The various branches of the military are experiencing recruiting difficulties. For example,
The Army has announced that it will have to cut its size by 12,000 troops due to the inability to fill its ranks and, after five months into the year is at only 23 percent of its goal.[1]
The Air Force’s top recruiter has declared “warning lights are flashing” for meeting 2022 goals. The Marine Corps, which normally has little problem meeting and exceeding its goals this fiscal year, is likewise falling short of needed personnel. A recent Department of Defense poll asked young adults ages 16-21, “How likely is it you will serve in the military?” Approximately only 11 percent responded “definitely or probably.” And that is trending down, precipitously.[1]
Unfortunately, most people have no idea why we’re experiencing a recruiting failure. Here’s an opinion piece whose author, a retired Navy Rear Admiral, completely misses the mark regarding the solution to recruiting.
The clearest way to enhance both recruiting and retention is through pay raises.[2]
No, this isn’t the clearest way to fix the recruiting problem. The fix is to stop screwing around with the military, trying to turn it into a social platform instead of a finely honed, killing machine. Give recruits a worthwhile goal and they’ll come running, with or without pay raises. People want challenges. They want adventure. They want soul-satisfying rewards. They’ll gladly accept money but that’s not what motivates the kind of people the military should be recruiting.
We also need to come to grips with the fact that, by definition, the military is not, and cannot be, a reflection of society. What we ask the military to do is the antithesis of what we want society to do (whether we have the right expectations for society is a topic I’ll leave for other blogs) and, therefore, the military cannot be a reflection of society and still be effective. We need to accept this as a fact.
If the result of that recognition is that our military is disproportionately composed of young men from rural Idaho towns then so be it. If it means the military is disproportionately composed of fifty year old, former small business owners then so be it. What I’m saying is that the military needs to be composed of people who meet the mental, emotional, motivational, and physical requirements for combat and the reality is that group of people will not reflect the gender or racial mix of society at large and that’s perfectly fine and should be accepted and embraced. The military is about combat and killing, not social experimentation and equity.
What is the Air Force approach to recruiting challenges?
The [Air Force] recruiting branch acknowledged it needs to come up with new strategies and marketing to connect with Americans who are eligible for or interested in military service.
In particular, the Air Force wants to emphasize “shared values, versatile career options and personal development opportunities within today’s military,” spokesman Randy Martin said.[3]
‘Shared values’ ?
‘Versatile career options’ ?
‘Personal development’ ?
Are you kidding me? Those aren’t challenges that attract tough, fighting recruits. Those are namby-pamby, wishy-washy, feel-good inducements that, at best, will attract pacifists interested in goals other than combat. More likely, the people who would be attracted to those inducements will go elsewhere where they can work from home, join social causes, and complain about life.
China doesn’t need to worry about destroying the US military, we’re doing the job for them. Sociology and social experimentation is destroying the military and the tip of that spear of destruction is our recruiting. We’re recruiting the wrong segment of society. We need to recognize what the military is – a killing machine – and recruit people who fit that mold and stop worrying whether the military perfectly reflects the gender and racial makeup of society at large.
____________________________________
[1]Redstate website, “THE BUZZ CUT: Biden’s Military in Crisis”, Buzz Patterson, 8-Jul-2022,
https://redstate.com/buzzpatterson/2022/07/08/the-buzz-cut-bidens-military-in-crisis-n590813
[2]The Hill website, “The military has a serious recruiting problem — Congress must fix it”, Tom Jurkowsky, 21-Jun-2022,
I've seen some of the U.S. military recruitment ads, and I can't say it's very good. (related to homosexuality / political correctness / LGBT, etc.)
ReplyDeleteMaybe we can look to China.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_qr-4AKM18
It's four years old and the weapons are very old, but I have to say that he has captured a spirit and a great spirit. It recruits the kind of Chinese soldiers who were not afraid to sacrifice during the Korean War. (Think of something like Chinese soldiers in Korea + weaponry now comparable to the U.S. Army)
DeleteThat's the kind of people the US military commercials should be recruiting.
Part of the reason I left. Spent way too much time on woke classes. Its like political officers in soviet russia.
DeleteIn this video https://files.catbox.moe/gvk1t8.mp4 you can see military recruitment ads from China, Russia and the USA, in that order.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese ad appeals to the Chinese national character, join this army of a hundred million and fight the Emperor, er, Comrade President For Life.
The Russian ad appeals to the Russian national character, become stronger than steel and deadlier than ice, feel the adrenaline and defend Mother Russia.
The American ad? We VaLuE dIvErSiTy AnD iNcLuSiOn, yay.
Assuming you believe the US recruiting approach to be a problem, what do you suggest to fix/improve it?
DeleteSometimes a few people like you know that the direction is wrong, but you can't change the force that is put on the wheel and the inertia that continues to lock it, so you can only continue to push and watch the wheel destroy.
Delete"you can't change the force that is put on the wheel and the inertia that continues to lock it"
DeleteAll that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. It is difficult to effect change but I refuse to give up. This blog is one part of my effort to change things for the better. I'll continue to keep trying!
Umm err really given the scintillating amazing performance of Putin's Russian 'warriors' we are really going to bother talking about the Russian ads that Ted Cruz likes so much?
DeleteOne could argue that the US military suffered huge humiliations at the hand of illiterate goat herders who weren't receiving billions of dollars in "military aid" every passing day, Kath.
DeleteThe Russian military has other problems, such as sheer lack of money, but that shouldn't be an excuse for failures in America.
The problem is twofold.
ReplyDeleteFirst, it should be noted that the US ad has a degree of honesty to it, meaning that it does represent the current military pretty well.
And it does appeal to certain groups of people, like middle aged HR types or online journalists, but those do not join the military and would be terrible soldiers anyway.
The Marines knew this to perfection, but seem to have forgot. Shame.
Secondly, a piece you quoted mentions that the percentage of young people who might consider enlisting is "only 11 percent [...] trending down, precipitously", which is a fancy way to say "almost zero".
The youth does not want to fight for America right now, and even good recruting can only do so much unless the root causes are fixed, but this is a military blog so I'll leave it at that.
You mean Emma Malonelord doesn't have them signing up in droves? Who woulda thunk it?
ReplyDeleteNot meant as an attack on Emma personally, I actually respect her service. But that's not the way to get the people you want to enlist.
It is bread and butter, not "value" which some vote with their heart.
ReplyDeleteAs recession coming, recruit problem will be temporarily relieved.
In boom time, pays for low ranking soldiers are simply too low.
"In boom time, pays for low ranking soldiers are simply too low"
DeleteYou appear to have no grasp of the motivations behind military service. Pay does not entice someone to risk their life in combat. Pay does not entice someone to voluntarily and happily submit to higher authority, suffer deprivation and hardship, and put up with demands for perfection. Those who are drawn to the possibility of combat are motivated by patriotism, challenge, adventure, a desire to test oneself, a desire to be a part of something larger than themselves, and similar reasons. During peacetime, there may be a small percentage of people that are motivated by pay but those are not the type of people we want and the level of pay is woefully insufficient to be a major factor, anyway.
The Marines, once upon a time, understood this and it was reflected in their recruiting which, essentially, said that they didn't want you because they didn't think you were good enough. This attracted an endless supply of volunteers. Of course, they've since lost that ethos and have become just another employer.
"The Marines, once upon a time, understood this and it was reflected in their recruiting which, essentially, said that they didn't want you because they didn't think you were good enough. This attracted an endless supply of volunteers. Of course, they've since lost that ethos and have become just another employer."
DeleteThe Marines, once upon a time, had a mission that they could sell. I don't think that being Boy Scouts with BB guns is a marketable mission, and that's basically what Marines are becoming.
I literally just had this discussion on another platform. Its certainly not about the money, although the amount of college funding since my day is pretty impressive. I think the reality is, very few people that like the kinder, gentler sjw-style recruiting will join anyway. The people that disagree with.it are, and theyre being chased off. The military needs to again appeal to those with family military history, a genuine appreciation for this country and its history, those who seek adventure, amd yes, those that see themselves as warriors or potential ones. Those above groups are plenty.large to supply all that are needed, if you dont wreck the service, and the recruiting message to the point theyre chased off...
ReplyDeleteAs a footnote, the pool.of eligible recruits is rapidly shrinking, due to falling test scores, criminal records, and obesity. I think I read that only about 30% of todays youth will meet those three basic criteria standards...
For instance, the USN recruiter told me that the AVERAGE local (Portland OR) ASVAB score was roughly 35.
DeleteSo the average local score was only 5 above not being eligible to enlist at all!!
But...the Marines are doing somthing right. My understanding is that they hit their 2022 goal with over a month to spare, and did it without waivers...
Delete"the Marines are doing somthing right"
DeleteKind of ... but no, not really. They're 'coasting' on their reputation which, unfortunately, is no longer deserved. So, they're getting some recruiting based on their old recruiting and reputation.
To be fair, the most recent Marine recruiting ads seem to have gone back, to some degree, to the older approach.
This also brings up the issue of desirable recruits versus warm bodies. There's no point recruiting people who aren't really a fit for the function. For example, those two crews of the riverine boats that meekly surrendered to the Iranians were worse than not having recruits. None of them should have been in the military. They were not mentally or emotionally prepared for combat. There was, clearly, no fighting spirit. Of course, the Navy appeasement training did them no favors, either. The point is that we want combat recruits, not warm bodies that fill a quota.
The economy was experiencing a boon post Covid with relatively low unemployment. Maybe the military wasn't attractive enough... Now the economy will probably tank in the coming years, the military will become a very interesting opportunity for maby.
ReplyDeleteIt's a fact that patriotism thru service isn't a thing any more. Societies change in good or bad. Newer generation are mostly lacking just by beeing to stale and the self is considered the most important thing, words like serving, sacrifice, hardship aren't really known or used any more. I'm an overworked, underpaid european public servant, but I'm not complaining very much. Newer generations mostly complain and complain.
You hit the nail on the head. In short (If I may?) "Stop regurgitating the Wokist bilge espoused by certain(Small) segments of our society and recruit warriors who will fight."
ReplyDeleteThank you for that. I never comment here because I have no special miliary knowledge (ex-Navy physician) but I do agree with you 100 percent here.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as the gripe that the average recruit is too out of shape to serve, I offer myself as an example. I was a flabby medical student who studied all day when I went to my "baby officer boot camp" (OIC) in Newport RI and after 6 weeks I was in the best shape of my life (and this was while going to bars with my new friends every opportunity we had!). These fat youngsters of today will slim down quickly getting up at 5 and starting an hour of PT before breakfast.
Delete" I never comment here because I have no special miliary knowledge"
DeleteAll that's needed is a basic understanding and a healthy dose of common sense!
The problem is twofold, and hilariously presented in the Babylon Bee "article" at https://babylonbee.com/news/army-not-sure-why-their-new-slogan-america-is-racist-you-should-die-for-it-isnt-getting-traction
ReplyDelete"Army Unsure Why Their New Slogan 'America Is Racist, You Should Die For It' Isn’t Getting Traction"
"It's just really hard to find recruits who hate this country as they should but are also willing to put their lives on the line to protect it…"
American schoolteachers are NOT teaching American students traditional American values- which includes faith and family- are things worth knowing, to say nothing of defending. American media- news AS WELL AS comic books and other forms of entertainment- are NOT presenting the American nation as something worth defending, even at the cost of American lives.
So when the President or other American politician claims America itself is under threat, do you think any American will stand up for it, especially when these same politicians may have denounced American values and the American nation itself, in past statements?
Really good comment!
DeleteIs this really any wonder? For the last 20 years, students have been told how terrible America is. They've been propagandised about how this is such a terrible nation and the root of all that is wrong with the world.
ReplyDeleteVery few people, innoculated in that atmosphere, will choose to serve.
I suspect it's going to take another 9/11 style attack on America for the American people to wake up and realise they need to serve and defend their nation.
Do you have any actual evidence that students have been taught how terrible America is over the last 20 years? Text books, class descriptions, etc. etc.? You don't do you.
DeleteI realize that educational matters are a factor in recruiting but we're not going to embark on a political, sociological debate about the education system. There are other blogs where that debate can take place. Thanks for your cooperation.
DeleteI've deleted several education comments. I'll repeat myself ... we're not going to debate the education system. There are other blogs for that.
DeleteTeens hear about the real military through friends and relatives now in the service, and they hear bad things. Most join for the GI bill and to travel and maybe learn a skill. Few really want to end up dead in Ukraine, so that's a factor too and explains the Army's woes. And BS like women in combat units, gender combined basic training, and transgender issues is a turn off for many.
ReplyDeleteOn the lighter side of this
ReplyDeletehttps://www.duffelblog.com/p/kid-dressed-as-army-recruiter-misses
Didn't want to touch this one since probably devolve into politics and name calling BUT I did think of 2 things safe to say:
ReplyDeleteIF DoD is serious about recruiting, then figuring out what would work today with MILLENNIALS and younger since THEY ARE the target market and NOT us old dudes/dudettes that have served, then DoD would have a better idea of what to say and do to recruit this generation. What worked for us, 20,30,40 years old ago probably doesn't work for this generation, doesn't necessarily say they are worse or better than us. They just different. Let's found out first....
The other thing that needs to change is BASIC training. BASIC felt outdated when I joined in mid90s, it must feel properly prehistoric to these kids today. Again, not 100%sure what I would keep, cut lose and bring in BUT I think a compete overhaul would benefit greatly when it comes to recruiting. I think recruiting and BASIC are intimately related and need to be brought to 21st century.
"What worked for us, 20,30,40 years old ago probably doesn't work for this generation"
Delete"I think recruiting and BASIC are intimately related and need to be brought to 21st century."
I have to wholeheartedly disagree on this. The fundamentals of human nature are timeless and have been proven so for thousands of years. What motivates people hasn't changed since cavemen.
Similarly, the methods of teaching - meaning basic training - are time tested and proven. So many people seem to think that change is automatically good and better than what came before it but that's simply not true. The most blatant example of this is the teaching of basic math. Idiots keep wanting to re-invent how to teach math. The reality is that there is one, and only one, way to teach it. You hammer the fundamentals (multiplication tables, for example) until you can recite them in your sleep and then you move on to the next fundamental. Don't believe me? Ask anyone under 40 what your change for a bill is without using a calculator or cash register and watch them flounder, unable to do simple subtraction in their head despite having been taught 'modern' math. Calculators and 'modern' math have produced a couple generations of mathematical idiots.
Basic training is ... well ... basic. There is no 'better' way to do it. If it's not working, the problem is the recruits not the method. Whiney, sniveling, pampered - I better stop there. You don't change the method; you change the recruits and you do so by setting the expectations up front and then you insist that the recruits meet those expectations or you boot them.
Time tested and battle proven exists for a reason. You don't change it.
Exactly right. The whole point of Basic or Boot Camp is to strip away the civilian world with its mores and make the recruit part of the service team oriented to fighting and winning wars. All else is dross.
DeleteThe military is gaining a reputation of being 'woke'.
ReplyDeleteThe type of people that join the military are not interested in joining a 'woke' organization.
They want to do something difficult, something where they can go back to their home town and feel like they've earned peoples' respect.
I don't think that's what's being sold to young people right now, and they're not attracted to what the military is offering right now.
There are plenty of young people out there, there are a million kids playing high school football every year.
You just need to find a way to attract enough of the right ones.
Lutefisk
Even if the recruiting issue can be ‘solved’ as you suggest, are tomorrow’s taxpayers going to want to fund a ‘finely honed killing machine’ whose values are diametrically opposed to their own? Or are they going to insist that the US Military shares the values and beliefs of US society more generally (as it always has done)?
ReplyDeleteIs anything anything more likely to undermine mainstream civilian support for the armed forces than media reporting of an out of touch macho culture, or the military’s anti-woke distain for the views, beliefs and opinions of half the population?
"insist that the US Military shares the values and beliefs of US society more generally (as it always has done)?"
DeleteYou need to study history. The military has never been a direct reflection of society. By definition, the purpose and foundation of a military is almost diametrically opposed to those of society. This is not a sociology blog so I'll leave it at that.
I didn’t say that the US military should be or had ever been be ‘a direct reflection of society’. I asked whether tomorrow’s US taxpayers would insist that the US military share the values of US society more generally, and the answer to that question I think is pretty obvious.
DeleteI have an MA in history, but as this isn’t a sociology blog I’ll leave it at that.
"the answer to that question I think is pretty obvious."
DeleteIt's not obvious to me. Yes, the woke faction generates a lot of publicity but not any overwhelming support as polls clearly demonstrate. For example, despite all the defund the police rhetoric, when it comes down to it most people want traditional police presence. Similarly, most people want a strong military.
As far as taxpayer support, all you have to do is look at our military budget! It's gargantuan and growing steadily. That's taxpayer support at it's most basic level and convincingly answers your question, I think.
We've got a big urban/rural divide in this country on a lot of things.
DeleteDisproportionally the military volunteers come from the rural areas.
Those young men aren't digging the woke world and are voting with their feet, IMHO.
Lutefisk
I know you won't like this, but here goes:
ReplyDeleteThe military should get its soldiers from prison. Prisoners are already used to wearing uniforms, obeying orders, and fighting for no reason. I'm sure they would happily serve, in exchange for early release. They're violent, cheap, and expendable. All that's needed is to take our worst people, and garrison them in other countries.
It's no different to the French Foreign Legion.
BAD IDEA. The US military regularly deploys on American soil, in response to emergencies such as natural disasters, riots and unrest. Making our "worst people" military service members- giving them access to weapons and ammunition- will be ABSOLUTELY DISASTROUS.
DeleteOr, you could just use federal police for that, as we mostly do. It's a Coast Guard kind of thing.
DeleteThe military doesn't reflect society. It defends society.
ReplyDelete