CF recruiting: Different spins

From the Globeites (in the "Life" section, at least the subhead is unspun):

As Call of Duty sells, recruitment falls short
While Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a contender for best-selling game of 2009, military recruitment in Canada has fallen just short of goals

...while the Tuesday release of the latest edition of the war video game prompted consumers to line up at stores across North America – echoing a general surge of interest in military culture and history – that interest seems to stop short of military recruitment offices in Canada...

military recruitment in the country has fallen slightly short of goals in the past couple of years. In the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the Canadian Forces hoped to recruit 7,995 soldiers, but managed 7,701. Recruitment results fell short of goals by roughly the same amount last year, although lower attrition numbers mean the overall force is growing...

So no big deal or real problem at all. At the same time good news from Canwest News (in the Ottawa Citizen's first section), so much for any off-putting Afstan effect:

Canadian infantry 'full,' general says
War in Afghanistan behind push to enlist

So many young Canadians want to become trigger pullers in Afghanistan that the army is not accepting any new infantry recruits at the moment, according to the army's top general.

"I am 1,600 infantrymen over my establishment," Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie said Thursday, adding that the high numbers of recruits who want to "serve at the tip of the spear ... completely refuted" any notion that there were problems getting people to serve in a wartime army.

"I still want young Canadians to show up at recruiting offices, but it just so happens that right now if you want to join the infantry, we're completely full," Leslie said...

Canada's three infantry regiments have about 6,000 infantrymen, so these units -- which have traditionally suffered the most in battle, as has been the case in Afghanistan -- are more than 25 per cent oversubscribed.

To correct this unusual imbalance, the military is "slowing down recruiting for regular forces infantry for the next year or two," Leslie said, adding that the army is "encouraging folks from the infantry" to transfer to military jobs where there are still shortfalls, such as vehicle technicians and fire control system technicians.

"I find myself in a unique position in comparison to most of my fellow army commanders across NATO," Leslie said.

"I have more volunteers every tour than I have positions. To come to Afghanistan is a competitive process."

Lots of comment at Milnet.ca.