In no uncertain terms, the U.S. military faces a serious recruiting predicament. As the Wall Street Journal recently noted, 2022 marked the most difficult year for the U.S. Army since the inception of the all-volunteer force in 1973, with the branch falling a shocking 25 percent short of its recruitment target. Looking ahead to 2023, the Army expects to miss its target of 65,000 recruits by 15,000. Similarly, the Navy expects to be up to 10,000 short of its recruiting goal of approximately 38,000.
This recruiting decline is very troubling. And there is more going on than momentary trends. The Journal also observes, for example, that the allure of military service among young people aged 16–21 has dropped from 13 percent to a mere 9 percent in the aftermath of the pandemic, a statistic with worrying long-term implications. And while the U.S. military faces recruitment woes, China continues to steadily enhance its military capabilities.
Comments