AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Abbott
![Military](https://static-asset.amac.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/28063531/army-1.jpg)
Late last month, in a series of unprecedented moves, the U.S. Army announced that it would no longer require High School Diplomas or GEDs for new recruits and was relaxing its ban on visible hand and neck tattoos. While the Army reversed the GED policy only a week later amid swift backlash, it was the clearest sign yet of just how desperate America’s military has become for new recruits – both as a result of factors outside the control of military leaders and glaring policy failures that may be driving away potential enlistees.
Since the end of active conscription on January 27, 1973, the United States Military has been an all-volunteer force. While enlistment figures were initially steady, they have begun to lag in recent years. In 1980, about 18% of all Americans were veterans, according to Pew Research. By 2018, that number had shrunk to 7%. Today, less than one percent of the country is currently serving in uniform.
Most Americans who are enlisting today also come from military families – almost 80 percent of Americans who serve have at least one family member who is a veteran, and over 30 percent have an active-duty parent. While building family legacies of patriotic service is certainly admirable, that fact, combined with the shrinking overall percentage of Americans with a military background, means that the military community as a whole is becoming more insular and less visible – Americans who aren’t in the military are less and less likely to know someone who is. But there are some signs that even this critical source of recruits may be drying up; according to one new survey, “only 62.9 percent of military and veteran families would recommend military life, down from 74.5 percent in 2019.” That’s an extraordinary drop in just two years.
The net result of these trends is that every branch of the military is facing a drastic shortfall of new enlistees. As of late June, the Army was 60% short of its target numbers. The Air Force is 4,000 short on new recruits. Though the Navy and Marine Corps won’t release figures until later this year, they have also acknowledged that they are unlikely to meet recruitment quotas.
Several factors are likely contributing to this recruitment crisis – some of which are within the Defense Department’s control, some of which are not. For example, no one could have predicted the disastrous effect the COVID-19 pandemic would have on recruitment as recruiters suddenly lost the ability to connect face-to-face with young people in places like high schools, malls, and sporting events. Moreover, with a tight labor market leading to increased demand for entry-level workers, a military career may seem less enticing to otherwise promising candidates.
Larger societal trends have also negatively affected recruitment. In recent decades, America’s youth have become drastically less healthy – as of 2021, almost 75% of Americans aged 17-24 are ineligible to serve, mostly due to obesity or criminal histories. The Army has already considered relaxing its physical fitness requirements several times in recent years, something other branches may soon also be forced to do.
While rank-and-file service members have continued to serve their country with honor and dignity, upholding the proudest traditions of the U.S. military, recent failures as a result of poor leadership may also be driving away potential recruits. On this front, nothing looms larger than President Joe Biden’s disastrous evacuation from Afghanistan last year, which left 13 American service members dead. Following the debacle, a report on the attitudes of Afghanistan veterans found that “73% feel betrayed, and 67% feel humiliated.” Many were outraged that no one responsible for the fiasco was held accountable, even as the Biden administration and the mainstream media quickly moved on. Though the Afghanistan withdrawal was just the latest American misadventure in the Middle East caused entirely by failed leadership, it is one that is likely to stick in the minds of Americans for some time – including potential future recruits.
Even as the military struggles to fill its ranks, Pentagon bureaucrats and Biden administration officials have also plowed ahead with their plans to “wokeify” the military, alienating vast swaths of Americans in the process. The Army and Navy have both pushed Critical Race Theory texts like Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be An Anti-Racist on their “recommended reading list.” CRT has also made its way into the curriculum at West Point and other military academies. Just last month, the Navy was slammed for forcing new recruits to watch training videos on “proper pronoun usage.” Several Republicans in Congress have also raised concerns about woke policies in this year’s military funding bill.
With Russia and China growing more aggressive on the world stage and the United States potentially behind in missile and cyber defense technology, the threats to the country are growing by the day. A strong military has always been America’s best security policy and one that is all the more necessary in an increasingly unstable world. No matter the cause of the recruiting shortfall, our leaders have a responsibility to solve it – the future of the country and the world may depend upon it.
Andrew Abbott is the pen name of a writer and public affairs consultant with over a decade of experience in DC at the intersection of politics and culture.
Good to see AMAC finally getting around to covering this subject as well. Although the conclusion of the article leaves much to be desired. The intent of these policies being implemented by the Biden administration are to weaken the United States military, so it no longer poses a credible deterent to any of our enemies. Falling behind in either weapons capability or proper manpower are NOT areas that can be ignored, because our adversaries have neither.
The Democrats and the RINO class have already weakened our economy and made us more dependent on our adversaries. So we are already at substantial national risk. Weakening our military is last leg to clearing a path for the new world order centered around global socialism, that they want to see. It’s all being done at the same time our enemies are ALL building up their military capabilities to challenge us and the rest of the world should we resist.
And no one worth his (or hers) salt, wants to serve under a corrupt moron as “Commander in Chief”plus silly Milly as C of S.
Another item not discussed is the military orders that in effect, concerning the LGBTQ/WOKE agenda. Military units that are deployed overseas in foreign countries/territories are mandated to support and export the LGBTQ/WOKE agenda to these areas and if resistance is met, this resistance is to be classified as hostile and the appropriate measures taken to force the agenda upon the local populace. This is really no difference with this situation when we complain about foreign interference with our elections but this nation’s political entities are always interfering in foreign elections around the world. It is no wonder that this nation is a laughing stock around the world.
You make me laugh, our leadership is responsible for our having a strong well-trained military. First we have no leadership, Biden & his trainers would just as soon surrender to China then stand up to them!
The CCP & other subversive satanic trash have infiltrated our military with this wokism trash & CRT training bulls–t. Yet the Republicans sit back & do nothing
I fear we have no hope and are on the brink of a total collapse soon to be the United States of China.
It is obvious that this administration lead by Biden and Harris are willfully ignoring their oath of office to support and defend the constitution and to keep America safe. So, at what point can the citizens-whom the administration is supposed to work for-start a class action suit that calls for a remedy? The whole issue has now become what can the people do within the framework of the constitution to change things.
The GOP is too eager to let the Republic fall apart… smart voting MUST RETURN or we are HOSED,,, SCREWED BLUED AND TATTOOED! MAGA MAGA MAGA BRING BACK COMPETENT LEADERSHIP, BRING BACK TRUMP! IMPEACH AND INCARCERATE THE CRIMINALS!!!!!!
Be afraid, be very afraid, very very afraid.
The upper ranks and most of the Pentagon need to be cashiered as soon as possible – if this ship of fools had been in charge during WWII, we (at least those not slaughtered by American NAZI troops) would all be speaking German today.
NOBODY in their right minds would join the sissified WOKE military we have in America today. Military personnel are being Forced to be experimented on by this Communist government with their Poison Clot Shot Vaccines! Just yesterday, I read 60,000 military personnel were being released from service for their refusal to take these EXPERIMENTAL POISON CLOT SHOT VACCINES! None will serve under these conditions with an Alzheimer’s patient as Commander in Chief of the military! I do my dead level best to discourage every young person I meet to stay the hell out of the military. Who wants to be a walking target and being sent to every hell hole there is around the world for a Communist government that doesn’t give a damn about you. You are not serving America going to foreign countries and fighting and dying in their wars! You are serving a foreign country not America! To hell with every foreign country worldwide! Let them fight their own damn wars! Why should our folks get killed fighting for a foreign country? We need to protect our own borders and solve our own problems and let the rest of the world do the same! AMERICA AND AMERICANS FIRST!
Not mentioned, but horrific and significant is the vaccine mandate imposed on our armed forces. The best and the brightest are very sensibly refusing the jab, and for this they are being dismissed by the thousands.
In typical, Democrat fashion, another Democrat POTUS is destroying the US MILITARY.
EXCEPT, JOE BIDEN IS DESTROYING THE MILITARY FROM WITHIN. MAKING OUR SERVICE MEMBERS INTENTIONALLY NON-WARFIGHTERS.
UNABLE TO FIGHT OUR NATIONS WARS. BE TERIFIED.
You forgot to mentioned forcing the Covid “vaccine” on all our military and the thousands who refused it were sent packing. What a disgrace! Our military, who fights for our freedom, we’re denied the Constitutional right of refusing to take the mRna gene therapy shot, thereby denying them freedom of choice. And Gen. Milley…what a pathetic man to be in charge of our military!
We see the same old playbook by the Communists whenever they are in power. Recall the push on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell started in the ‘90s under Bubba and the Felons, who also brought about such lovely farces as reductions of military bases and extreme RIF cuts. The actions from 1992 to 2000 greatly harmed readiness and led to so many unnecessary casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. ‘Dubya’ didn’t really do much to stop the Wokeification, but Barry & his Chi-town Circus put it into overdrive. Trump didn’t have a sufficient opportunity to walk this stuff back, so now with Brandon and his walking Turds Milley & Austin, the rot continues and is accelerating.
Go Woke & China WINs
Not only crippling, but worse than that they are being led by Woke Generals, who believe all the things the left believes. CRT, BLM, Transgender, Green Energy, and that America is NOT exceptional Nation, the more love you have for America and our Freedoms the less these Generals won’t you. I want them to recruit good Healthy, Strong, Young Men, who Love America, and will defend our Liberties, and our Constitution, and give no Quarter on the Battlefield, make the enemy fear us to the point they will not want war.
Gee what could possibly go wrong, using the oil in the reserves, and even sending some to China! Not enough personnel, but recruit those transgenders so they can get FREE (to them) surgeries, and they couldn’t serve because they wouldn’t have access to their medications.
Why would any decent patriot want to serve under the likes of “general” Milley and the other woke idiots? Our service personnel put their lives on the line for COWARD Joe Biden and his nutso crew at DoD and have to cope with psychologically-damaged trans people and watch their language and get untested “vaccinations” which DO NOT vaccinate them for anything!.
China and Russia are laughing their asses off at us–WTF?? This is the US Military, not a woke university. TIME TO WAKEUP AMERICA, lets take back our country at the polls Nov. 2022 and Nov. 2024————MAGA
As an Army Veteran it breaks my heart to see our military being used as a Social Experiment. From Vaccine Mandates to CRT to Woke and LGBQ indoctrination we are destroying our Armed Forces.
The Military should never be used for these purposes. No wonder recruiting and reenlistments are way down. But this has become a cyclical event every time we have a Democrat President.
It’s happened under Carter, Clinton, Obama and now Biden. They would rather underfund our military to pay for wasteful social programs that damage and weaken this country.
Our Military is designed for warriors not pansies.
Leftist leaders are only interested in using the military to demonstrate and enforce their leftist causes. The only leftists who join the military are not there to protect our nation. “Trans” people do not join the military to fight for out country. They do it to demonstrate a point (the same leftist agenda). Who does that leave to join and serve in our military? I am a veteran and have several close family members now serving – most with multiple tours of service. They are all waiting to get out – either forced because they have all refused to get the experimental shot (which looks worse and worse by the day) or because of the new woke policies. When you change the primary mission of the military from being to protect our nation, those that actually wish to do so get out or do not join. The only forward course is for them to admit error and reverse course but we know that will not happen. The only remaining option is to wait and vote and pray that God keeps us intact until then.
Go woke Go broke
Don’t forget that Biden has forced these toxic clot shots on the military, losing both numbers of men and women as well as respect and willingness of potential recruits to enlist. Biden’s policies are to blame for destroying our military.
OUR WHOLE NATION IS CRPPLED THANX TO THE libs AND biden. they ARE THE ENEMY OF OUR NATION
Having served from 1961 to 1981 and six (6) months during Desert Storm, I have not encouraged a young man, (when I found one that might qualify) to enlist or purse a commission, after college. I served three tours in Vietnam, all but one of my uncles served, and one is still serving in France (KIA July 1944). The obama clintion, carter, and this administration, in conjunction with the House of Representees and Senate, all the way back to 1939, have weakened our military to the point we cannot fight effectively.
The United States suffered a biological attack, we are being invaded by foreign nations (undocumented emigrants). The actions of our educators K-12 and College, are leading our children into grouse stupidity. Our news media no longer report but are very good to excellent, at spreading propaganda. The Church has failed God, (Protestant and Catholic).
The one comment I read here stating “we should be afraid, very, very afraid is IMHO, is understated. We could not win an invasion or attack of our Nation, today, I have stated in the past that we could win WWII in our present condition, and it would have been nip and tuck in the 80’s and 90’s. I hate watching the destruction of our Nation and fear even a win this fall and again in 2024 will not turn the destruction back.
Do not infer that I will roll over and die for the ruling class or their useful idiots they shall send after me. There still beats the heart of a United States Marine in this 78-year-old body. May not be as lean but every bit as mean and capable!
This is an analogy:
You are a 4.0 GPA in college. You never receive a grade under an A in every class that you take.
Then one semester you also get a B and a C.
This really screws up your GPA and even after another year you still only have a 3.8 GPA.
It takes more than 2 or 3 years of perfect A grades to bring yourself back to a 4.0
The United State had the best military in the world, this is why Japan sneak attacked Pearl Harbor and never did an infantry attack on land…because we HAD the best military in the world.
Then dumborats (most especially sleepy) become the Mistake in Chief and our 4.0 military drops to a 2.0 or even 0.5
The above example had just a B and a C
The military leaders have a few “F” grades.
That cannot be fixed in a couple years
TEN years is the nearest likelihood of recovery.
Wow! Are you COMPLETELY IGNORING possibly the biggest factor???? The mandated CLOT SHOTS??? How do you think they’ve lost so many troops, between those refusing and those “suddenly and unexpectedly” dying??
US army is in the hands of useless pencil pushers who have no clue what army is about and it’s purpose They have no idea how to inspire and lead.It’s troubling and demoralizingThis is nothing new
If someone wants to be a US citizen they should be required to serve 4 years in the military as part of the citizenship requirement. If they dont want to do that then send them back to the country of origin. That includes the ones that is coming across the border now.
I am retired military and I wouldn’t recommend a young man join today’s military unless our country was under direct attack. If President Trump comes back into power one of his top priorities must to purge the military of it’s politically correct and woke leaders. I have never in my life seen so many stupid decisions being made. Also hold those accountable who repeatedly make stupid decisions.
There IS NO HOPE outside of our Lord Jesus Christ! The only safe place for Americans right now, is on our knees in humility before our merciful and Mighty God praying in FAITH that He will intervene and help our nation!
Just like our police and sheriffs the idea of the leftist anti-Americans is to gut our self defense and replace them with government sponsored thugs. Every nation that’s destroyed the freedom of the people had to be disarmed first, and the police, sheriff’s, state patrol…all either “disbanded” or flat out destroyed.
IE: Hitler’s Germany is one glaring and frightening example. Our nation is being destroyed internally by those “elected” and non-elected who’s entire aim is to shove America into what George Bush Sr. so ‘lovingly’ spoke of in his presidential acceptance speech: “We must usher in the New World Order.” I saw and heard that speech so long ago. Sorry to sound like gloom and doom, but unless there is a massive change in November, Biden is impeached for violating every part of our Constitution, his “handler” is charged with treason and conspiracy…and the true American people wake up America will cease to exist.
What ever happened to that adage “to attract and retain a quality workforce, a competitive compensation package is required”?
Guess this only applies to lifetime career politicians.
Why would any young patriot strap up to defend the woke dumb-s***s and traitorous politicians in DC and elsewhere?
Why would any young patriot strap up to defend the woke dip sticks and traitorous politicians in DC and elsewhere?
Everything this POS touches he brings down
Regardless of the list of “causes” from the pandemic, to wokeness, and all the rest….the matter boils down to the steady moral decline of our nation. Even if you filled the ranks to maximum you would have a fighting force that is already primed to surrender under fire. We are fast becoming a second class power at every level and when the military has been properly gutted and reconfigured, you will have open season on this Republic……people are blind and stupid if they think we will be able manage our position of military might, let alone defend ourselves. The horizon is getting darker for this Republic…..and the general public doesn’t seem to care. They will when the enemy is at the gate, but it will be too late.
One thing not mentioned was the mandated “vaccine” shots and the number of our military who have been dishonorably discharged for refusing it and the number of our military who have developed all kinds of serious physical problems after getting the jabs.
Wrong. To the ‘leaders’ of our military nothing is more important than their social experimentation.
This will continue until we get real leaders capable of firing all the queer supporters and returning to true and American goals, as opposed to social goals.
My father died for this country when he was 20 years old. I don’t know of many 20-year old people today who could or would step up like he did. The destruction of our armed forces is the last step in making America vulnerable to attack and being conquered. Thanks, Joe Biden.
You forgot to mention the hard push to recruit and retain body dysphoric persons into the military and into the close ranks of those who are the opposite sex–women in men’s facilities, and men in women’s facilities. The military has integrated the sexes more than they used to be, but there are still places where women don’t want to be forced to be naked with men, and vice versa. Additionally, “transitioning” requires a whole bunch of meds and surgeries, which impacts readiness, costs enormous amounts of money, and restricts the ability to deploy to areas that don’t offer the needed services or are culturally opposed to the whole idea of enabling this kind of dysphoria.
The blame is on Biden and his VP and the rest of the people in Washington and some military heads that side with them I know a lot of people that were proud to serve but would never join now the way they treat military personal I was very proud to have served, things in this country need to change and it starts in our government the current White House Dems that started this mess. We need strong leadership that is what we lack now.
This started under Obama!
Does THIS surprise ANYONE about Herr Biden?
IF IM NOT MISTAKEN, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION, GAVE MILLIONS, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BUILD A STRONG MILITARYSTANCH. THEY WERE NUMBER ONE WHEN TRUMP LEFT OFFICE.NOW TWO YEARS INTO COMRAD BIDENS RUN, NOW WE HEAR OUR MILITARY IS ON THE ROCKS? I KNOW THE MILITARY. WHEN I ENLISTED, WE TRAINED WITH WW1 RIFLES, AND MANY OLD VINTAGE MILITARY WEAPONS. BEING AUDITS ARENT ALLOWED, WE WILL NEVER KNOW WHERE ALL THIS MONEY ENDED UP.
Part of the plan. WAKE UP!!! Just like depleting the oil reserve. Still voting Democrat or Rino? Just like carbon taxing trees for converting carbon into oxygen.
As a retired military officer, retired in 1993, I have watched the U. S. military gradually deteriorate by foolish decisions made by the Congress, presidents, and the military leadership. Here are just a few examples. One: What makes the current military leadership, current president, and current Congress think that since the new “normal” starting wages for burger slingers has increased from $7.65 per hour to $15.00 per hour, the U. S. military is going to be able to attract highly capable young Americans to the military for any payment less? (2) The U. S. military leadership has for the last few years proposed a reduction of 18,000 active duty medical personnel, admitting in this year’s funding request that they would kick roughly 155,000 military dependents out of the military medical system. This forces the military member to pay annual premiums and copays for their dependents medical expenses, and, of course they get no increase in military pay to make those payments. And, military retirees have had to pay annual fees and copays for the last 20 years because we have been kicked out of most military health care faciilities. And, speaking of military retirement, just a few years ago, the Congress changed the military retirement system into a 401K type of arrangement which forces today’s military members to pay into their retirement system which is now only partially subsidized by the federal government rather than fully subsidized as it was prior to this new system. As for the poor physical fitness, drug addictions, and criminal charges found in a larger segment of today’s youth, the Congresses and several presidents since President Reagan can thank themselves for taking general physical playground activities twice a day out of grammar school schedules, and general participation in school athletics for middle and high school students; today’s let everyone in through our southern border policy that promotes a flood of drugs into the country,; and big city policies that have encouraged teen crimes to run amuck. Finally, hardly a day goes by that I don’t read of a military officer (or more), and a senior enlisted member of the armed forces being relieved of command because (their bosses no longer had confidence in the fired individuals’ “ability to command.” You cannot expect to maintain discipline in the military when you mealy-mouth around the reasons for firing a senior person from command. Obviously, those fired military personnel committed some egregious action(s) sufficient to be fired. In the interest of “transparency” those reasons need to be made public. The reason is that old retired guys like me immediately wonder if some commander simply wasn’t promoting the new “woke” system of command. And, finally, the new “woke” system of command, if carried on for very long, will be the death knell of the U. S. military and along with it, our entire country.
Better solution get rid of Biden and his corrupt regime of incompetent buffoons.
This is cause of Biden and his slow downed mind and his brain dead people pushing woke ness. I saw the video that CIA did it was a joke
As a retired enlisted man (not person) with more than a quarter century of service, I’ve seen my country go through some of its worst (Carter) and best (Reagan) administrations as I performed my duties to the best of my abilities. I almost took early discharges during both the Carter and Clinton regimes but my faith in this country kept me in, believing in better things to come. Now, 30 years later, I can only hope those true warriors still serving will keep the faith in our great country and our ability to rebound from the unparalleled ignorance and evil of Biden’s (Obama’s) designs on our way of life. We must VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE. These are Communists disguised as Socialists, totalitarians pretending to be concerned leaders working in our best interest. Tensions are rising, anger and violence are escalating, and our “leaders” are instrumental in compelling their malleable followers to believe it’s all our fault. Fomenting and actually spurring violence on by Democrat socialists like AOC and the Squad, and numerous Senators and Representatives (Waters,Schumer, etc). We are at a dangerous point in history, with some people on both sides talking secession, trashing our Constitution and starting over, or even open revolution. This cannot continue. RepublicNs, Independents, andConservatives must get out the vote and put an end to their anti-American plans before we have a situation which might cost more than this world can afford. Don’t panic, but get serious. If you want America to continue as designed by our fore Forefathers (or as close as possible) vote to get it back! This will NOT be easy. Social media, big tech, the majority of mainstream news, and a good portion of other media is left leaning. Also, a large portion of people are incredibly, still ignorant (not stupid, but just unaware). Do not take anything for granted. Talk to friends, associates, co-workers. Church and club members. I have begun to wear my Vietnam. Veteran hat when I go shopping. When someone thanks me for my service it gives me a chance to open a conversation on the state of our nation. We have to do all we can within the parameters of our laws. E wry day we lose getting out the vote makes it harde to succeed. Pray, stay positive, and work to get everyone you can to the pills. Volunteer to be a monitor at polling places to ensure an open and honest election.
There you go, more failure of the marxist democrat party!
USELESS CRIMINALS
THROW THEM OUT