Recruiting among the nation’s military branches is at historically low numbers as COVID, woke leaders and an anti-military culture are keeping young people away. President Biden’s debacle in Afghanistan is also sure to be on the minds of those thinking of joining up, with some wondering, “if the Commander-in-Chief won’t stand behind the military, who will?”
In July, the U.S. Army Reserve (Army National Guard) barred 57,000 troops and reduced their compensation and benefits. It’s no wonder people don’t want to serve.
“We are on the cusp of a military recruiting crisis,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) told Politico, citing Covid, obesity among would-be recruits, competition from the healthy civilian labor market, and an overall low interest in serving. “When Republicans take control of Congress in a few months,” he added, “averting the recruiting crisis will be a top priority of the Military Personnel Subcommittee.” Gallagher is the top Republican on the House Armed Services’ subpanel.
Politico writes that it’s “widely considered the worst recruiting environment since the end of the Vietnam War.” Here are the numbers:
Based on data collected from October 2021 until May 2022 and calculating the rates between Oct 2021 and May 2022 the Army is now at 66%, with the Navy at 89%. This leaves the department with a rate of 100 percent for Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force. [of Defense]A total rate of 85 percent
Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva said in a 2018 speech that “only 1 percent of our population today will ever wear the uniform of this nation in any of its incarnations—soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, active, Guard or Reserve.” We ask a lot out of very few in this country. If recruiting numbers continue to drop, we’re in real trouble.
RedState has reported on the services’ desperate efforts to encourage more volunteers to join, with the Minnesota National Guard placing a $77,000 ad buy in an LGBTQ magazine, and the Army toying with the idea of dropping its requirement that enlistees have a high school diploma or GED, but then realizing what a stupid idea that was and backtracking. Military.com published Tuesday’s story about how the Army gives recruits failing to meet academic and body weight standards a second chance. Two pilot programs were launched to aid them in losing weight, and/or improving their aptitude tests scores.
We’ve also covered how the woke silliness currently being peddled by military leaders isn’t sitting well with soldiers and potential soldiers. Alex Parker wrote about how the Army is rumored to force women soldiers to take showers with male biological men who are females. The Navy, however, will allow them to choose the locker rooms that best suit their gender identities. There’s also a huge emphasis on race:
The threat of Woke ideology infecting our military poses a serious threat to national security.
When I was a soldier, I was taught to protect and defend the county I love – not that America is racist. These ideologies are not allowed in the Armed Forces.
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) July 23, 2022
Jeff Groom writes in Spectator World
You are an eighteen year old, Christian, white male from Georgia. Your family has a long history of military service. As you progressed through your teen years, you watched Confederate statues being torn down and military bases being renamed, endless media and elitist demonization of your culture as racist and deplorable and backwards, and military and civilian leadership that thinks diversity and inclusion(i.e. You have to be more white than you are. Do you want to volunteer? Both sides of identity politics work. Trash my tribe and I won’t associate with you, let alone risk my life. It shouldn’t be a shock, then, that those expressing a “great deal of trust and confidence in the military” dropped from 70 percent in 2018 to 45 percent today. (Emphasis mine.)
Although military brass are trying to make the situation more positive, so far it doesn’t seem to work. It’s a concerning situation, especially given that relations with China and Russia are not exactly friendly right now. My best advice is to let go of the woke agenda, and make Top Gun: Maverick available for young viewers.
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