, Columnist
US Military’s Recruiting Woes Are a National-Security Crisis
A struggle to entice even the most surefire candidates — the children of veterans — puts the future of the all-volunteer force in doubt.
Falling on deaf ears.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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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 do so by their families, is at a nadir. Given that 80% of new recruits have a relative who served in uniform, there is no understating the crisis.