Quote of note:

Army studies and experts have concluded that part of the decline in African American numbers is the unpopularity of the war in Iraq among blacks, combined with realities that officials say make recruiting tougher among all groups: the virtual guarantee of long deployments overseas, and widely publicized casualties.

A study of recruiting trends prepared for the Army last August found that "more African Americans identify having to fight for a cause they don't support" as a reason they are not interested in enlisting, while, for all groups, "fear of death or injury is the major barrier to joining the military today."

Steady Drop in Black Army Recruits
Data Said to Reflect Views on Iraq War

...Since fiscal 2000, when African Americans made up 23.5 percent of Army recruits, their numbers have fallen steadily to less than 14 percent in this fiscal year, officials said. A similar trend has reduced the number of female Army recruits, who have dropped from 22 percent in 2000 to about 17 percent of this year's new soldiers.

While it is hard to pinpoint why the drop-off has occurred, the figures reflect particular soft spots in the Army's effort to recruit and retain a growing all-volunteer force that has repeatedly deployed soldiers into battle since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Though the Army has met its recruiting goals in all but one year since 1990, it is falling far behind this year.

African Americans still make up nearly a quarter of the overall Army, where, historically, blacks enlisted in strong numbers to take advantage of economic and social opportunities not available elsewhere.