NYT: With Few Able and Fewer Willing, U.S. Military Can't Find Recruits

[China]

With Few Able and Fewer Willing, U.S. Military Can't Find Recruits

 

These are tough times for military recruiting. Almost across the board, the armed forces are experiencing large shortfalls in enlistments this year — a deficit of thousands of entry-level troops that is on pace to be worse than any since just after the Vietnam War. It threatens to throw a wrench into the military’s machinery, leaving critical jobs unfilled and some platoons with too few people to function.

 

COVID-19 is part of the problem. Lockdowns during the pandemic have limited recruiters’ ability to forge bonds face to face with prospects. And the military’s vaccine mandate has kept some would-be troops away.

 

The current white-hot labor market, with many more jobs available than people to fill them, is also a factor, as rising civilian wages and benefits make military service less enticing.

 

But longer-term demographic trends are also taking a toll. Less than one-quarter of young American adults are physically fit to enlist and have no disqualifying criminal record, a proportion that has shrunk steadily in recent years. And shifting attitudes toward military service mean that now only about 1 in 10 young people say they would even consider it.

 

To try to counter those forces, the military has pushed enlistment bonuses as high as $50,000 and is offering “quick ship” cash of up to $35,000 for certain recruits who can leave for basic training in 30 days.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Fergasun]

Also, parents that have seen Vets get abused by the government system, political system that fabricated a War in Iraq and doesn't send their kids to the military, and two military forces that stayed way longer in places they didn't need to.  

[Corcaigh]

11 minutes ago, Fergasun said:

Also, parents that have seen Vets get abused by the government system, political system that fabricated a War in Iraq and doesn't send their kids to the military, and two military forces that stayed way longer in places they didn't need to.  

 

It's even worse that that. The National Guard were dragged into it and many, many lives were lost and ruined.

[Llevron]

20 minutes ago, Fergasun said:

Also, parents that have seen Vets get abused by the government system, political system that fabricated a War in Iraq and doesn't send their kids to the military, and two military forces that stayed way longer in places they didn't need to.  

 

I heard this a lot growing up 

[gbear]

I know my oldest son wants/wanted to serve in the military.  However, he uses ADD medication which I believe rules that career out for him.  It's a shame because I suspect he would benefit from the rigid life, and he would have a lot to offer.  Physical fitness wouldn't be an issue, but alas, I don't think it is in the cards for him.  

[TheGreatBuzz]

As someone who recently retired after 20 years and interacted with fresh boots everyday, I can tell you the eligibility requirements over the years since I joined tightened greatly.   I, for example, had quite the colorful criminal background when I joined.  Me enlisting was part of a deal I reached with the prosecutor.  That doesn’t happen now.  Anything more than speeding tickets nowadays makes it hard to enlist.  And for most of the 20 years, recruiters could be picky because the supply was there.  Oh, you're fat?  That's what bootcamp was for.  That's not really the case any more.

[skinsmarydu]

27 minutes ago, The Almighty Buzz said:

As someone who recently retired after 20 years and interacted with fresh boots everyday, I can tell you the eligibility requirements over the years since I joined tightened greatly.   I, for example, had quite the colorful criminal background when I joined.  Me enlisting was part of a deal I reached with the prosecutor.  That doesn’t happen now.  Anything more than speeding tickets nowadays makes it hard to enlist.  And for most of the 20 years, recruiters could be picky because the supply was there.  Oh, you're fat?  That's what bootcamp was for.  That's not really the case any more.

Wow.  Things were vastly different when you joined from when I did. 

Explains a lot.

[TheGreatBuzz]

9 minutes ago, skinsmarydu said:

Wow.  Things were vastly different when you joined from when I did. 

Explains a lot.

 

How so?

[skinsmarydu]

I joined in '83, delayed entry.  You had to be straight up clean back then, that's all I meant.  Had to watch my p/q. 

[Dan T.]

On 7/18/2022 at 3:54 PM, The Almighty Buzz said:

 I, for example, had quite the colorful criminal background when I joined.  Me enlisting was part of a deal I reached with the prosecutor.  

 

 

 

[PokerPacker]

5 hours ago, Dan T. said:

 

 

 

This one time, he snuck into his neighbor's front yard and turned her garden gnome to face 28 degrees west of north!

[TheGreatBuzz]

6 hours ago, Dan T. said:

 

 

 

 

Just minor dumb kid stuff.

[SkinsFTW]

On 7/18/2022 at 4:38 PM, skinsmarydu said:

I joined in '83, delayed entry.  You had to be straight up clean back then, that's all I meant.  Had to watch my p/q. 

 

 

My stepfather was in back then. All they did was smoke weed.

 

By 90 when I joined that didn't happen (much) anymore and if you got caught you got kicked out. 

Edited July 21, 2022 by SkinsFTW

[skinsmarydu]

We were the "45/45, half a month's for 2, and a bust" era.

 

Anyone think this might work? 

 

 

[China]

Once they find them though...

 

U.S. military-run slot machines earn $100 million a year from service members overseas

 

The U.S. military runs more than 3,000 slot machines on American military bases overseas even though the rate of problem gamblers in the military is thought to be around twice that of the rest of the general population, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling, an organization that advocates for services to assist people and families affected by problem gambling.

 

The slot machines, operated by the U.S. Department of Defense, earn the DOD more than $100 million each year in the name of "morale, welfare, and recreation" for service members, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office that was written in response to demands from Congress.

 

Slots are often found on bases where there is precious little to do, like Diego Garcia – a 12-sq.-mile island in the Indian Ocean with a population of just over 4,000 people – where the Navy runs 52 slot machines. And they can be played by service members as young as 18 – individuals who wouldn't be allowed to enter most casinos in the U.S. before they turn 21.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Army program gives poor-performing recruits a second chance

 

Chaz Andrews has wanted to join the Army since he was 19, but he has failed the service’s academic test more than 10 times over the past decade.

 

Now, at age 29, Andrews thinks he has a real shot to pass, thanks to a new Army program that gives lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness instruction to help them meet military standards.

 

“I didn’t want to give up on it,” he said during a recent break in his classroom schedule at Fort Jackson, where he is one of more than 300 recruits who have been allowed to enlist in the new Army prep course. And if Andrews, who is from Brooklyn, New York, is able to raise his test score, he will be allowed to continue on to basic training.

 

The program, which began in early August, is one way the Army is hoping to fill the ranks as it struggles with recruiting efforts that are expected to fall dramatically short of the goals this year. Army officials have described the situation as dire, with some predicting the service may fall 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers short of its recruiting target on Oct. 1 , or as much as 18% to 25%.

 

Military officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the totals are preliminary and could change, said the initial recruiting goal was as much as 60,000 this year, but more realistic expectations later put it at about 55,000. With one month to go, officials are predicting they will come in about 45,000, though it could get better if there is a surge at the end.

Gen. James McConville, the Army chief, traveled to Fort Jackson on Friday for a firsthand look at the pilot program. He and others have acknowledged the recruiting problems and say they are due to a confluence of events and conditions.

 

The coronavirus pandemic kept recruiters out of schools, fairs and other public events, limiting their in-person contact with students.

 

Unemployment has been low, other corporate jobs pay well and offer good benefits, and according to estimates, just 23% of young people ages 17 to 24 are physically, mentally and morally qualified to serve without receiving some type of waiver. Moral behavior issues include drug use, gang ties or a criminal record.

 

Those academic and physical fitness requirements are the ones the prep course will address.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

[CobraCommander]

2 hours ago, China said:

Army program gives poor-performing recruits a second chance

 

Chaz Andrews has wanted to join the Army since he was 19, but he has failed the service’s academic test more than 10 times over the past decade.

 

Now, at age 29, Andrews thinks he has a real shot to pass, thanks to a new Army program that gives lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness instruction to help them meet military standards.

 

“I didn’t want to give up on it,” he said during a recent break in his classroom schedule at Fort Jackson, where he is one of more than 300 recruits who have been allowed to enlist in the new Army prep course. And if Andrews, who is from Brooklyn, New York, is able to raise his test score, he will be allowed to continue on to basic training.

 

The program, which began in early August, is one way the Army is hoping to fill the ranks as it struggles with recruiting efforts that are expected to fall dramatically short of the goals this year. Army officials have described the situation as dire, with some predicting the service may fall 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers short of its recruiting target on Oct. 1 , or as much as 18% to 25%.

 

Military officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the totals are preliminary and could change, said the initial recruiting goal was as much as 60,000 this year, but more realistic expectations later put it at about 55,000. With one month to go, officials are predicting they will come in about 45,000, though it could get better if there is a surge at the end.

Gen. James McConville, the Army chief, traveled to Fort Jackson on Friday for a firsthand look at the pilot program. He and others have acknowledged the recruiting problems and say they are due to a confluence of events and conditions.

 

The coronavirus pandemic kept recruiters out of schools, fairs and other public events, limiting their in-person contact with students.

 

Unemployment has been low, other corporate jobs pay well and offer good benefits, and according to estimates, just 23% of young people ages 17 to 24 are physically, mentally and morally qualified to serve without receiving some type of waiver. Moral behavior issues include drug use, gang ties or a criminal record.

 

Those academic and physical fitness requirements are the ones the prep course will address.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

I'm sure he could become a cop if he really wanted. How dumb do you have to be for the Army to not let you in? 

[The Sisko]

On 7/18/2022 at 2:22 PM, Fergasun said:

Also, parents that have seen Vets get abused by the government system, political system that fabricated a War in Iraq and doesn't send their kids to the military, and two military forces that stayed way longer in places they didn't need to.  

I wouldn't advise a child of mine to join the military any more than I'd let them play football. You're sacrificing your body and well being for people that DGAF about you. The public loves to go through the whole thank you for your service BS and give you 5% off your burger. However, when the rubber meets the road, these same people almost always vote for politicians that screw vets up the posterior on the regular.

 

On 7/18/2022 at 3:54 PM, The Almighty Buzz said:

As someone who recently retired after 20 years and interacted with fresh boots everyday, I can tell you the eligibility requirements over the years since I joined tightened greatly.   I, for example, had quite the colorful criminal background when I joined.  Me enlisting was part of a deal I reached with the prosecutor.  That doesn’t happen now.  Anything more than speeding tickets nowadays makes it hard to enlist.  And for most of the 20 years, recruiters could be picky because the supply was there.  Oh, you're fat?  That's what bootcamp was for.  That's not really the case any more.

I went to basic training at Ft. Benning in the late 80s and there were two, maybe three dudes in my company that got deals like that. It kind of sucks because I doubt recruits brought in this way ended up being a liability and for young guys that haven't advanced to hardened criminal status, it could really turn their lives around. I don't have any data to back it up though, so maybe I'm wrong.

[Die Hard]

As a parent of a 16-year old son with autism who spent a few years in Army cadets, I have many concerns.

 

One of which is the toxic environment surrounding sexual misconduct /abuse and accountability in the Canadian military that consistently pervades our national media coverage.

 

Canada has been really undergoing a real reckoning (residential schools, hockey Canada sex scandals, etc).

 

 

[Chew]

16 minutes ago, The Sisko said:

You're sacrificing your body and well being for people that DGAF about you. The public loves to go through the whole thank you for your service BS and give you 5% off your burger. However, when the rubber meets the road, these same people almost always vote for politicians that screw vets up the posterior on the regular.

 

Preach that gospel, man.  It's all bull****. 

 

It's funny...I used to eat that stuff up when I was still a kid.  I was 23 when I got out back in 2005, and this was back when "support our troops" was still a really big thing in society.  I felt so cool showing my veteran ID to get discounts and for employees to respond with "thank you for your service."  But as I got older and had a much better understanding of the politics within the military (and how the world works in general), I've since realized that it's all just bull****.  

 

I'm proud to have worn the uniform for my country, it was an honor that I take very seriously.  But I will forbid my son from military service.  

 

PS -- the VA is a ****ing embarrassment, a national disgrace.  Our brothers & sisters deserve so much better.  

[Jabbyrwock]

17 minutes ago, Chew said:

I will forbid my son from military service.  

 

This is probably the most efficient way to have him join the army when he is 18.

[TheGreatBuzz]

3 hours ago, The Sisko said:

You're sacrificing your body and well being for people that DGAF about you. The public loves to go through the whole thank you for your service BS and give you 5% off your burger. However, when the rubber meets the road, these same people almost always vote for politicians that screw vets up the posterior on the regular.

 

But for some people, there is other reasons why they joined that make the sacrifices worth it.  Getting paid to learn a valuable trade setting you up for life.  Getting your and your families higher education paid for.  Getting out of a bad home/location situation.  This list goes on.  Once you got a few years away from 9/11, one thing I always loved was listening to each Sailor's reason for joining the Navy.

[The Sisko]

I understand that there are people that are all nationalistic, patriotic, or whatever. I don't have a problem with them joining, just my own daughter. Hell, even if she was dead set on it for those reasons, I'd back her. I've just given her advice not to and provided the real picture outside the rose colored glasses of recruiting pitches and Top Gun is all. She's fully aware of my Father and Uncle's navy experiences. So if she were to decide that's what she wants to do, I'd send her off with our best wishes.

Edited August 29, 2022 by The Sisko

[hail2skins]

2 hours ago, Chew said:

PS -- the VA is a ****ing embarrassment, a national disgrace.  Our brothers & sisters deserve so much better.  

I'd like to hear you expand on this more. I read a book called "Wounding Warriors" co-authored by Dan Gade and found it interesting. Here's a brief read on what is discussed in the book, and I'd appreciate your take on it:

 

https://www.heritage.org/defense/commentary/wounding-warriors-authors-highlight-flawed-va-model-letting-veterans-down

[Renegade7]

I am 1000% certain this will not help matters...

 

https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-crime-pandemics-army-62b6b37fbb992b19f0da65a3a1ba1115

 

Reported sexual assaults across US military increase by 13%

 

Quote

WASHINGTON (AP) — Reports of sexual assaults across the U.S. military jumped by 13% last year, driven by significant increases in the Army and the Navy as bases began to move out of pandemic restrictions and public venues reopened, The Associated Press has learned.

 

Mirroring the increase in those reports is the disclosure that close to 36,000 service members said in a confidential survey that they had experienced unwanted sexual contact — a dramatic increase over the roughly 20,000 who said that in a similar 2018 survey, U.S. defense and military officials said.