Despite widely publicized military cutbacks, area recruiters say military career opportunities abound for this year's high school and college graduates.

Two area recruiters said the erroneous perception among many high school and college graduates is that the military is not hiring, a misconception that's made it difficult to meet May and June enlistment quotas.

"It's really been a problem for us this year throughout the entire country, not just Southeast Missouri," said Ann Bild, with the public affairs unit of the Army Recruiting Service in St. Louis.

"There has been no change in our enlistment quotas. We're continuing to recruit as many young people as ever to fill up the smaller units that make up the greater part of the Army's numerical strength.

Daniel Hetlage with the Navy Recruiting Office public affairs section in St. Louis says the reduction in force of mid-level non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and officers will mean better promotion opportunities for the young men and women who enlist now in the Navy.

"No matter what you have seen or heard in the national news media, we have to keep the student training pipeline full to make sure there are enough people to keep the Navy operating efficiently in the mid-to-late 1990s," Hetlage said.

"A lot of high school and college graduates mistakenly believe with all of the personnel cutbacks there is no future for them in the military. That certainly is not the case.

"For this year's high school or college graduates, the career opportunities in the Navy are the same as they have always been."

Hetlage said that until recently, Navy recruiters in eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois have been able to meet their monthly enlistment quotas.

But it hasn't been easy.

"June is always a bad month for us because a lot of high school seniors are waiting to get their prom and graduation over with, or waiting to see if they're going to get a scholarship to go on to college," he said.

"Others are waiting to see if they're going to get in a particular college or university and don't want to make any other career moves until then. After June, they start looking at other alternatives, such as a career in the military."

Surprisingly, the Air Force, which has been hit hardest by the forced cutbacks of mid-level NCOs and officers, has seen its enlistment quota rise this fiscal year by 20 percent.

According to the Air Force Recruiting Service, the fiscal '92 enlisted recruitment goal increased to 36,100 up 5,500 from this year's enlistment total.

"Even though the Air Force is in the headlines today for its personnel cuts, the recruiting mission is still alive and well," said Sgt. Doug Anglim of the Cape Girardeau Air Force Recruiting Office.

"The publicized personnel draw downs are a direct result of the budgetary cutbacks that Congress has mandated. With the reduced threat because of the situation with the old Warsaw Pact nations diminishing militarily, Congress could no longer justify to the American public the current level of defense spending. Therefore, the cutbacks."

But Anglim said the Air Force must continue to recruit new airmen because it is a "pipeline operation." That means the Air Force is looking at its personnel strength five to 10 years from now.

"We are hiring folks right now that will be the Air Force's middle managers and experienced technicians years from today," Anglim said.

"The Air Force's current cutbacks affect present manning strength. Recruiting now will affect manning strength down the road. The contradiction does seem strange at first, but it makes sense from a planning standpoint. The Air Force of the mid-1990s and early 21st century is being developed today."

Capt. Mark Helmus, executive officer with the Marine Corps Recruiting Office in St. Louis said the cutbacks in military manpower haven't affected enlistment quotas for Marine Corps recruiters in this area.

"Our mission is the same as it was last year. There is no change in our assignments," he said. "We're still looking for good men and women to serve in the Corps."