Army spokesman Paul Boyce said officials believe that increases in the number of recruiters, as well as new advertising and publicity efforts, will produce a surge in recruiting this summer so that the Army can meet its full-year goal of 80,000 recruits by Sept. 30.

As of April 30 the Army had achieved only 85 percent of its target for the first five months of the fiscal year, which began Oct. 1.

Boyce said big gains are expected this summer, and the Army is cautiously optimistic it will overcome the current recruiting deficit during a summer period that traditionally is a good period of recruiters.

Opinion surveys have indicated that a growing number of young people and their parents are wary of the Army's recruiting pitch at a time when soldiers in Iraq are killed and wounded virtually every day.

Spring is typically one of the more difficult periods of the year for military recruiters.

Boyce said he did not have specific figures for April but it fell short of the monthly goal of 6,600. In March the Army had hoped to sign up 6,800 recruits but fell 32 percent short. That was slightly worse than in February, when a goal of 7,050 was missed by 27 percent.

Thinking about Serving? Get the information you need to decide if a military career is right for you. No obligation -- just free information from the branches of service that interest you. Get $1004 a Month! Your service may have earned you great education benefits. Get up to $1004 per month to pay for your undergraduate, graduate or technical degree. Find out about military-friendly schools today. Joining the Military 10 Steps to Joining the Military Contact a Recruiter Now Ace the ASVAB Read other articles about Joining the Military! Join Up! - Article Archive B asic Training Article Archive Photo Essays Archive Fr ontlines Video Archive Official Defend America site

Prior to missing the February target the Army had not fallen short of a monthly goal since May 2000.

The Army National Guard and Army Reserve have had even more trouble recruiting. In March the Army Reserve signed up barely half the 1,600 soldiers it sought. It has not met a monthly goal since December 2004, and for the period from October 2004 through March it met only 82 percent of its goal.

Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.