Summary
Military recruiting is difficult. Services struggle to meet their requirements, in some cases missing them. Moreover, based on observable trends, it is going to become even more difficult. Every factor that is predictive of future recruiting success is trending negatively. Other developed countries are already experiencing recruiting crises. The Pentagon spends a considerable amount of time and money trying to anticipate what our adversaries are doing and what types of equipment our military should buy in response. A similar level of effort should be applied to ensuring that the U.S. military has the necessary manpower. Before this situation becomes a full-blown crisis, Congress and the executive branch should begin now to address what promises to be an increasingly challenging future.
Key Takeaways
America depends on a strong military to implement its foreign policy and protect its vital interest, and this requires a substantial number of volunteers annually.
Unless America counteracts negative recruiting trends, the future strength of the U.S. military—and thus the security of the nation—is likely to be compromised.
Congress and the executive branch should act now to ensure that the military has the manpower it needs—not wait until this is a full-blown national security crisis.