US Army falls short of recruiting target; other services barely make it

October 01, 2022

Washington, D.C. Officials acknowledged Friday that the Army fell nearly 15,000 troops, or 25%, short of its recruiting goal this year, despite a frenzied push to close the widely anticipated shortfall in a year when all the armed services battled to find young people ready and fit to serve in a tight employment market.

All of the other services had to sift through their pools of candidates who were eligible for delayed entrance, which would put them behind when the new recruitment year starts on Saturday. Only the Army failed to reach its goal.

The growing issue prompts discussion about whether the size of the American fighting force should be altered or lowered if the services are unable to recruit enough personnel. It also may increase pressure on the National Guard and Reserve to assist in meeting mission needs.

The Marine Corps, which typically enters each fiscal year with as much as 50% of its recruitment objective already locked in, barely has little more than 30%, according to authorities. As they begin the next fiscal year, the Air Force and the Navy will only have reached around 10% of their objectives. Typically, the Air Force makes up roughly 25%. Officials provided information on the yet-to-be-released recruitment totals under the condition of anonymity.

All of the other services had to delve deeply into their pools of candidates who were delayed admission, which would put them behind when the next recruitment year gets underway on Saturday. The Army was the only service that did not make its objective.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth stated, "We will only accomplish 75% of our fiscal year 22 recruiting objective in the Army's most difficult recruiting year since the commencement of the all-volunteer service." "The Army will remain ready and fulfill all of our obligations for national security. We will use the Guard and Reserve to supplement the active-duty troops if recruiting issues continue, and we may need to reduce our force structure.

According to officials, the Army hired over 45,000 soldiers for the fiscal year that concluded on Friday. 60,000 was the target.

In contrast, the Air Force was able to draw just the right number of recruits from its delayed entry pool to meet its target of enrolling 26,151 new members this year.

Maj. Gen. Edward Thomas, head of the Air Force Recruiting Service, said at a conference last week that, in terms of Air Force jargon, "we're doing a dead stick landing as we come into the end of fiscal '22, and we're going to need to turn around on the first of October and do an afterburner takeoff." "We're going to begin 2023 in a more difficult situation than we began 2022."

This year, military authorities tried to grow their numbers with enhanced recruitment bonuses and other initiatives, but they admit it's getting more and harder to compete with the private sector in the competitive labor market. And as they consider the future, they are concerned that if the patterns in decreased enrollment persist, the Pentagon may need to reevaluate its force needs and devise strategies to draw more young Americans who can satisfy the military's physical and mental qualifications to the profession.

Military authorities prepared for a poor recruitment season early this year. For instance, the Army declared some months ago that it would need to reduce its anticipated overall force strength for this year from 476,000 to around 466,000. The Army was able to retain 104% of the intended number of personnel, which helped to somewhat overcome the significant recruiting gap.

The difficulties in recruitment include a wide range of root issues.

Recruiters were unable to access the schools, public gatherings, fairs, and other youth groups where they frequently found candidates during the two years of the epidemic. As in-person meetings came to an end, recruiting was moved to the internet, although this was only modestly successful. Additionally, some in-person access has taken a while to reopen.

At the same time, businesses like McDonald's are currently courting workers with greater incentives like tuition reimbursement and other advantages that for years made working in the military appealing. Military authorities claim that they are experiencing the same labor crisis that is making it difficult for restaurants, airlines, stores, and other companies to find employees.

Only 23% of young people, according to estimates, can fulfill the military's physical, educational, and moral criteria; many of them are disqualified for reasons ranging from health conditions to criminal histories to tattoos.

Gen. James McConville, chief of staff of the Army, stated, "We are dedicated to upholding our standards, investing in America's children, and stressing quality over quantity.

Uncertainty exists over the role that the COVID-19 vaccination controversy is having on the recruitment issues. A little over 1,700 troops have been dismissed by the Army as a result of their refusal to receive the required vaccination. That is a minuscule portion of the total force.

In addition, the patriotism that spurred the rush to enlist in the military after the Sept. 11 attacks has waned. There might not be any conflicts or terrorists to combat when some people glance around, so they turn their attention elsewhere. Others notice attractive hiring initiatives by the private sector and understand the salary will be higher than military pay and they will be less likely to suffer injuries or lose their lives while working there.

In an effort to increase recruitment, the services are juggling a number of new initiatives and other adjustments, but there are still unanswered concerns about how to effectively persuade young people that serving in the military is a good fit for them.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, urged the services to "think outside the box, creating new career paths, offering innovative pay and incentive structures, and realigning some capabilities from military to civilian workforces should all be on the table" during a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the recruiting issues.