Joes – “These are the toughest soldiers we have ever fielded. It was a real joy and an honor to see them first-hand.” – but he outlines a long list of serious challenges that confront the U.S. and new Iraqi governments. BLUF: Tough, but still winnable. It’s a quick read at seven pages.

McCaffrey

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