How important is it to re-enlist?

I'd say it's very important, considering the latest New York Times article which reports that the Army and Marine Corps will need to add about 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 marines to their ranks, even with an expected drawdown in Iraq.  

Quote:

This country must also be prepared to fight if needed. To build an effective military the next president must make some fundamental changes.

More ground forces: We believe the military needs the 65,000 additional Army troops and the 27,000 additional marines that Congress finally pushed President Bush into seeking. That buildup is projected to take at least two years; by the end the United States will have 759,000 active-duty ground troops.

That sounds like a lot, especially with the prospect of significant withdrawals from Iraq. But it would still be about 200,000 fewer ground forces than the United States had 20 years ago, during the final stages of the cold war. Less than a third of that expanded ground force would be available for deployment at any given moment.