US military vehicles stuck. Photo: Getty Images,
Officials say the army faces a ‘perception’ problem due in part to their failed occupation of several nations in West Asia
US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told a congressional hearing on 19 April that the Pentagon is facing a “challenge” by trying to meet its expanded enlistment goal as a result of growing disinterest from young US citizens to serve in Washington’s forever wars.
“65,000 [recruits for fiscal year 2023] is a very ambitious goal,” Wormuth told lawmakers before highlighting that the army set the lofty target after only 45,000 recruits signed up in 2022.
“I’m suggesting that the kinds of structure we need for the army of 2030 are different than what we needed in the last 20 years, and if we don’t turn our recruiting situation around, I am concerned that we may have to make cuts to the Force’s structure,” she added.
Misleadership in the Bronx: AOC, the Fraud Squad, Military Recruiters and U.S. Imperialism
Lawmakers at the hearing also expressed skepticism that the army’s recruitment goal can be achieved due to the “perception issue after recent events including the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan,” according to Representative Michael Waltz.
The image of the US Army took a significant blow in August 2021 during the botched withdrawal of troops from Kabul. A year earlier, the assassination of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and the ensuing bombardment of US bases in Iraq also caused discontent with Washington’s military presence abroad.
More recently, US lawmakers have pressed the White House to withdraw troops illegally stationed in Syria as they have become the constant target of attacks by resistance groups.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Representative Don Bacon highlighted that the recruitment crisis is also a result of “multigenerational military families” being reluctant to have their children join the army due to a “perception that [the government of US President Joe Biden is] more about social issues than warfighting.”
On top of these ‘perceptions,’ recruitment efforts have been threatened in recent years by an ever-shrinking number of young US citizens who are qualified to serve – and an even smaller number showing interest in joining the army.
“We are challenged by the fact that a small number of young Americans … are qualified to serve … Fewer still, we’re finding, are interested in serving. And that’s something we are working very hard to change,” the Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army, General Randy George, told the House Armed Services Committee’s subpanel on readiness at another hearing on Wednesday.
One of the leading causes of the decline in the number of army recruits has been described as “the confluence of obesity, lack of high school diplomas, and accelerated mental health crises among youth.”
Last November, Wormuth revealed that only 23 percent of young US citizens were deemed fit enough to join the army, as the rest fell below “fitness and intelligence standards.” Moreover, she added that only nine percent of young US citizens showed interest in joining the army.
To combat this situation, earlier this month, the US air force opted to modify its requirements by allowing recruits to have a higher percentage of body fat than previously accepted.
“I can’t stress enough, we are not lowering our standards,” US Air Force Recruiting Service spokeswoman Leslie Brown said at the time.
