@blablarg18 said in USA military can't recruit:
So - what's different or unique, to these last few years?
Military recruitment has been decreasing ever since 1987. It's about a third lower now than the end of the 1980's.
Even by the military's own evaluations, of the US population within the military's target 17-24 year old demographic, only about 23% of Americans would satisfy the current standards for military service (e.g., increases in obesity, decrease in physical abilities, etc.).
And then you have to subtract from the above 23% all of the younger people with other disqualifications. For example, the military does not allow recruitment of persons with visible tattoos on the face, neck, or hands. The military doesn't allow recruitment of persons with criminal records, including drug use convictions.
The military also does not recognize states' legalization of marijuana, meaning anyone who has smoked "legal" weed are disqualified. Also, the military considers legal medications for ADHD to be simulant usage that disqualifies a candidate.
You also have the fact that probably a majority of young folks consider America to have recently lost a war, which historically has always resulted in a lowering of recruitment. Whether youngsters are right or wrong, the younger generations consider America to have lost the war in Afghanistan, especially with the way it was ended by the current and former Administrations. Additionally, years and years of the "No Blood for Oil" narrative because of the choices of the Bush Administration has undermined youngsters' view of the military as an institution.
Conservatives have basically put the military into a "damned if you do; damned if you don't" situation. The military struggles to meet its recruitment goals, and the minute it reaches out (with targeted positive messaging) to new demographics (e.g., to the LGBT community, to women, to online influencers, to video gamers), the conservatives attack that outreach as "going woke."
"Fuck you, faggot. Now hold this gun!" isn't a very winning campaign slogan to help recruit the gays.