Why is no one joining the military?

A perfect storm is brewing

71% percent of young people are ineligible to join the military, according to 2017 Pentagon data. The reasons: obesity, no high school diploma, or a criminal record. That number is staggering! Only 29% of Gen Z are eligible for military service.

Is the military struggling to recruit?

The Army, in its proposed 2023 budget, is looking to decrease the size of the force by about 12,000 soldiers, or about 2.5%, due to the difficulties getting new soldiers to join. "Recruiting in the military is challenging work," Gen. James McConville, the Army chief of staff, told reporters last month.

Are less people entering the military?

And yet official military polling shows that fewer and fewer young Americans consider the military as a career or as a transitional step – only some 12.5% – the lowest number in a decade.

Is the US military growing or shrinking?

12/13/2021

If that “no-growth” pattern continues in coming years, force structure will shrink rapidly, according to a recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022 — The Budget and Strategy Overview.”

What percentage of people Cannot join the military?

At least 71 percent of Americans between 17 and 24 are now ineligible to serve in the military—some 24 million of the 34 million people in that age range. The strength of the U.S. military depends on a constant flow of qualified volunteers.

Joining the military is an act of cowardice, ignorance, or greed

Is Army Easy to get into?

At the ASVAB stage, the easiest military branch to join is the Army or Air Force. At the basic training stage, the easiest military branch to join is the Air Force.

Is military life stressful?

Military life results in uncertainty and breaks in routine, which can cause family members to experience high anxiety, depression, PTSD and long-term mental health and wellness injuries. Many spouses feel it will hurt their military partner's chances of promotion if they would seek help for stress or depression.

Does the military need recruits 2021?

The US military met its recruitment targets for full-time service members for the 2021 fiscal year, which ran from October 2020 to the end of September 2021, but had a more difficult time attracting National Guard and reserve recruits during the same period, according to Pentagon data.

Does the military prey on the poor?

The military covers everything, from housing and tuition, to food. The Pentagon knows this and they use it to their advantage, actively targeting students from lower-income communities.

Does America need more soldiers?

The U.S. currently has 1.3 million active-duty service members. Due to attrition and retirement, the military needs to find more than 150,000 new recruits every year to meet its overall “end strength” goal.

Is the Army in need of recruits 2022?

Through the first five months of fiscal 2022, the service had reached only about 23% of its active-duty goal for new recruits. But Lt. Gen. Gary Brito, deputy chief of staff for the service's personnel issues, said he is still optimistic the Army will reach its target by this fall.

Are Millennials joining the military?

Millennials — those born between 1980 and 1996 — are not joining the military; they are the military. As of 2015, about 72 percent of active duty personnel were millennials. Many millennials could have retired with 20 years in service last year.

Is the army desperate for recruits?

The recruiting crisis is the result of a “perfect storm” of multiple factors, all coming to a head in 2022. With each passing year, fewer and fewer young people qualify for military service.

Can I join the military at 50?

Federal law dictates that the oldest recruit for any military branch must be 42 years old. However, each branch can set its cap below that < 42 limit.

Has military enlistment increased?

According to the paper, the Army, Navy and Air Force all managed to increase the number of troops in their ranks in 2020 compared to the year before, despite a downturn in new enlistments.

What is the age cut off for Air Force?

Plan the timing of your application to be sure you are age-eligible for service. To enlist, you cannot be younger than 17 (18 for GED holders) or older than 39 years of age. To join as an Officer, you cannot be younger than 18 or older than 39 years of age.

How many soldiers are recruited each year?

Last week, the U.S. Army announced that it had exceeded its active duty end-strength goal with 485,383 soldiers recruited or retained in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020.

Is 20 years in the military worth it?

The total expected value of retiring at 20 years is worth nearly a million dollars, which means that the last two years of work in uniform are worth roughly half a million each to a typical officer (annual base pay plus half of their retirement stream).

Is 24 too old to join the Army?

For the Army, the maximum age is 35. For the Navy, age waivers start at 34-years-old. For the Air Force, the maximum age allowed to join is 39-years-old. The Marines have the lowest maximum age for regular military service at 28-years-old.

Is being in the military worth it?

Some of the most popular benefits of joining the US military is the job training, educational assistance, steady paycheck, health coverage, and housing benefits. See a full list of the benefits here.

What is the most stressful job in the military?

Most stressful jobs in the U.S. 2019

The most stressful job was enlisted military personnel with a score of 72.58.

How do you relax in war?

Why Being a military spouse is hard?

The life of a military spouse is undeniably challenging. Being away from your partner for months or years at a time, assuming the role of a single parent, trying to balance a career while moving so often – all of these realities of military life can take its toll.