Currently the US military is only meeting about 40% of their recruitment goals.
This is good news. So why do I think that way?
First of all, it appears that most of the military aged young people don’t think the country is in danger. There was a huge increase in people signing up after 911. People thought the country was under attack. Of course, then a lot of those kids found themselves fighting in Iraq -a country that had nothing to do with the 911 attacks.
Under Trump it probably didn’t help when he refereed to military personal as suckers and losers.
Lower recruitment is a sign that the economy isn’t doing too badly. Poor kids with few opportunities are prime recruitment targets. When even unskilled service jobs have to pay real money the rigors of military life are a lot less attractive.
Some people feel a need to serve their country. That’s honorable. However, you can serve your fellow citizens as an EMT or a Firefighter just as easily. In the time of pandemics there’s also plenty of risk if that’s what excites you.
The nation has several options to deal with unmet recruiting goals. There’s always conscription but that doesn’t provide the best of troops. Just ask the Russian conscripts in Ukraine how they feel.
The military could reduce its size. Heck, they might have to.
Another option is to make the military a more attractive option. I’m not just talking better pay and better veteran support. Those would help, but what you need are missions the public feels good about. Nobody wants to die for oil companies and other corporations.
-Sixbears
The problem with having a much smaller military is that things are not like they were a century ago....where we had some time to mobilize for war if it was needed. Things move much quicker these days. If for whatever reason things go south with Red China and we have a .Mil that isn't ready the show will be over long before we can recruit, train and field fresh soldiers. And communists ALWAYS view lack of preparedness as weakness.....and weakness is an invitation to them.
ReplyDeleteThe US seems to be, in general, moving towards isolation. Even in Nato, while we are engaged, we are mostly sending weapons, not people.
DeleteDuring WW I an even WW II we had the luxury of time when hostilities commenced. These days....not so much.
Delete"First of all, it appears that most of the military aged young people don’t think the country is in danger." Well - maybe. Or maybe they aren't interested in risking their lives to serve our government's interests. Which are usually financial (No gonna fight a rich man's war for them).
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of job openings out there, but the pandemic seems to have taught people not to be as hardworking as they were before.
I don't think the younger generations are nearly as patriotic as they used to be. They celebrate 4th of July rather than Independence Day for example.
I make a point of calling it Independence Day.
Deletemany don't love their country. many do love it but aren't woke enough for the rainbow battalions. and why would either join when burger flippin pays so well now? no, we are in real trouble. until last august i worked at a prestigious military institute. even then the youth were disillusioned, or just unmotivated, and many so out of shape they will never be able to meet standards, much less the rigors of combat.
ReplyDeleteLooks like we'd better mobilize the diplomats if we are going to downsize the military.
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