After Missing Recruiting Goals, Army Announces New Occupational Specialty to Increase the Ranks
The Army announced Tuesday that it is overhauling recruiting and creating a new career track for recruiters after failing for years to meet its goals for bringing young Americans into the service. The changes, unveiled by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth in a press briefing, include a radical shift from recruiting as a temporary assignment for […]
One Recruiting Environment, Two Different Outcomes for Army and Marine Corps
As the military services compete for an ever-shrinking pool of eligible recruits, some are faring better than others. The Army and Marine Corps are set to fall on opposite sides of what has become a recruiting crisis as enlistment estimates roll in this week and the fiscal year comes to a close on Oct. 1. […]
‘The Few, the Proud’ Aren’t So Few: Marines Recruiting Surges While Other Services Struggle
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. — Not long ago, Marine Col. Jennifer Nash, a combat engineer with war deployments under her belt, made a vow to fellow officers as they headed to a dinner in Atlanta: She would get two new recruiting contacts by the end of the evening. She admits recruiting is not the job that […]
For 50 Years, Recruiting a Volunteer Military Was Salesmanship. Now, Few Are Buying.
In the spring of 1977, a letter appeared in Proceedings, the long-running journal of the U.S. Naval Institute. “I am no malcontent,” wrote a junior enlisted Navy man. “I love the Navy and believe in a strong national defense. But, I believe a man who is treated with dignity and respect, rather than like a […]
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 […]
‘Ready, Not Woke’: Republican Criticism Hits a Nerve Amid Army Recruiting Woes
Once sacrosanct, the military has increasingly become a political punching bag in Washington, D.C., but the country’s largest service has lately started taking some swings of its own. “We are a ready Army, not a ‘woke’ Army,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told reporters Tuesday. “What I’m trying to talk about now is how that drip, […]
Green Berets Have Struggled for Years with Recruiting, Internal Data Shows
Last year, the Army failed to hit its recruiting goal for the first time in decades. But the service’s Special Forces has been struggling to bring in new talent since before the pandemic, recruiting data shows. As Green Beret recruiting has faltered for years, the Army has also been chipping away at the size of […]
Army Pre-Boot Camp Course Expanded as Recruiting Challenge Looms
The Army is expanding its pre-basic training course this month so that soldiers who fall below the service’s physical fitness and academic standards can try to clear both hurdles at once — rather than choosing one or the other track — before entering boot camp. And a new Army pilot program that is part of […]
Is Soldier Recruiting Up? Army Claims Yes But Won’t Say by How Much
The Army is in a recruiting slump, struggling to pitch service to a skeptical Gen Z or even to find enough qualified candidates to join. But just how deep in the hole are the Army’s recruiting numbers? It won’t say. The service has declined to provide the basic recruiting data, despite Army Secretary Christine Wormuth […]