European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 26, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes thursday May 26,1994 Quality of recruits increases slightly services using women to help fill enlistment goals by Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington a the military services say they improved the Quality of their recruits slightly through the first half of fiscal 1994. However a few trends in the statistics released by the Pentagon on tuesday highlight How much tougher the recruiting Mission has become in the Post cold War Era particularly for the . The percentage of recruits with High school diplomas remained steady at 94 percent while the percentage of recruits scoring in the top three mental categories on military Entrance tests Rose slightly to 99 percent. The  in particular boosted its number of higly school graduate recruits from 89 percent a year ago to 92 percent through the first half of fiscal 1994. / but the Marine corps dropped from 97 percent to 93 percent Over the same period. The air Force held steady at 99 percent while the Navy increased slightly from 94 percent to 95 percent. Overall the defense department recruits with diplomas the results of efforts to recruit More i  graduates were mixed in the Host half of fiscal 1994 when compared to the same period a year earlier. Air Force  marines Navy october March fiscal 1993 october March fiscal 1994 source department of defense a amps filled 101 percent of its total recruiting goal Down 1 percentage Point from the same time last year. The  slipped from 105 percent of its objective to 101 percent. A a a a in terms of the Overall objectives the percentages Are obviously Down a said one military official who spoke on condition of anonymity. A but when you re still signing up in excess of Loo. Percent of your goal and you re still taking in a lot of High Quality people you re doing All  to continue making its objectives the  has begun to rely More on female recruits a reflection of the waning interest in military service among the nations 17 to 22�?T-Ycar-ofd males the  a prime recruiting Pool. The  took in 26,200 male recruits through the first half of fiscal 1994, a drop of 1,400 compared with the same period last year while the number of female. Recruits increased by 400 Over the same period to 6,500. V a k. The Navy and Marine corps have also boosted their percentage of female recruits. Throughout the defense depart mint 17 percent of recruits through the first half of fiscal 1994 were women an increase of 2 percentage Points Over the same time last year. K women now make up about 12 percent of the total Force. Military officials privately acknowledge that there has been a conscious Effort to sign up More women to enable the services and particularly the  to continue to meet recruiting goals. That Effort is being spurred by the growing Lack of interest in military service among Young men,1 the problem is reflected in the military a most recent youth attitude tracking study an annual Survey that measures the a positive propensity to enlist. The percentage of Young males who say they will definitely or probably enlist dropped from 32 percent in 1989 to 25 percent in 1993. The decline was most noticeable for the  from 16 percent in 1989 to 10 percent last year Edwin Dorn undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness has called the lowered enlistment propensity on the part of americans youth a your greatest recruiting  the downward spiral is fuelled by several factors among them the mistaken belief that with the cold War Over the military Isnit hiring anymore. A the persian Gulf War the largest . Military engagement since Vietnam also reminded Many youths that military service is not just about career training education and travel but also about possibly dying for ones country. In addition lawmakers have ordered the services to reduce their recruiting Force and slash recruiting and advertising budgets putting More pressure on the recruiters that remain. In another category the percentage of Black recruits increased to 19 percent through the first half of fiscal 1994, a Rise of 2 percentage Points Over the same period last year. A act Europe gets new Leader James e. Cohill has been elected As the new president of the a acpt a. European Tuph Ferince of branches the organization has announced. Cohill works As director of the . Europe a  Oil and analysis Laboratory in Mannheim Germany. The  Veteran and civil rights activist has been a civil servant for More than 30 years according to the National association for the advancement of coloured people. Cohill replaces Michael Lamberg who served about two years As president. Other new conference officers include first vice president Patrick a cab Llorea third vice president Daniel g. Murray treasurer John a. Williams and Andrew Charlie Henderson As Secretary. The second vice presidents position is vacant but is expected to be filled next month. At in finishing touches Kenneth Carroll of fort Worth Texas cleans the cockpit or a Lockheed f-16 fighter at berlins Schonfeld Airport on wednesday in preparation for the Ila or International aerospace exhibition. The Ila will Fea Ture 390 exhibitors from 29 countries Dishi inc their new products the fair opens saturday and lasts through june 5, the cargo plane in the background is a russian Mode Antonov an-124, lawmaker defends flight in Navy copter Naples Italy a amps a capt. Gene a. Stevens sued command of the naval facility Here from a William c. Vivian on wednesday. In addition to running naval support activity Nap Stevens duties will include providing support to visit get ships logistical and administrative support . Elements at Allied forces Southern Europe we also is based in Naples and support to 80 tenant it mands and other . Activities throughout Italy. Stevens comes to Naples from the National War c lege in Washington . Vivian will take Over As commander of the naval 1 serve officers training corps unit at the University Florida in Gainesville. He will also serve As the Scho professor of naval  up a a Texas congressman is defending a Navy helicopter trip that ferried him and five women on his staff from Washington to Annapolis md., to watch a Parade a newspaper reported wednesday the 35-mile trip april 30, 1993, by democratic rep. Charles Wilson Cost taxpayers $1,052, while mileage reimbursement for the same trip would have been about $17.50, the Dallas morning news reported. _ Wilson defended the trip saying that it was the Navy a idea and that it saved him and his staff valuable time. A a it a Small potatoes a Wilson said. A those helicopters Fly Back and Forth to Andrews fab my every Day with military people on  Wilson in his 11th term is a graduate of the . Naval Academy at Annapolis. A Gary Ruskin director of consumer advocate Raloh naders congressional accountability project said the flight shows How some members of Congress take advantage of taxpayers. A us a v1t or fortunate. That representative Wilson chose to take this extensive helicopter flight when the Public debt is running at about $4.5 trillion a Ruskin said this is not leadership by example a time changed for rites Raf Mildenhall England a amps t time for a Day ceremonies on june 4 at Madin Lar cemetery in Cambridge England has be changed from ii . To 10 15 ., a Raf m Den Hall spokesman said. Anyone wanting to attend the ceremony should Contact cemetery superintendent Jam Schoenecker at 0954 210-350