Former Defense Sec. Mark Esper warned of the US military’s dismal recruiting numbers, writing that only a small fraction of the US remains operational, as many are either overweight, on drugs, or have criminal histories.
“The US military’s all-volunteer force (AVF) is slowly dying,” Esper wrote in a Fox News commentary. “The armed forces are struggling like never before to meet their recruitment goals.”
Esper, a former Secretary of the Army, noted that the branch will be hardest hit – up to 15,000 soldiers will be left behind this year.
“The fact is, the number of Americans ages 17 to 24 who are qualified and interested in ministry continues to shrink,” he said. In 2018, only 29 percent of young people met military entry requirements, with the other 71 percent likely ineligible primarily due to “obesity, drug use, physical and mental health problems, and criminal misconduct,” Esper wrote.
Today it is just 23 percent, with a tenth failing to meet academic standards for service.
Esper warned of the US military’s dismal recruiting numbers, writing that only a small fraction of the US remains operational, as many are either overweight, on drugs, or have criminal histories
“Worse, of the 3.5 million remaining young Americans, only 9% (~320,000) have an inclination to serve. A nation of 332 million should do better,” Esper wrote.
The former secretary also lamented a “knowledge gap” due to the “lack of interaction from civilians with those in uniform” and said the White House and Congress must act together to clear up “misconceptions” about life in uniform.
He called for a commission to be established to examine ways to improve the health and fitness of American youth and find new ways for civilians and military personnel to interact, including ensuring recruiters have “unrestricted access to high schools across America.”
“The Pentagon must refrain from lowering standards, reducing the size of the military, or creating hollow battle formations,” he added.
“With the growing threats from China and elsewhere, we cannot risk our future by ignoring these issues,” the former secretary concluded.
Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, the commander of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, offered a similar theory about why the Army was likely to fall so far short of its recruitment targets this year.
Esper, a former Secretary of the Army, noted that the branch will be hardest hit – up to 15,000 soldiers will be left behind this year
“Worse, of the 3.5 million remaining young Americans, only 9% (~320,000) have an inclination to serve. A nation of 332 million should do better,” Esper wrote
“Some of the challenges we have are obesity, we have pre-existing medical conditions, we have behavioral health issues, we have crime, people with crime and we have drug use,” Brunson told Spokesman Review.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), between 2017 and 2020, over 22 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds were obese. In adults, that number rose to 42 percent.
To increase recruitment numbers, according to the New York Times, the Army plans to “lower the gates” and find new ways to attract youth to the armed forces, especially amid the lowest deficit since the Vietnam War.
A survey conducted by the Army in June found that young people knew little about Army services, including home buying, early retirement and educational benefits.
More than half also thought soldiers had a bad work-life balance.
The Army plans to shift its recruiting focus by using “influencers.”
The service industry plans to maintain its standards, focus on quality and invest in youth. Educators will be a key component in reaching potential recruits by teaching the various opportunities the Army offers, Brunson said.
Monetary efforts are also being made to increase recruitment, with enlistment bonuses of up to $50,000 and bonuses of up to $35,000 for soldiers departing within 45 days, according to US Army Chief of Staff General James McConville .
“I think we just want to show people that the military is a viable option,” Sgt. Jesse Wallace, of a Spokane recruiting office, told the Spokesman Review.
“We don’t want it to be seen as a last resort.”