Army and Navy Prep Courses May Be a Recruiting Crisis Silver Bullet. But Other Services Aren't Interested.
The Army and Navy had early recruiting successes with new pre-basic training programs aimed at helping subpar applicants qualify for enlistment, but so far other service branches are reluctant to follow their lead. “I would offer the answer is ‘no,’” Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein, who oversees recruiting for the Air Force and Space Force, told […]
After Mass Shooting, Bill Would Require Army to Use State Crisis Laws to Remove Weapons
PORTLAND, Maine — A bill that’s being introduced Monday after a mass shooting in Maine would require the Army to use state crisis intervention laws to remove the weapons of a service member who is deemed to be a serious threat to themselves or others, said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, the bill’s sponsor. The Armed […]
Army Expanding Pre-Basic Training Prep Courses to Bring in More Soldiers and Curb Recruiting Crisis
The Army is again dramatically expanding its pre-basic training courses that were created to get young Americans into compliance with the service’s enlistment standards, as those courses are becoming key to curtailing the ongoing recruiting slump. The Future Soldier Preparatory Course’s capacity will grow from nearly 18,000 to 23,500 this year, according to data provided […]
Big Bonuses, Relaxed Policies, New Slogan: None of It Saved the Military from a Recruiting Crisis in 2023
Despite a barrage of hefty bonuses, loosened and more progressive enlistment requirements, and even the creation of innovative pre-boot camp programs, the U.S. military mostly fell short in efforts to bring more Americans into the services over the past year — and it’s unclear how or when that will change. Of the five Defense Department […]
Too Heavy to Fight? How the Army Is Combating the Obesity Crisis to Find Recruits
FORT JACKSON, South Carolina — Pvt. David Dean weighed 320 lbs. when he went to visit a National Guard recruiter. A West Virginia plumber by trade, he wanted to prove to himself that he could serve, and he’d always wanted to put on the uniform. “I could never get in because I was overweight,” Dean […]
US Military’s Recruiting Woes Are a National Security Crisis
America’s armed services are failing to meet their recruiting goals, with the Army in particular suffering the worst shortfalls in five decades. There are many reasons behind this, but one is very surprising: veterans themselves. Recent reporting and anecdotal evidence indicate the likelihood that children of service members will sign up, or be urged to […]
The Military Recruiting Crisis Is Getting Worse
The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. At a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing, leaders from the Army, Navy, and Air Force all dutifully reported that […]