Even though the United States spends nearly $1 trillion annually on military and defense, they still can’t make recruits appear out of thin air.
Simply put, the Army has a labor shortage, and the Pentagon has a good idea of why.
Most of their recruiting pool in Gen Z is ineligible for service without a waiver. 77% of 17-24- year olds do not meet the qualifications because they are overweight, abuse drugs or alcohol, or have physical or mental health issues.
How bad is it? Here’s what Senator Thom Tillis said earlier this year about it.
“To put it bluntly, I’m worried we are now in the early days of a long-term threat to the all-volunteer force, with a small and declining number of Americans who are eligible and interested in military service.”
The numbers paint a daunting picture. The Army told Insider they fell 25% below their goal for recruits. That is 15,000 fewer soldiers than what they planned for 2022. The Navy, Air Force, and Marines will also fall short of their recruit goals.
Overweight Gen Z’ers are not the only obstacle recruiters are facing. The pandemic put a kibosh on face-to-face recruiting opportunities. Like corporate America, the military had to rely on Zoom for most meetings, which was not an effective alternative to in-person recruiting.
Charlie Dietz is a spokesman for the Defense Department. Here’s a quote of his in the Insider story.
“The declining veteran population and shrinking military footprint has contributed to a market that is unfamiliar with military service resulting in an overreliance of military stereotypes.”
Believe it or not, another archaic rule hampering recruiting is about tattoos. In June, the Army changed the policy and now allows recruits to have one tattoo per hand. That tattoo can not be longer than one inch.
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