math question about enlisted military personnel deserting?

Question

i just read that about 3,000 leave military service personnel leave (for many different reasons) before their time is legally up.

considering 200000 young people enlist in the military every year, what percentage are deserting ?

i'm not great with math but surely less than .003% are deserting

i'm not great with math but surely less than .003% are deserting

Answer 1

First off your number of personnel needs to be the total number of personnel in the military and not the number of personnel that join each year for it to be a valid number. Some people that leave prior to the end of their service will be past the first enlistment or year and secondly the number you are using is leave service prior to their time being legally up would include hardship discharges, medical discharges, those not able to complete basic training for a medical condition discovered after joining, and those convicted at courtmartials and sentenced to a discharge. But to use your figure it would be 1.5% or 15 people per thousand. The total active strength of the U.S. miltary which is the proper base to use for this is a little over 1,400,000 which means the rate, if your 3,000 is correct, would be 0.214% or 2.14 per thousand.

Answer 2

Just because someone leaves before thier time is legally up, doesn't mean they deserted. They could be chaptered for medical, UCMJ, pregnanacy, becoming a single parent, failing Basic Training or AIT, all kinds of reasons.

Most of the AWOL and desertions actually happen during Basic Training, so they were never really members of the Armed Forces anyway as far as part of the force.

If all 3,000 of those were desertions, then that would be about 1.5%. Since not all of those will be desertions, less then 1.5%

Answer 3

According to the Army, about nine in every 1,000 soldiers deserted in fiscal year 2007, which ended Sept. 30, compared to nearly seven per 1,000 a year earlier. Overall, 4,698 soldiers deserted this year, compared to 3,301 last year.

The increase comes as the Army continues to bear the brunt of the war demands with many soldiers serving repeated, lengthy tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Military leaders — including Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey — have acknowledged that the Army has been stretched nearly to the breaking point by the combat. And efforts are under way to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps to lessen the burden and give troops more time off between deployments.

Despite the continued increase in desertions, however, an Associated Press examination of Pentagon figures earlier this year showed that the military does little to find those who bolt, and rarely prosecutes the ones they get. Some are allowed to simply return to their units, while most are given less-than-honorable discharges.

Answer 4

For about every 200,000 that join at most only about 100 people are deserters. Most other people get out early because of medical, or chapters. If they have not graduated Basic and AIT they are not considered as deserters, because they are not in the military but training to see if the can handle the military.

Answer 5

I was enlisted and the support from the Republicans was so much higher than any of the Democrats in office. We always suffered from funding, pay, and parts, from the Democrats. The Republicans seem so much more Pro America and want it to remain strong while the other side seems, in some cases, to want to weaken it thru many methods and immigration where we can't even pay for our needs as citizens and veterans. Why support somebody who is not supporting you, I mean really in the end of things, supporting you and this country's future.

Answer 6

Actually, I believe you have your numbers a bit off.

This is the ratio that a news source states:

"In fact, less than 1 percent have deserted. According to the U.S. military, there have been about 6,000 deserters from the Iraq war."

So, take it for what its worth.

Answer 7

200000/3000= 200/3
3/200 = .015 = 1.5%

Answer 8

many of the troops are re-enlisting yearly so i believe the answer would be way less than 1.5%