New recruits waiting six to nine months to report to boot camp

SAN DIEGO - Thanks to a glut of recruits, newly enlisted Marines are waiting six to nine months to report to boot camp, up from about three months two years ago, it was reported today.

Whether headed to Camp Pendleton or Parris Island, S.C., the Marine Corps is scrambling to absorb all the men and women joining the ranks, the Los Angeles Times reported.

At a recent Pentagon news conference, every branch of military reported meeting enlistment goals. But the Marines are convinced that other factors are also influencing the surge in numbers.

''I want to be part of the best," Justin Zeek, 20, of...