US Military's Biggest Recruiting Crisis Is Here 

Do you agree with US Military's approach? If yes, why, and if no, what are some alternatives?

If the military wants more people to join, it must be an organization worth joining. 1) Lowing standards to attract people who don't want to join will only discourage those who want to join. 2) Today's generation has more access to information about military life than ever before. They are well aware of the toxic leadership, poor living conditions, and constant complaints about the VA.

"Imagine three drill sargent screaming in your face, one ordering you to get down, the other telling you to get up, while the third one ask you philosophical questions... WHY WHY WHY WHY" This had me dying 😂

The low enlistment rate has NOTHING to do with getting chewed out in basic training. People don't want to join because they hear all the bad experiences other people have had with leadership, bureaucracy, and the mountains of random BS you deal with. But not because of Basic. Most people including myself have fond memories of Basic. Also the conflicts we find ourselves involved in play a big role in people not wanting to join.

Older Gen Z guy here, I got out of the ARMY a year and a half ago because the least toxic leadership I had was back in TRADOC. After that it honestly felt like there was a bunch of leaders who either got promoted because they could run fast and not because they were passionate skilled leaders that I would want to follow into combat or that those people were once leaders like that, and they got complacent and lost the ambition they may have had 5-15 years prior. The military is struggling not because of a woke culture or it's going soft its struggling because no one wants to fucking stay because the wrong people are getting the opportunities to lead while good soldiers are getting passed up because of either personal grudges from toxic command teams or because the soldier is getting just a straight up better offer than what the military will offer as a civilian.

We're not in a recruiting crisis because of basic training. We're in a crisis because of lack of purpose, treatment of Soldiers and families, and lack of higher listening to bottom up feed back. Ask any honest specialist and they'll let you know.

Speaking as a former Sergeant in the Marines, I will tell you the two biggest things affecting recruiting and retention are current events and the treatment of lower enlisted on active duty. Everyone can see everything going on everywhere, thanks to the internet and social media, and young folks can see the horrible decisions being made at the DC level, sending American arms, money, and troops to fight in wars for countries we have no alliances with, and why should they sign up to die for NOT America OR our Allies? Second, the treatment of lower enlisted is abhorrent. We are treated as expendable fodder, and spoken to as if we are lower than scum by a lot of senior enlisted and officers. No one enjoys that, and it puts most troops off of re-enlisting. People count the days until their EAS (End of Active Service) because of how they’re treated. Also, established titles has been outed as a massive scam.

I spoke to a British Royal Marine officer a while ago and asked him about their training regime vs the US regime. He said the RMs didn't believe "breaking" recruits resulted in the best soldier. I don't believe there are many that would doubt the calibre of a Royal Marine.

Personally for me what’s making this contract my last is they tell you where to live and they constantly tell you”military first before your family(wife and kids)”. In some cases some leadership will say strait up” I don’t give a fuck about your family. For some it’s like being a child all over again having no freedom and there are many suicides because of bound contracts that leave people with the overwhelming feeling of having no way out. Some leadership mock others for being suicidal or will even tell them do it. Attitudes like that in the ranks doesn’t encourage enlistment or retention.

Was at the Gym yesterday and ran into an Army Vet and he told me to never enlist, stay out, it’s not worth it, that alone explained a lot to me.

I’m in my early 30s, and I’ve been trying to join the military for over 3 years. I’ve been thrown roadblock after roadblock due to medical history, stuff that hasn’t been relevant since I was a teenager. But MEPS keeps asking me for more and more bs requests. Now I have a job that I really like with pretty good benefits, and even though I’m still trying to get cleared for service, I’m at the point where I don’t even care anymore. If Uncle Sam is trying to make it this hard for people that actually WANT to join, no wonder they’re facing a recruiting crisis.

I think the problem is that we as a country lack a cohesive purpose. There isn't enough agreement on what we need to be fighting for.

As a retired Marine (29 years) I can still remember the first week as I wasn't completely with the program. I paid for it until I eventually got the message, and once I stopped trying to put that square peg in that round hole I actually got the purpose and reason for everything I was being taught. It gave me everything that I have in me today and I am grateful for everything that the Corps taught me. (except grammar)

The leadership in all the branches don’t understand what is going on. They blame the recruiters for falling short on goals. Instead of changing with the times, they are making the recruiters work longer hours and putting more pressure on them to obtain a goal that is less and less obtainable.

As a navy vet whenever I’m asked about my time in the military from someone thinking about joining I’m always brutally honest about my experience and time served on the LHD-4 USS Boxer…it was a terrible fucking time. My chain of command was not only corrupt but so toxic that the entire boats morale was so low that we had a genuine suicide problem while on my first deployment. The culture that was created by poor leadership with poor integrity left the worst possible taste in my mouth. Not only that but once you get out and have your dd214 GOOD FUCKING LUCK getting the adequate help that you rightfully deserve from the VA. I had to fight tooth and nail for any sort of benefits regarding my hearing loss, came in with great hearing and left being completely deaf in one ear due to running out of hearing ppe on deployment (I was an AO so I shot a lot of guns with no protection) and this is just the tip of the ice berg with my personal experience….the ptsd I got from watching multiple of my shipmates take their life in front of multiple sailors and in gruesome ways really fucked me up for a while and will be something I don’t think I ever quite shake off all the way…did the VA do it’s job with that either? Absolutely not, at times and depending on what location, you as a vet are their absolute bottom priority. I understand the military can change peoples life for the better but it also has the potential to completely ruins one as well. You’ve always gotta weigh the pros and the cons and with the info available to todays youth I just think it’s an easy decision for them to avoid these days.

I struggled for years to try and get into the British army and navy as a commonwealth citizen. I applied for the army but they closed all positions to commonwealth citizens soon after. I applied for the navy but was told there is a waiting list. After about 2-3 years of following up on a bi monthly basis eventually my application was declined due to there still being huge backlog on the waiting list and me being close to 30yr old by the time they would have gotten to my application. They create there own recruitment shortage

I'm Not an American, to preface this. I have a friend that served in the US Army. He signed up for all those stereotypical reasons that you hear about. He hated almost every moment of his career after he completed BMT. His Superiors were absolutely incompetent, the Bureaucracy was unbelievably insane, and he spent most of his time sitting around on his ass, waiting for orders or the Bureaucracy to realise he existed. He got out, luckily enough, and has never looked back since,

Most of those grueling clips where the recruits were suffering were Marine recruits. I don’t expect most people to know the difference between Army and USMC, but the difference is huge.

recruiter: "hey buddy wanna fight for your country while riskng your life?" potential recruit: "can i drink?" recruiter:"nah you're too young for that"

same problem here in australia, recruitment and retention is in the pits, people discharging at insane rates, no one wants to join. A lot of militaries around the world seem to be suffering from this problem

Im 21 and a few weeks ago I was talking to an army recruiter and he said they’ve lowered their recruitment standards and are allowing people they wouldn’t have even considered years ago.

I went to basic I 1984. During a road march suddenly my friend fell down and rolled into the ditch. We weren't allowed to move, and I watched the drill instructor kick him numerous times while screaming at him to get up. He had, had a heart attack, and was lying dead in the ditch..they never even bent down to check why he was lying there! They just started kicking him..I'm sure they left that part out when they wrote his mother. So sad.

I always thought that they are supposed to show you no mercy on a military course because the enemy will show you even less mercy.

Toxicity is the number one reason people get out, but when people know or can see it before they even join....😬

One of the main things I've always believed to help boost recruitment numbers were to give the population a clear threat that they need to stand up and fight against. -WW2: Fight against Fascism and Nazis -Cold War: Fight against Communism -War on Terror: Fight against Islamic extremism See the trends? Every major period in time since WW2, the Government/Military always had an enemy to paint for the population to stand up against...but you can only do this for so long. We saw this in Vietnam when the war prolonged. We saw it in Afghanistan when the war prolonged. Eventually the population will wave off the "Boogeyman" The Government paints and the media won't change any minds. They're trying to do this again with the likes of China, Russia, and North Korea...but the population isn't biting this time. Why should we send our kids to fight in a war in another part of the world that doesn't have anything to do with us? A lot of young people are beginning to realize that they don't *have* to do anything. We got a lot of problems in our own country we gotta deal with, why would we over extend ourselves when our own situation at home isn't resolved yet?

For the overweight problem the army can simply introduce a longer training program that is double the time or so. A program more focused on losing that weight and educating. It would grow the pool of qualified people and would create an avenue for kids dealing with weight and self confidence issues to overcome the problems instead of just letting them create all sorts of mental issues over their life. These are the things that can make great societies and are efficient uses of social resources. It solves multiple issues at once that would compound when not adressed.

Here is the thing, when I went through basic training back in the 2000s shark attack was expected. This is what I learned personally during shark attack: You can tell when a person hasn't been yelled at by their parents, People who thought shark attack was stressful usually buckled under real stress. For me the shark attack wasn't stressful because I knew sergeants couldn't physically touch me. There was one dude (actually 3) who was with me during basic and couldn't handle the shark attack, when we got to AIT he got phased back because he couldn't handle the stress of the course we did, finally when he got to my permanent Duty station, about 2 months after me, he bucked when we went to Iraq. We were not infantry or anything hardcore, just tech guys fixing NVGs. What I find annoying about the (New military) is that they have an image problem they don't want to fix. They should be showing all the true benefits of actually making a career in the military, and the downside. Most people think joining the military is for a bunch of low IQ people, but some of the smartest people I've met were in the military which surprised me.

The problem is it's getting harder and harder to convince people that the bigger and bigger overreach by the government is for the best interests of the people, and not just the best interest of the politicians and the organizations they take their bribes from.

I never wanted to join as I see how poorly veterans are treated and the enemy's crime often seem like a wealthy person's means of becoming wealthier.

Served as a 19K in the Army. Was literally the fittest soldier (highest PT scores) in my entire Battalion. Got promoted through the ranks from Private to Sergeant in just over 2 years time. (my leadership would get waivers to promote me earlier than what is usually allowed). In other words, I was a very fine addition to the Army (Not boasting here, just getting to my point). I never enjoyed my MOS however, and tried multiple times to reclass to a different MOS. I wasn't allowed because said MOS did not need Sergeants, only E-4's and below. I told the retention officers I'd take a reduction in rank if they'd just let me reclass to that MOS. Also made clear that my intention was to leave the Army if the reclass wasn't accepted. They still wouldn't allow it, and instead kept pushing to reenlist in my current MOS for another 3 years. (even offering 40k $) Needless to say, they didn't let me reclass, and so I left. It's been about 3 years since I've been out and I still get phone calls from recruiters regularly asking if I want to come back. You would think that during a time of low retention and recruitment, they'd be smart enough to retain a guy who actually enjoys the Army and goes beyond the standards. Hell, I was willing to take a pay cut (aka a lower rank) as long as they'd put me in the MOS of my choice. Stupid decision making like that is part of the reason they're stuck in this situation. Motivated soldiers are worth GOLD yet the Army refuses to use logic to retain them. They're still stuck in this mentality of "you need us" while the reality is that THEY need US & not the other way around. The amount of times I've heard of other soldiers getting told "you'll end up sleeping under a bridge if you leave" by their leadership is laughably sad. Civilian employers are dying for disciplined and motivated young people to join their company. PS: Yes I'm still salty about it lol. Even though I'm enjoying my civilian job and make more than double as much as I did in the Army, I do miss the culture and the camaraderie.

I remember meeting with our retention nco as my contract was coming to an end. He asked me what my plan was, and I told him; I'm getting out. The Army doesn't need me, and with all the stuff coming down the pike....the stuff being shoved down our throats...shows that the Army doesn't even want me anymore. He just smiled, and nodded in understanding. That was almost 10 years ago.

I remember going through basic and on my first day I put on the incorrect parka. And when one of my instructors noticed that. She marched me back to our barracks to get the right rain parka, after giving me a ear full of how much I had fucked up.

Thanks for the video helped an bunch subscribed!

There are a lot of reason why the U.S. Military is having recruitment problems from my observation. Alot of blame to go around. 1. Toxic Leadership and the ability for said Toxic Leadership to destroy your whole life though the power of a pen. 2. Poor treatment of American troops and not caring about them once they leave the military. 3. People that want to join but can't due to multiple restrictions. Also, lower standards of training, discipline and not holding toxic leadership accountable is another one. 4. Most American aren't able to join due to physical or mental health conditions. Sometimes its both. It doesn't help that some Americans' can't even get help for those conditions because they can't afford it. But that is another story. 5. Softer generation as well and not having a strong educational system or support systems to help people become stronger individuals. 6. There are better careers in the civilian market that people don't need to join the US military anymore and put themselves though any abuse from military, and civilian leadership. Worse, die in a war that makes no sense. 7. There is tons of information out there that have exposed the dark side of the US military, poor leadership in Washington and the failed wars in the middle east. Its enough damage to discourage anyone from joining. 8. Nobody wants to fight a war that isn't fully justify and the America population as a whole is tired of countless wars. All in all, the damage is done. It appears the US Military and US Government will need to do a lot of soul searching to fix things to get people to join including connecting with the population in a more sincere way. Last, the US Government needing to do a better job of taking care of the population.

When you’ve been fighting pointless conflicts against shapeless enemies for decades, don’t be surprised when people grow up and stop believing in the boogeyman enough to want to fight him.

I was not ready for 5:38

Any time I've ever asked someone who's served about joining the military, their responses have always been "Don't do it, life is never so bad that you need to enlist." Learning & seeing how veterans are treated, both from family who are ex-military and seeing it constantly discussed in the news, is also a huge deterrent. Debt relief programs would be a good incentive. I bet they'd see more twenty-somethings then

As an ex-Marine I feel conflicted. The yelling and screaming is meant to get you used to stress. Like my Drill Instructors told me, the enemy isn’t going to be nice to you. We need to be ready for that. But at the same time how else are we supposed to hit our numbers? If we keep the same standards, there may not be a Marine Corps left in the next 50 years.

I'm an Air Force vet. I find it damn near impossible to tell any of my family members to join the military just so that when they come home on vacation, the cops still think they are drug dealers. When that stop happening, I'll be a lot more willing to say join the military.

😂 I remember this and loved it. It’s how you challenge yourself.

If we look back, there are plenty of examples. Many historic superpowers gained their supremacy by own armies. But when they started to use mercenaries, they started own degeneration. The recipe for sure demise is still same, start replacing own soldiers with mercenaries, it sounds good on paper, but it never ended good for any empire. And US is started to use them quite often.

Can confirm retention is a major issue. At my office there are three guys around my age (I'm 29) who left the navy. The reasons I've heard mostly revolves around stress and being away from family for to long. The bonus money the navy is throwing at folks to try and retain them is staggering.

The fact that they don't take people for being poor is absolutely asinine. That is an unreasonable hiring standard. It's supposed to be an opportunity.

I think a lot of organizations sometimes fail to understand that appealing to a wider audience can actual result in less commitment as you are watering down what you offer and thus competing with more organizations in a similar vein. That's not to say that an organization should never change, but context is important. I can't say for sure what the outcome of the military's policy changes will be but I hope the decision makers have paid due regard to the aforementioned possibility, and are willing to course correct and admit a mistake if the new strategy proves problematic. Ultimately I think the military is making changes like these to avoid addressing the larger systemic issues that are hurting recruitment. Should the changes in the video prove necessary and successful, the military still has a plethora of serious problems to address to modernize and raise morale.

I remember when I was in the military and my last duty station before I left had a drill sergeant I was trained by get assigned to it and I vividly remember him but he didn't remember me at all. Gave me the coldest stare and remember that he gave me the hardest time out of everyone but I do thank him for making me be more attentive.

My cousin was a navy luitentent and he said that life on the carriers was a living hell. The food had traces of bromine so his hairline started receeding and his heart started skipping beats during sleep/ the constant sound of jets taking off made him lose a shit ton of sleep, he witnissed several suicides while on deck of soliders jumping off the ship, the "free college" was plauged with constant PT and hell weeks, and when he got home he was just depressed. So much put in for so little out of it, he's doing okay but he got fucked up in the head for no reason other than "military hoorah" Every service member I talk to plead to stay out of the service. There's no honor in fucking up your body for a government that doesnt give a damn about you and carries out shady/dirty drills in foreign affairs that don't make sense.

A big part of why the military is having problems with recruiting is that now they dig through all your medical records when before they would take you at your word that you didn’t have any disqualifying medical issues

2004 born here, when I was in my teens I wanted nothing more than to join the military. I was born into a JW family (though my mother was excommunicated after my birth) so I never had any family that served (or family, in general). I was going to be the first and I was gonna be proud of myself. However, due to underperforming in highschool and my drug use/weight problem, the idea of serving left me a long time ago. And I'm glad it did. There's no reason to enlist anymore. What's the point of enlisting nowadays?

I think a big part of this problem for the military is that we keep fighting stupid wars far from home that go on for long periods of time with no clear objective.

“Potentionaly offensive and weaponized” Well yeah they have guns

They need to show the good with the bad. I joined the USMC at 17 instead of going to college because I couldn't rely on my family to support me after I came out. It was difficult, demanding, and both deployments were nerve wracking. But it was an adventure, I served with the greatest people I've met in my life, I got in shape, and the VA took care of me afterward. Smash cut to 10 years after enlisting and I own a house, get a pension, and can live self-employed. The military needs to be seen as a trade: stability, skills, and benefits in exchange for 4+ years of toil. There are plenty of people who would take that deal.

I served my country in the Canadian Army as a Sapper at the age of 19 back in 2012 (applied at 17 with my dad's consent; he was in the Canadian Grenadier Guards, infantry, during the October Crisis and supported it. Now at 32 this march and a huaband and father, I'm glad I did go in the Army. Most people when i was growing up didnt because they "didnt think it was their problem". I did it for a few reasons, one is for thanking all the veterans that served before me for my freedom and that i will carry on the torch; the best way to say thank you.

Very well said some dude👍

Every ex-military in my college classes said they regret their decision to join the military. They said the promises offered were never kept. They had to pay for school themselves after being used by our gov't. Four of them said this.

I did my conscript in Sweden 15 years ago and one of my happiest memories. It was hard and officers were tough but they treated us with respect and did not yell at us just for yelling. Respect gives moral and moral is more important than be able to do 50 push ups on command or hitting bulls eye in every situation.

Crazy to think ten years ago I did my basic at Ft.Benning home of the infrantry. Good times

I am former Navy and I can say is don't do it. They don't pay enough when you start out and the training is absolutely insane... When i was being trained.. our training for mechanics was a computer video on how to fix a diesel engine. No hands on experience, until you got into the field. Just not worth it.

Calling them me me millenials and wondering why no one wants to serve is the most hilarious thing I've heard today.

I'm active duty USAF (aircraft maintenance) and I'm fairly familiar with the manning crisis, having been directly affected by it. This last promotion cycle it was communicated that the promotion selection rate for E-5 and E-6, which are the first two NCO ranks and thus non-automatic promotion ranks, would be severely diminished. The reason is that with so many fewer new Airmen coming in, higher promotion rates end up causing an imbalance in the numbers of junior enlisted vs NCO ranks. Unfortunately this change is likely to exacerbate the retention issue, which from my experience tends to affect the ranks of E-5 and below the most. However, the inability to make rank is not what I believe to be the primary barrier to retention, rather for my career field and others like it the major complaints are that personnel are not treated with dignity, the jobs give little fulfillment, and working conditions are generally over-demanding compared to other career fields, or to civilian life. For anyone reading this who may be considering enlisting, I do not regret my time in service. I'm mere months from separating and dread the thought of reenlisting, but I recognize that I have gotten quite a lot out of my time. The military can offer you some of the most memorable experiences of your life, build your character, and provide you with excellent benefits beyond what you might already know. Even if you only plan on doing one contract length of service, you can get quite a lot out of it if you have the right mindset.

Sensitivity at its best

those ads r hilarious!!

One of the reasons why enlistment is so low for many countries is the fact that they take a huge amount of time to process your application.

Former Marine here & I can tell you one thing for damn sure that keeps people from re-enlisting is not letting service members go to any other training schools/courses that they may be interested in. Either because: 1.) Someone in your command doesn't like you & doesn't want you to get what you want. 2.) Incompetence & your request isn't passed along the way it should be or is lost. These things happen all the time & trust me when re-enlistment time comes up & people reflect on not being satisfied with the job they currently have & aren't sure if they'll be able to do anything else they want to they tend just to leave.

This is positively frightening...

Weakening the biggest strengths of a nation, one Politician at a time.

"me me millennials and phone zombies of gen z." This had me in stitches. President Truman once said "The buck stops here." for dealing with responsibility, and that was back in 1953. Do you really think that shaming this generation would drive recruitment when the leaders of the army can't take the same level of responsibility? These leaders don't have just one clown, it's contains a whole circus.

Some of your clips were from my beloved Marine Corps, but honestly they have softened up in similar ways lol. Rah.

If three sergeants scream at me I would cry from laughter, my mind is just like that

One of many issues that add to retention is the up or out policy that forces many good servicemen out of the Army. Some MOS have fewer opportunities to promote. Rather than force soldiers out they should be cross trained into other jobs with better opportunities to promote.

I swear, 90% of the time, when he said the U.S. Army, a clip of U.S. Marines instantly played.

I am set to retire the Air Force after 20 years as an Avionics Aircraft Maintainer this December and its crazy looking back on how much military life has changed in these past 20 years. My first deployment as an A1C to the sandbox in 2005 had me staying up until midnight to use 15-minute phone cards to call back home and I worked out of a tent. My last deployment to the same place as a TSgt in 2018, I bought a data SIM card from the BX for my phone and could chat at any time with my wife...my room had Wi-Fi so I was still able to play video games after work! The part I was most interested about was at the end when retention was mentioned. I feel this is waaay more of an issue than recruitment. Now that I'm leaving, I'm getting asked why don't I stay the extra 2 years to high year tenure and get promoted...lol no way man, I worked my ass off trying to get MSgt for the past 7 years and kept getting denied and now you want to dangle a stripe in my face to keep me when I'm on my way out the door?? The promotion process for the Air Force is fucked and they are unnecessarily getting rid of highly experienced Airmen for new ones with the hope that it will pay off...it's not by the way. I talk to 4 and 6 year enlistee Airmen daily and the majority of them plan on getting out after their first-term due to lack of progression. Don't get me wrong, I love the Air Force for what they've provided me and my family, otherwise I wouldn't have gave them the prime of my life...but Air Force senior leadership needs to focus on expanding Airmen's opportunities for progression instead of focusing on 1 inch neck tattoos...I will say the hands in pockets thing is the greatest new reg of all time though.

I'm glad my Father-army, Uncle-navy, Grandpa-marines all made sure I didn't go anywhere near the military. How far the U.S.A has fallen.😢 😢

First 100 yards is such a good idea, from my Canadian perspective. A soldier who is fully invested in their unit is more likely to work hard to not let them down vs the one that has been "broken." Broken could mean they are just looking for their escape. Only need to look to a current war zone to see how badly soldiers that don't believe in the cause (and are badly supplied with fake armor) will take every opportunity to escape the situation vs ones that are highly motivated and relatively well supplied.

I really don’t think the biggest issue of recruitment is coming from physically or mentally unprepared individuals of a new generation meeting the difficulty of the military. For the people that say that- that’s exactly what basic training is for, to prepare an individual to meet the standards of what a soldier should be required. This is with the exception of obviously major disqualifiers like illnesses or problematic background history. They could adapt by making basic training last for a longer duration of time than a twelve week deadline or practice training with more intentional skills- changing the standards rather than lowering them. I really think it comes down to the perception of the military itself in the newer generations and how it has been perceived as a tool of politics. It’s not incorrect, and candidates frankly don’t like the idea of being robbed of their autonomy when they have no interest in the political system they would be serving under. It’s less so of a metrics problem than an image and reputation problem. This might sound a bit conspiratorial on my part, but I also blame the division of politics in the US for the inability to see the difference between nationalism and patriotism, and simply assuming them to be directly synonymous with a negative connotation. I see patriotism as a commitment to improving your nation to be a hospitable place for future inhabitants and impressionable spectators. I see nationalism as devotion to a country purely for the belief of civil service to return the favor of your privileges as a citizen. Beyond that to what’s relevant, when there is no unifying factor to achieve by people today, why would they risk their lives to defend what might drastically change tomorrow in a way they strongly disapprove of or how they may feel misrepresents them? I think it may be the uncertainty of a person’s individuality and representation as a soldier that causes so much hesitation. This is especially true with how much information of testimony that is available to prospective recruits from individuals already in service who will share that they had been disillusioned, deceived, and mistreated by what they were promised or expected for their commitment. I’m very passionate about this because I’m concerned that this will damage the quality of the country’s soldiers. Many of the harsh practices aren’t cruel for the sake of being abusive, they’re for the sake of preparing an individual for the most stressful moments imaginable, and if the individual cannot handle it under simulated conditions, they are either unfit or must be more prepared if the time comes.

These decisions will certainly frighten our adversaries.

One of my major poblems with the military recruitment is certain hiring standards. I've tried going to into both the airforce and marines as a pilot. I assumed with my ALREADY completed FAA Rotary License that I would be considered. However, they mentioned a required a 4 year degree in almost anything pilot related. The logic doesn't make since. They would rather have someone with no experience in avation w/ a 4 year degree THAN an already certified pilot.

As someone who is actively in the recruiting process at this exact moment, I’ll tell you exactly why people aren’t joining. Medical disqualifications Now, you might think these are really important as they can make sure people who can’t handle military life won’t get in helping everyone right? Wrong Literally any medical condition, no matter how minor or inconsequential, will force you to get a medical waiver. All I had was just some eczema on my hands that every dermatologist I’ve ever seen has said was totally under control and wouldn’t affect my ability to serve in any way. You want to know how long it took me to get a medical waiver for just that? 6 MONTHS I have been in the recruiting process for about a year now and I’m in danger of needing another waiver because I had my first ever kidney stone when I was 30 days out from boot camp. A condition that about 16% or so of all men have, and to be clear mine was extremely small (only 2mm), might force me to have to wait another 6 months or longer just to go to boot camp. And just in case you think this is just a minor me problem, ask any new recruit, especially the ones in the Coast Guard, how long they had to wait to go to boot camp. Almost all of them will say 1-2 years. It’s absolutely absurd for a job that demands so much and gives so little in return.

Common reasons people leave of the vets I know are: shit pay for the work compared to industry. Toxic leadership (and 20+year Olds given authority over them going on absolute power trips) and administrative gatekeeping(no promotions cuz of slots, etc). Recruiting is an issue as the generations become more socially active and aware of actual issues the bribed policymakers refuse to deal with, therein dooming the very generation they want enlisting.

Glad you are doin neuroplastcity research on recruitment trainings

Shark attack was a very important day to me, it was too intense for my brain to comprehend and I loved it

Retention bonuses.... From the stories I hear. Either you *NEVER* get your bonus or they'll give you a fraction of it hoping that you'll stop asking because something is better than nothing. Either way you have to fight for it because any way they can screw you out of getting your bonus. They will do it.

What honest recruiters have told me, the number will continue to decrease unless they change. Mental health, harassment, and management needs to be improved internally and taken seriously.

Imagine all 3 drill Sargents yelling in your face with bad breath enough to strip off paint from the walls

Unbelievable do we think our enemy is training like this.

I joined the Army back in 1990 and the Drill Sergeants yelled and screamed trying to get that one recruit to quit and I never felt belittle, shamed or got my feelings hurt, that is one of my great memories of the Army.

As someone who got out not too long ago. 1) do something about toxic leadership 2) fix the barracks. (Why is there mold?) 3) fix the dfac. (Properly feed or just give them their money to buy some) 4) train them to actually do their job 5)Stop the lowering of standards I could go on but you get the point

I rather go to prison than join the military. My father fought in two wars and retired from the military, it takes 3 years for him to get some kind of medical treatment at the VA hospital. Watching what veterans go through is enough for me.

OMG, I can't believe this shit. I'm glad I went through the old school way.

Marines are still here to protect the army.

I remember on my way to Navy boot camp we landed at O'Hare airport and were taken to the USO to wait for pickup. The staff there had us standing at attention, cleaning the area and we're clowning on us. I remember being called goofy. It left a bad taste in my mouth about the USO. I spent the rest of my time in the military avoiding it.

never once seen a recruitment poster at the gym.

I like the idea of the shark attack. That would have prepared me for the chaos of war and how to focus .

I thought about joining, even against my parents wishes. But what really stopped me where the older guys I knew who joined and were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. All of them told me not to and that it was not worth it.

I did 22 years and I got out in 2020. And I'm glad I retired in 2020. it took me 15 years of an active duty career to realize that I didn't fight for the freedoms of Americans I fought for the expansion of the wallets of big corporations such as Raytheon General Dynamics, Dyna Corp and every other Corporation involved in the military industrial complex. Been to Iraq multiple times nowhere did I see American freedoms being put in Jeopardy over there in iraq. What I did see is American foreign policy creating our own enemies. I think one of the biggest detriments to recruitment is the fact that it's harder for recruiters and the government to lie to people about fighting for Freedom now that information is at the click of your hand. Now bring on the hate cuz I brought to light the Ugly Truth the American Military does not Safeguard freedom it expands the wallets of the military industrial complex sorry not sorry

It's a little hard to care for a country when our very system is all about seeking what is best for you and only yourself.

The future wars could be humans wearing Vr headsets & controlling a robot

The recruitment ad with two moms gives a clear picture on what the US Army prioritizes.

A very simple thing happened in my military career that started my decision to leave, it was when my grandfather died and I was going to miss a drill, and the first thing that came from my unit was "Well we need a death certificate to excuse you, or an obituary". And this has been followed by many more examples.

You forgot the IRS is competing also lol

I mean tbh this change sounds good and tbh i agree but it still should also be a bit harsher