Earlier this week, The Star Tribune wrote about Mankato being the epicenter of military recruitment in the state. The National Priorities Project, a Boston-based group that analyzes federal data, routinely studies military recruitment rates across the country. Their most recent research, based on Army data, shows that the South by far leads the nation in military recruitment for any region.
Some other information gleaned from their database: •A higher percentages of white recruits come from non-metro counties than metro counties, but a higher percentages of black recruits come from metro counties than non-metro counties. A higher percentages of Hispanic recruits come from metro counties than non-metro counties. •Across the board (white, black, Hispanic), recruitment rates are higher in non-metro (rural) counties than metro counties.
Percent of Recruits by Region region 2007 2008 Northeast 12.4 12.2 Midwest 21.7 20.1 South 45.8 46.4 West 20.2 21.3 A Government Accountability Office report released earlier this year indicates there are few irregularities in recruiting but I'd be interested in hearing anything contrary. Email me a mbrunswick@startribune.com.
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