Armed Forces Low Recruitment Numbers

[Veroe]

I've heard that Armed Forces recruiters' recruitment numbers are much lower than projected for this year, and am interested in hearing why you guys think this is, and what if anything can be done to solve this problem?

Also, I expect to hear a lot about the wokeness in the current Military leadership's decision-making of late, but am curious if any of you guys think there's any other reasons young Americans aren't volunteering to serve their country as much as there used to be in the past.

 

[Bray123]

Maybe it's because young people nowadays would rather do something where getting shot at wasn't in the job description. They've played Call of Duty and realise that the chance of being a casualty at some point is quite high.

 

[Dribble]

It isn't rocket science. There are better ways to make money for low income individuals

 

[VinnyVeritas]

What problem?

For half of the country this is a serious and logical step in the right direction vis-à-vis "world peace."

 

[Chobham]

A significant portion of the recruits have always come from the families of veterans and those veterans are looking at today's military and telling their sons and daughters, "No way!"

 

[VinnyVeritas]

I thought that the only people who joined the military were:

A) the desperate who could not find jobs in this economy or,
B) economic victims who could not afford a college education.

Oh. Wait. Silly me. That's when Republicans occupy the White House. My bad. Carry on.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Only 1 in 4 meet the standards. Fat bastards won't fit into the uniform.

 

[VinnyVeritas]

So, they don't join because the military is so fucking un-woke that it fat shames...

 

[Chobham]

Only 1 in 4 meet the standards. Fat bastards won't fit into the uniform.

There is that as well.

 

[VinnyVeritas]

What? The Chinese can't make us fat suits too?

 

[JohnnySavage]

We need a bigger door on the Tank!

 

[VinnyVeritas]

We need an updated Hatch Act to retrofit our submarines!

 

[icanhelp1]

Cant make height weight requirements, don’t meet the educational standards, can’t pass asvab exam. Anti American sentiment taught in the classroom. After the Afghanistan debacle veterans are discouraging their children from joining. Afraid to get shot.

 

[VinnyVeritas]

At least something is being taught.

I think they're still teaching to the test, but it's not an academic test...

 

[ll74]

Well, you just watched 20 years or so of pointless war in Iraq and Afghanistan, with lots of guys dying and coming home crippled for nothing.

Maybe potential recruits are deciding that a lifetime of hearing, “Thank you for your service,” isn’t worth it.

But Chick Fil A gives them free chicken sandwiches.

 

[Fuzzy1975]

I can't equate this to the US situation, but Canada faces the same kind of situation.

What I can relate is what I have heard back from College/University recruiters; when asking Grade 12 students on what type of future employment they plan on seeking, the vast majority "think" they are going to be tic-toc or youtube channel stars.

So my figuring is yes we'll see a drop of people entering the military for a few years, then when all these people fail at tic-toc and youtube, the ugly ones will have very few employment options beyond the Military or flipping burgers. The pretty ones might make a go of it on OF or some such site...

 

[Veroe]

Could it be a growing disillusionment in the mission of the armed forces in our young people?

I mean for all these years these young people have lived they've seen the US in 2 wars now, and for what? What did we accomplish in Iraq or Afghanistan? In Afghanistan we spent 20 years there spending the lives of our servicemen and women to no gain towards the end of the war over there, surging the number of our soldiers just to keep things from getting even worse over there, and finally when we said enough is enough after 20 years wasting all our sons and daughters lives, so much of our tax money just flushed down the toilet there in those 20 years. Our enemy reconquered the country the moment we left, inheriting so much of our equipment in the process. And it looks like no lessons have been learned from that, certainly not the right ones from it.

Why on Earth would anyone want to sign up to be treated like that by their superiors, their commanders in chief, their senators, their congressmen, and their country?

Maybe a lifetime of strangers saying to them "Thank you for their service" sounds kinda hollow after that.

 

[RobDownSouth]

But Chick Fil A gives them free chicken sandwiches.

Free donuts from Dunkin Donuts on Veterans Day too.

 

[Veroe]

There will not be peace no matter what we do.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind at all if China or Russia try to take over America’s role in “running the world.”

It never has done us much good and we could use a rest.

I think the prevailing sentiment among the common people in the US is that we're tired of being the world's policeman. If Putin invades Ukraine we'll send money and weapons to fend him off, but we're not down for another 20 year war on the other side of the globe.

That said if Putin or N. Korea or Xi or some other country attacks us directly...."Oh, they'd done fucked up and now they're gonna find that out."

 

[ll74]

There will not be peace no matter what we do.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind at all if China or Russia try to take over America’s role in “running the world.”

It never has done us much good and we could use a rest.

Conflict will always persist when compromise is seen as a weakness by many.

 

[Bray123]

Personally, I wouldn’t mind at all if China or Russia try to take over America’s role in “running the world.”

In that eventuality, the world will come to hate China/Russia instead and the USA will become a popular nation once more.

One thing you should bear in mind when acting as the world's policeman; ACAB.

 

[Fuzzy1975]

I don’t believe sending money and weapons to Ukraine is a worthwhile investment either. For better or worse, Ukraine is Russia’s backyard and Russia will do as it pleases there, just as America does in South America.

I think it will be over faster, with fewer casualties, if America minds its own business. That’s a radical idea, but it’s worth a shot!

It’s also good to keep in mind that American intervention abroad is NEVER about spreading freedom, or saving people from oppression. It is always about the financial interests of our ruling elite. Once you accept that, it’s a lot easier to say no.

You would have fit right in fine back in 1939 too.Good thing your "kind of thinking" didn't prevail.

 

[ishtat]

The US armed forces already recruits a disproportionate amount of quasi Americans from Puerto Rico, South Pacific Territories etc. If they are short on numbers why not follow that logic and recruit foreign soldiers like the Brits/French do. A few thousand Nepalese Gurkhas for example would be far better quality than the average home grown GI.

The politicians could still have their silly wars, Iraq for example, to help with elections, and the public wouldn't mind much if it was a few foreigners who got killed. That's the beauty of the Ukraine conflict, all those sparkly weapons road tested for free, no US casualties and America can walk away when she gets bored.