WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The Government Accountability Office has said the number of alleged and substantiated accusations of wrongdoing by U.S. military recruiters has risen sharply.
The GAO said the number of alleged violations by recruiters, under pressure to meet wartime recruiting goals, increased by more than 50 percent in one year, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The number of accusations of wrongdoing rose from 4,400 cases in fiscal 2004 to 6,600 cases in fiscal 2005, the number of cases with substantial evidence spiked from 400 to 630, and the number of cases resulting in criminal charges surged from 33 to 68.
Military recruitment declined in that same time period, despite a boost in recruiting efforts. In fiscal 2004, 250,000 people signed up for military service, compared to 215,000 in fiscal 2005.
The GAO said the number of irregularities is likely to be higher than reported, as violations across the services are difficult to track.
"The (Defense Department) ... is not in a sound position to assure Congress and the general public that it knows the full extent to which recruiter irregularities are occurring," the report said.
