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Last year, the military at large missed its recruiting goals by a large margin. In 2022, the Army was down 25% of its goal, with the Navy and Air Force also missing their marks.
It seems Gen-Z is either unqualified or simply uninterested in enlisting. One could speculate on the variety of reasons for why the kids aren’t taking to the idea of handing their freedom, life, and soul over to Uncle Sam for 4 years.
Perhaps they aren’t as patriotic, given the absolute mess of a government we’ve had for the last decade. Perhaps they simply just value their downtime to focus on their existential dread at a collapsing post-modern world where nothing seems to matter anymore. I can respect that.
Either way, something needs to be done. The ASVAB may not be the biggest barrier to entry, but at least maybe now you can order the kids mac & cheese along with your MEPS duck-walk and butthole inspection.
Oddly, the Marine Corps and the Space Force were the only branches that met their recruiting goals in recent years.
To me, this signals the niche-ification of the military. The people that want to enlist are going for the hardest ones, without giving much thought to the larger, easier-to-get-into Army or Navy. These are people that have done the research and want whatever the military can give them that they can’t get at home. Perhaps the future of the military is smaller, leaner, smarter, and more specialized.
With the way things are going in the world [war 3], let’s hope it’s enough.
Gen Z is very skeptical and cynical. I don’t blame them for it. This world hasn’t given them a reason not to be. Your evaluation on a collapsing postmodern system is spot on. Hopefully something more egalitarian replaces it. The world may depend on it.
The MEPS duck walk and butthole inspection… Good times ๐
I suspect smaller and leaner would be workable, with an emphasis on reserves and national guard service as the break-glass measure in case of near-peer or serious threat.
Our education system has been a significant disappointment, leading to a consideration of implementing a draft. Additionally, the ASVAB examination seems absurd, as many of the topics covered were never taught in my high school. When individuals who attempt to enlist fail to meet the requirements, recruiters tend to dismiss them as “low priority.” It is high time we reassess our education system. Interestingly, trade schools provide these individuals with better support and assistance compared to recruiters who simply turn them away.
Mister I can’t finish my maze because I ate all the crayons.