Only 9% of young Americans eligible to serve in the military are inclined to do so, an internal Defense Department survey reportedly said. Just 23% of Americans between 17 and 24-years old are qualified to serve without a waiver, Army Chief of Staff James McConville told Congress last month.
Young Americans believe they’re going to be physically or emotionally injured by military service, one senior US military official familiar with recruiting issues said in the report. The trend is likely to continue amid declining familiarity with military service, other officials also said.
Approximately 57% of young Americans polled in the Defense Department survey believe they would experience emotional or psychological problems after military service, the report said. Almost half think they would suffer physical problems as well, according to the survey.
The army has only met 40% of its enlisted recruiting goals for fiscal year 2022, which ends September 30, the report said. However, the final quarter following high school graduations is typically when the armed forces recruit the most candidates, the report noted.
While the Space Force is set to make its goal of roughly 500 Guardians for the fiscal year, the Air Force is over 4,000 recruits short of where they should be at this time, according to a senior defense official.
The navy and Marine Corps are also hopeful about making their recruiting goals, but have not yet met them, the report said. The Coast Guard has only filled approximately 55% of its active-duty entitlements, the report also said.
The Pentagon is reviewing its service disqualifiers, including some medical conditions that typically require waivers for service, in order to address recruiting challenges, multiple defense officials reportedly said.
Branches including the army, navy and Air Force are offering unprecedented signing bonuses of up to $50,000 for particular specialties, the report said. The military is also considering permitting soldiers to use social media platforms like TikTok to attract recruits, the report added.