Iowa has continued to meet military recruitment goals, despite national media coverage of missed active duty recruitment goals and unmet reserve monthly quotas.

Iowa State’s ROTC program is also doing well with recruitment.

When looking at recruitment numbers, each area of the country has to look at many different factors, according to Toni Harn, chief of advertising and public affairs for the Des Moines Recruiting Battalion.

“Every area is different, it depends on the size,” Harn said. “There are many factors involved when looking at the numbers.”

Harn said total recruitment numbers this year have increased in comparison to last year.

“We have 35 more people this year than at this time last year,” Harn said.

Harn said the Midwest area covered by the Des Moines Recruiting Battalion — which includes Iowa and Nebraska — is seeing no problems with recruitment, and recruiters are meeting their mission assignment of recruiting two new members per month.

Harn, who grew up in Iowa, said she has her own thoughts on why the Midwest is not having as many problems recruiting members for the Army.

“In my own personal opinion, I feel we have very high quality youth and live in a patriotic state,” Harn said. “The people of Iowa have a good education and feel the need to serve their country.”

She said people understand the army has good technical skills and training which will help in getting a job.

In the ROTC programs at Iowa State, numbers are meeting the standards of excellence set by each department and have grown in the last five years, said Capt. Doug MacCrea, commanding officer of the Navy ROTC unit.

“The current trend nationwide for the Navy ROTC Program remains fairly constant,” MacCrea said.

Reasons for high enrollment numbers could include the Navy ROTC’s more effective and efficient use of scholarship money, MacCrea said.

“Right now, there are more people who want to participate in the program than we have scholarships available,” he said.

Other ROTC programs on campus are seeing similar patterns. Both the Air Force and the Army ROTC Programs have seen an increase in enrolled students, said Maj. Mark Greer, assistant professor in Air Force aerospace studies, and Maj. William Carlson, Army ROTC enrollment officer.

Greer said the number of people who want to join the Air Force ROTC at Iowa State could be attributed to a number of things, including patriotism. The Air Force ROTC program has increased from 67 students in 2000 to 135 students in 2005.

Carlson said Army ROTC numbers have improved, but there is more to consider than how many students are enrolled.

“Our numbers are going up, but our mission is also going up,” he said. “However, we will not lower our standards to meet commission.”

Carlson said the Army ROTC program looks for “quality over quantity” and will not sacrifice the quality of its officers to meet a set enrollment number.

Across the nation, ROTC programs are doing well, the ISU Army ROTC program included, he said.

“We are projecting that we are going to exceed our mission for 2005, 2006 and 2007,” Carlson said.

Not only is the program exceeding its mission, but its members are enthusiastic about the program, as well.

Aaron Rosheim, junior in history, joined the National Guard in January 2004 and the ISU Army ROTC in August 2004. He said the programs are doing well because of their excellent quality.

“I think we have excellent staff and officers; they are just amazing,” Rosheim said.

“They have such a good vision of us for what we need to become for officers.”

Rosheim said his time at Iowa State lacked focus and direction until his enrollment in the Army ROTC program as a junior.

“That came from the people I was with and the confidence within myself,” Rosheim said.