Spinning Like a Top

So, I guess it all depends on how you look at it.

From The New York Times, April 10, 2006:

Young Officers Leaving Army at a High Rate

Meanwhile, in USA Today:

Army surpassing year's retention goal by 15%

Now some of this is apples and oranges. The Times is referring to the loss of valuable junior officers, especially captains, who form the backbone of the combat officer corps. USA Today's story, on the other hand, deals with the retention of all ranks. Still, there are apparent inconsistencies. USA Today quotes an army spokesman as saying that "the war is not causing people to leave." The Times at least implies that younger officers are leaving because of the war (or wars--Afghanistan and Iraq, which look very different to this observer).