As a retired combat Vet, I approve of anyone NOT signing up; not the way they’ve propped up wars yet leave fellow 🇺🇸Americans🇺🇸 insecure, poor, hungry, homeless… literally in the dust. Happy 4th, everyone!

Not a word about veterans left to fend for themselves in the streets, having to fight for every penny from a government that spends trillions with arms contractors 😡

They way America treats their veterans made me turn my eye to joining the military at a young age.

As a combat vet I lost my best friend to suicide after we returned from our second tour. The average hovers around 20 per day. Civilians see this and are much more aware than in the past due to the internet and social media. After reading "War Is a Racket" (The Profit That Fuels Warfare) by Major General Smedley D. Butler I realized what we have been fighting for and more people are waking up.

Younger generations are just aware what to expect when joining the military. We are living in the age of information after all. People are not joining the army blindly anymore.

Those who opposed the Iraq War from the get-go saw this coming. Children of the 2000's are now grown and don't want to risk being sent to war over false pretenses.

I'm an Army veteran and I hope it hits rock bottom. While you're in you are treated terribly (because you have very few rights and the ones you do have are hard to fight for), the food is horrible (unless you're on an AF base), and the housing wouldn't qualify for section 8 housing. I hope it gets so bad they are forced to treat troops like people, provide them with the quality of life that a person collecting life long disabilities should receive (everyone leaves with back, knee, shoulder, etc...issues), and finally do something about all the rapes.

I think the experience of vets who were involved in the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan are coming back and don't want their loved ones to go through that. Being dropped into a foreign country as a teenager to fight "the bad guy" and then slowly realizing that YOU are the "bad guy" will definitely make you change your view of the military you dedicated your life to serve in. Also, the VA is notorious for leaving our vets without the proper care they deserve.

For every good successful military career story there are dozens of failures. Homelessness, depression, PTSD, physical long term injuries, divorces and bankruptcies are usually the stories that you'll see the most. Kids today are not stupid, they see how the government treats our vets and they make the right decision for not joining. Even vets warn their kids against joining.

As a Vet I am telling you don't Join and fight for corporate interests!

My grandfather was a WW2 combat vet in the pacific Theater. He said it best before he passed away - “when I served, we were defending our country. Those who serve today are defending some rich guy’s bank account.”

Desert Storm vet. I do not, repeat, DO NOT recommend that you join the US military today until the force takes a massive turn to the right track.

As a Marine Veteran I don't fault the young adults. I served my country and Honorably Discharged in 2000, during my time of service I severely damaged my left knee..to this day it still swells up, locks out, clicks when walking, there are weeks it's so bad that I have to stay off it and ice it, the throbbing pain is horrible. But the VA gives me a whopping $100/month for my service connection. So I don't blame anyone for not wanting to serve because they'll use you and throw you to the curb and everything is on you and the military no longer has anything to do with you. VA hospitals are a joke, when you show up..everyone from the front door to the PA not Doctor will mock you and discredit you so many don't like that and just leave. Go to school, learn a trade, you'll make more money than any service member.

I think its a combination of bad advertising, poor leadership, not taking care of our veterans, and the wars we choose to fight in.

I’d rather not die for a country that doesn’t care about me at all.

Definitely saw this coming. Retention is almost as bad as recruiting. I got out after 10 years and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. You regain your dignity.

I served 15 years in the U.S. Army, climbing the ranks from Private( E-1) to Chief Warrant Officer (W-2) from 2002 to 2017, mostly in airborne units as a paratrooper. When I left the military due to service-connected disabilities, I never received adequate support from the VA. Not only did I have to leave the military with only 5 years left before I could retire, but I have been having to pay out of pocket for my own PTSD treatment because the VA classified my PTSD as a "mood disorder" because that is how they are able to avoid spending money on disabled veterans that have PTSD. So with 15 years of service including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, the only thing I came out with is a bad back, bad knees, unstable mental health, and no retirement benefits. A few months ago I sold all of my guns because I have been struggling with thoughts of suicide; I know that I would have put a bullet in my own head by now if I kept them, I daydream about it constantly. It doesn't help that I can barely afford to pay my bills even with my full-time job as an HR Investigator. I am so sick of society; people always say that they support veterans but that is a lie; when you leave the military it's difficult to even get a job because civilian employers treat us like entry-level employees and they lowball our salary. I applied for several higher paying jobs that I am qualified for, but I get rejected every time because they don't seem to know that organizational management in the military does translate to business management in the civilian world. Society has abandoned the veteran population, every day I wake up just wishing I was dead; that is why I tell people that joining the military is not worth the sacrifice. I lost my marriage from deploying too frequently, I lost friends that were killed overseas, my health has rapidly deteriorated, I might lose my house this year, and the only real satisfaction that I get out of life is knowing that someday I am going to die.

Dude look how our veterans are treated. You think people want to end up in that boat. You really dont have to be a genius to figure out all the reasons why nobody is signing up

My dad was a retired air force vet. 23 years... he told me not to sign up even tho his father and grandfather served. I followed his advice.

As someone who is currently serving. It’s not worth it. I advise people to get out and not reenlist. There are better jobs outside of the military. The pain and struggle isn’t worth it.

As someone who is not from the USA, I get the impression that more Americans are aware that they are fighting wars for the military industrial complex for profits not because someone is threatening them.

My grandfather was in the Navy and my father in the army. They both told me not to join, and I did. And I regretted ever since I did a full six years and it was hands-down the most radical thing I saw. Leadership sleeping with junior enlisted, riddled mentally ill soldiers, men and women constantly harassed and abused and no one even cares about it. I should have listened to the two generations telling me not to join

I am the first Man on my Dad's side of the family in 4 Generations who decided not to serve. One of my best moves in life and my Dad who served says it was absolutely the right decision!!

I enlisted from 2001 to 2004. My dad is a 20 year retired Vietnam Vet. I joined as an older recruit at 26. That being said, I told my son that the military wasn't an option for him when he turns 18. Joining the Army was the best decision I ever made, but I left with healed fractured hip socket joint and 10 percent disability. I've been reevaluated and I still get 10 percent even though I now have arthritis. The best thing joining the Army did for me was using the VA home loan. Without that, I would have never been able to my houses. The zero percent down was a lifesaver.

My Dad is a vet and he begged me not to go. I wish I would have listened to him. I wasted 4yr of my life and didn't get anything I was promised by the recruiters. My career did not transfer over into the civilian world either. If you are reading this don't do it. You don't owe anything.

My dad was in the army for a few years to told me he’d be proud of me if I literally did anything else with my life.

People are wiser these days. I had no idea what I was really signing up for. Luckily I wasn’t damaged in the process.

12 years in...it's not worth sacrificing your body and having to argue against the VA about WHY you need disability after. Young folks save yourselves and your bodies.

why fight somebody else's war?

I don't know anyone who spent time in Afghanistan who came home a happier, more fulfilled person.

One of the best decisions I ever made. It afforded me many opportunities & experiences I don’t think I would have otherwise. I saw this coming a decade ago when I ETS’d. The US military is at their weakest & most vulnerable right now. Honestly, you would make more working at Wal-Mart than being an E-1 through E-4 & the new generations just aren’t willing to be government tools for mere pennies when they could make millions from being influencers on social media. 😅

As a Veteran, I’m glad to see this.. As a Veteran, I’m glad to see this..

Nothing we did in the last 22 years has made us more free or more safe.

Maybe people realize that while the army fight and defend our country we have billionaires who get more rich and get to sit on their comfy couch?

I agree...if you live in a free country, you are obligated to serve. The sad thing is that the US is no longer a free country!

As a veteran, I'm not surprised. I did 6 years and all of those years were extremely depressing. Now I can't even get an appointment at the VA without waiting 6 weeks or more. The younger generations aren't stupid. They see what's going on and they're not going to put themselves in a bad situation just for free college.

"No draft" He means the poverty draft isn't pushing people into the military as their only choice. It's why I joined, and the reason my kids won't. Neither the pay or benefits are competitive and history has shown we have to fight tooth and nail for the benefits we earned. Look at how many died in poverty paying medical bills for over a decade fighting over burn pits.

I thought about ways to fix this and realized a good way to boost recruitment. You know most former marines that I still talk to on Facebook didn’t end up using the GI Bill and instead I saw that most are trying to open up their own business. Then it clicked, why not create a secondary GI Bill benefit that gives the service two options, to either receive education benefits or receive the option to fund their own business. Give the servicemen the true opportunity of achieving the America dream if they enlist. Starting a business is expensive, and so is going to school. Give them two options when it comes to using GI Bill. Only 40% of veterans use the GI Bill, these veterans should be rewarded for their service.

My college roommate was a 10 year navy vet and he talked me out of joining up. He compared serving in the navy to being in prison.

A big problem is the leadership once you are in. They act as though we aren't wearing the same uniform and have taken the same oath. They are very dismissive to enlisted issues. I served 13 years Navy and I have seen all manner of behavior from the leaders. Its truly sad and disgraceful how they do the young men and women who WANT to serve.

When you see military families struggling to make it on that salary and still rely on food programs, that is not encouraging.

I'm an Army vet and the ONE thing that they're not touching on is the PAY. PAY your in-service members more and I guarantee you'd see more people signing up. I was payed below minimum wage for the hours I worked and the salary I received.

I will gladly die for my family, no way I’m selfless enough to die for this country full of people who would want me dead anyway for what I believe in

My father served in the navy in the 90s and my father in law served in the Vietnam war. After seeing how the military has treated them, aside from all the other things I’ve seen. That made me see things for how they are. It’s not worth leaving your family to fight for leaders who won’t take care of everyone that served. I made up my mind that I’d rather do everything I can here for my family at the home front than to go to a foreign country to fight someone else’s oil war. My job is to serve and protect my wife and kids.

My stepdad had developed such severe PTSD from serving in the Military for over 26 years that I myself developed PTSD from how he treated me and my sibling. It destroyed our family and nearly my mental health as a whole.

When I tell people my husband has been in for almost a decade and in our last 2 duty stations we qualified for food stamps, early preschool, free college classes all because they don't pay enough anymore.

I retired out after 22 years. The amount of WOKENESS has been increasing. Mandated sensitivity classes, forced acceptance of transgender, but denial of religious liberty. Add in dubious missions, bad leaders that drop pallets of money on our potential enemies, why would anyone serve?

Combat soldier here 2005- 2006, Iraq. I told my young teen son when I got back, that if entered any service, I would rather he served in the coast guard. At least doing that, he would be primarily serving the average citizen with rescues, navigation hazards and general safety on the water ways and at sea. I told him, unless he wanted to come back effed up like me. He has never even considered entering service. We rock it at defeating an enemy and conquering. Occupation? The way we conducted the occupations was utterly stupid. "Winning the hearts and minds"? What a farce. Doing things that actually did something for the general populace? Simple things like, ensuring the hospitals had power and supplies. Nope. Why spend money on a people that we conquered and try to actually build any trust with, when we have these massive Forward Operation Bases to build? Making contractors rich? Absolutely! So much wasted money. So much wasted lives - both there and the continuing suicides here. The VA is an inconvenient reminder of flawed and even failed foreign policy. We veterans are just the physical residual trash of that foreign policy. Thank you leadership on high. Y'all really effed things up, when it could have been so much more humane and productive. Instead, it was highly profitable for all those contractors. It apparently helped grease that GDP and stock markets for awhile. The one suggestion I have for the future (There will be another occupation one day, somewhere); Occupation forces need to be more like EMT's and help the healing of the common person in a nation we have conquered, instead of the "authoritarian" - looking for a fight - all the damned time. Being proactive instead of reactive. It was an honor to be target. Fiddler's Green

As a millennial, I grew up watching the extreme mismanagement and bureaucracy of the VA for wounded vets and decided not to risk it. There are career opportunities through the military branches, but it's a major risk

I have two brothers that served in the US Army. Both told me that it was a big mistake for them to have joined and they regreted ever doing so.

Joining when the Military industrial complex is desperate is too risky. . . Most unprofessional organization I have ever been a part of.

They treated my Father who was a Marine vet like, I don’t even want to say it. Horrible. Absolutely horrible.

With all due respect, people are asking themselves: "Why should i put my life on the line for some politician's slefish endeavors?"

I served 10 years and when I look back and compare what I had archived in that time and my friends who did not served, I would NOT recommend it to a young person. Use the time for something better, I'd say!

I did 9 years in the Navy, overall I learned a great deal and had a lot of fun. But I'll be lieing if I didn't say life was HARD. The saying is one year serving is two years on your body. I personally wouldn't want anyone I care for to go through what I went through. I definitely advise against it if you better options.

Good on the vets for warning people. Nothing beats a first-hand account of what you're getting yourself into.

I'm a veteran with 100% p&t disability from the VA and that was warned by a family member not to join. His exact words to me were "Don't do it. It was the best mistake I ever made". While I don't regret my service per-se, I can say I wouldn't do it again knowing what I know now and I would give the same advice a family member gave to me, which I ignored, over 20 years ago.

The fact that new recruits are offered 50k to join yet you have Staff Sergeants who are offered nothing is bad as well. Fix RETENTION and that will greatly impact RECRUITING

I was in a different field (law enforcement) and when my son said he wanted to be a cop like his dad I said no. It was bad enough when I did it, I can't imagine how horrible it is now.

Currently at 17 years Navy. The biggest issue I see is during the span of a 20-30 year career they expect service member to move every 3 years to some different random locations. No chance to settle into a community anywhere and raise a family. This is a tremendous sacrifice for military member and their family's to shoulder and all doing so for a job that pulls you away from home on deployments for 5-8 months and duty day rotations while in home port and the pay is very mediocre. BAH is either just enough or inadequate. Pay does not keep up with inflation, generally speaking the compensation package (speaking from senior enlisted) is very soft for what is asked of us. Submitting for retirement at 20 on the dot as I do not feel it is financially worth it to remain active. Would I recommend this career to my own kids? Yes, just do 4 years to get out of the house, get on ur own and grab some college benefits and that's it. Good initial entry into adult hood and being independent. Long term career, do not recommend.

Best day of my life was when I left the army. They all said that I’d be back…that was 7 years ago and I’ve never looked back.

tried to enlist at 28. I was denied because they found that I had seen a therapist as a teen that my parents had taken me to. They're not even accepting volunteers anymore. meanwhile some other guys from somalia with a green card that couldn't even speak english got in. because why. because they have zero medical history in the states. and no criminal history on record. who knows what they did back home.

Right off the bat you mentioned my family, on both sides of the big tree. My brother was denied VA benefits because he took the early ship out suggestion during Operation desert storm. He was hung out to dry. He and other members of my family are alcoholics with PTSD, night terrors, and they're scared to come home to their kids sometimes over the years because sometimes they can't switch off the Operator side. They were left in the cold. Not a single person that I can think of below my generation has even expressed interest in signing up with any of the armed service branches.

22 years ago there was no internet. Youngsters today know better about the real traumas of belic confrontation.

Who would have thought an entire generation growing up during a war based on a lie doesn’t want to participate?

"Influencers"? Those are the LAST people you would want doing your recruiting.

Not only does the military need to support their veterans better, many of their job skills don't transfer to the civilian world. My brother was a medic in the army. He served for a year on the front lines in Tikrit, Iraq during operation Iraqi freedom. He saw combat. When his tour was over he worked as a medical assistant in the hospital on base for a few years. When he got out of the army he wasn't qualified to work in a hospital or clinic. Which is ridiculous. He didn't have the right certifications, and there's no process in place to take some sort of skills test to prove that he has the knowledge to do the job. I think that alot of people find themselves in that position. What do you do after the military if the job you've been doing isn't one that you can do in civilian life?

After watching my uncle lose his mind in Afghanistan Kandahar in 1997 without any benefit. Only therapy that made his PTSD” worst. Plus until this day the USA government has always forgotten about its veterans patriots. Good luck recruiting for the bankers. The people are the once’s in charge don’t forget that elites.

As a young healthy male, I thought about it, my army retired dad talked me out of it. Probably the best choice I ever made.

quit blaming it on opportunities in other jobs. People have woken up that they are cannon fodder in BS wars

I had to be medically cleared by MEPS 3 times l because a doctor decided to make a snap diagnosis that was completely ludacris. They put me through a horrible discharge process in boot camp for being a dumb 19 year old telling them i thought I took a medication I never took. They spent two months adminstratively discharging me instead of simply going into my medical records. This is what the government feels comfortable doing to you when they dont need people (in 2010). Nobody should be shamed into joining such an adminstratively incompetent force.

My husband and I are both vets. We very much pushed our boys not to join. As active duty, we are treated as property (and we literally are property-by choice-of the USA) and as veterans who were disabled directly by our military jobs, we are tossed aside. My husband and I were limited in options as young people but our sons are not and luckily have chosen different paths.

When I graduated high school, I was strongly considering joining the marine corps. During this time, I spoke to several family members who served to get advice, cheif of which being my great grandfather, who served as a marine during the Korean war. The general consensus between them all was that joining was not a good idea and to find other things to pursue. Seeing how the military gets treated, I'm glad I listened to my grandpa. To all who serve or have served, I salute you.

My dad 42 years army stopped me from joining and my brother who also was in the army . Both say they would never do it again and that our country is doing horrible things that will come back to haunt us.

I'm a veteran and I wouldn't want to serve alongside a conscript. Period. Part of the reason people hesitate to serve is because they see how poorly veterans that come back from war are taken care of. The colonel laments the fact that 9/11 did not motivate people to enlist in as great a volume as did Pearl Harbor-- well, politicians in Congress nowadays have to be publicly shamed before they will provide legislation to permanently take care of 9/11 first responders dying of terminal cancer. Many politicians are not willing to approve legislation to make it easier for veterans to file medical claims. I don't think it's simply a problem of a younger public that is unwilling to serve.

Alternate hypothesis: maybe more young people understand that the idea of joining the military to "defend freedom" has always been bogus.

Experiences will vary. I have been in for 12 years, I have worked in three MOS's and I'm about to train to a fourth. I've also been stationed at six different bases. What I have come to learn is that your experience depends on your environment, those around you and your character. Most people are proud of their service and happy with their time in the military. Of course those who are most upset or going to be the loudest. I personally wouldn't trade it for anything I have loved my time in the military.

What do you expect. You have men and women serving for years with low pay, giving their time, body, and health for this country; and what do they get in return, a country that doesn't care for em in getting health care or programs that would help them at all

Once you see how the government treats it's veterans (leaving them with a high percentage of unemployment, homelessness, PTSD) it is very easy to understand why no one in their right mind would voluntarily join.

I dreamed of enlisting in the NAVY my entire childhood. I was rejected in 1995 because I chose to get a GED instead of a diploma. I was in foster care and wanted to live in my own apartment instead of group homes which was allowed but you had to be done with high school and working full time. If I had known that I was throwing away my dream I would have stuck it out in the group homes and finished high school instead of testing out. I had a very high score on my ASVAB so the recruiter tried to help me out but the higher ups said no. I hoped to be career military but it didn't work out. Maybe they should be less picky.

Ain’t nobody Tryna get yelled at, and do drills in this heat lol

My dad served 31 years in the Navy, he actually died while active and was about to retire. I remember before graduating high school I thought about joining the Air Force or navy, but dad convinced me not to and just go to school.

2 years ago when I was 28 I'm 30 now I was this close to joining the air force already had a recruiter but then at the last minute and I said no I'm not doing it. Probably best bullet i ever dodged.

They should start a "Senior Force" for those older folks. Surely, there are duties that need to be done that don't involve a 12 mile ruck march.

It’s more than what they’re reporting. If you have ANY type of medical history you have either provide documentation saying that you are cleared/healthy or wait two years to have any meds leave your body.

Truthfully I thank every veteran who reads this .. I’m sorry that some of you have to endure after effects for a country that doesn’t truly appreciate the effort and blood sweat and tears … y’all are the definition of a human being willing to be front and center for others …. Y’all do more than the government could ever dream of doing and I salute you one million percent!

As prior military, I've experienced toxic work environments where gossip was spread among service members, superiors felt it was right to talk down those who were lower rank, and military members appeared miserable during work. With all the negativity I've seen and people taking the job too seriously, I'm happy I left without any regrets.

My entire family starting with my grandfather dad cousins uncles and I have family members that in the military right now. I was growing up in Germany one of my best childhood friends im still in contact with because we both stay in Texas joined the army and I believe he went on 3 tours. When he came back of course the army let him go because of ptsd he was sad because that’s all he knew. Now I have to say he is not the same person I grow up with. I get it we all grow up but he was different talking to himself and all kinds of crazy things. I told him that I was glad I didn’t joined breaking my family tradition. I told him the army when is done with u they spit u out like a gum that lost its flavor

I see alot of veterans telling folks to not sign up for good reasons, however regardless of the effects of joining, someone has to do it to keep our homes safe. stay safe out there vets

The younger generation is getting exceptionally good at understanding the personal cost/benefits ratio of things like going to college and military service. We are spending billions on the latest tools and gadgets that the military doesn’t even fully utilize while also churning out veterans who can’t find a job or have extreme difficulty reintegrating with society.

I served, and unfortunately I was bullied out by some of my superiors (NCO). I am not a troublemaker and have always tried to keep my head down, but I was deemed too good at my job and made them nervous at how well I managed every extra job responsibility they threw at me. It took being setup to take blame for missing information on a patient procedure that had been dumped on me when I was supposed to be on lunch break to finally get me in enough trouble to get kicked out. Sad thing was that everyone I worked with knew what was going on, but couldn’t get proof to help me out. My coworkers were happy to see me go because it meant I would no longer have to targeted and could move on to better things with my life.

Very interesting how they speak about it as a PR problem rather than speaking about it as a culture issue. In the private sector, if a company is competing for recruits, they might look at making the company more competitive rather than keeping the status quo and just convincing people to work there. Workers in the door does not necessarily equal retention; you may end up exacerbating the worker shortage when former employees tell others what a bad choice it is. The comments here are telling. 😬

I did 15 years in the Air Force. Got forced out for HYT in 2018. They kick out those that want to stay and serve but make advertisements to try and attract groups of people that never will.

What Colonel Clueless missed entirely is that people my age have seen just how futile wars can be, how serving in the military can dramatically change your life (and not for the better), and how veterans are actually treated. There was a reason after 9/11 people in my generation (I was in college at the time) hesitated to join up, it was our parents, the Vietnam generation, that were influential in those decisions. They saw how veterans were treated, they saw how everyday kids were fodder for some political ideology that was a total loss. They saw the handwriting on the wall in Iraq and Afghanistan long before the rest of us and warned us ahead of time. Now fast forward, we are in generation that witnessed the debacles of Iraq and Afghanistan, the udder uselessness of both conflicts and the lack of change those conflicts resulted in. Another difference between 9/11 and Pearl Harbor is who was responsible. You could point to Japan (and the axis powers) as direct state actors, physical geographic locations that could be identified in a map. 9/11 was a bunch of individuals, not state sponsored (well maybe the Saudi’s). So there was no dot on the map, no state actors. You could argue Afghanistan’s government let it happen, but that is/was a stretch considering bin Laden was all over the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan planning and funding the attack. It was senseless, money and lives lost for an outcome that was at best no better then when it started and at worst destabilizing to entire regions. We should have killed bin Laden and his terrorist buddies, not invaded two counties and tried to change their way of life….

I have known people that joined the military in the mid 70s and none of them came back with anything good to say about the military. The dissatisfaction has been with us for a long time.

LET’S CONSIDER MILITARY RECRUITING AND RETENTION PROBLEMS. You may have heard something about the problems the military is having with recruiting and retention. Well, part of that problem is most Americans don’t know anything about it ….. or care. First, let’s establish that this is a serious issue. Our military needs the appropriate numbers and types of people to do its job protecting the rest of us. The wrong numbers and types of people means we will loose the next war. Additionally, other nations will see our weakness and decide to be extra aggressive, increasing the chance of war. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CAUSES OF OUR CURRENT PROBLEMS? Some say it’s because about 75% of America’s youth are not qualified to enter the services. Left unexamined is the fact that this is not a new condition which has never before had a serious effect on recruitment. Some say it’s because the military has gone Woke, and that repels recruits and those already in the services. Military leadership rejects this. But, there is ample proof of its truth. And, it’s military leadership that has caused it. Some say it the economy. Conditions are so good that recruits and existing military are drawn to the civilian market. But, given the state of the current economy, that is a questionable belief….. at best. HOW IS THE MILITARY LEADERSHIP ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM? Standards are being lowered….. Regardless of lowering the ability to fight, current leadership is desperate not to look bad. It seems they would rather loose the next war instead. Bribes are being paid….. Payments of up to $100,000 are being offered to attract recruits and keep existing military. There is an increased reliance on women to fill combat slots….. This may decrease our combat effectiveness. But, it will temporally stop the leadership from looking bad. It is interesting to look at the environment in which the recruitment and retention problems exist. FOR MOST OF THE PAST 75 YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN AT WAR (although congress has not declared war as required ……even once). AND, WE HAVEN’T WON ANY OF THEM. All of these conflicts were against inferior adversaries that posed no chance of large scale war that would threaten the continental United States. We went to their countries…..they won…..and we left. Recently, 3 big things have happened. First…. After fighting for 20 years in the middle east, we were kicked out of Afghanistan looking unprofessional and like a bunch of losers. Second….. the US blundered into a proxy war with Russia….. Third, China is becoming more and more aggressive. A war involving Russia and/or China would most likely be similar to WW 2 (at best) and could easily go nuclear and end mankind…..That means all of us would be dead. Many Americans have determined that military leadership, both uniformed and, mostly civilian, has not been up to the task since WW 2. Some even believe the Deep State is pushing us to war for the benefit of the military/industrial complex. PERHAPS OUR MILITARY HISTORY IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS IN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION? What are our leaders NOT doing to address the problem? THEY ARE NOT CONSIDERING A DRAFT While a draft would solve a number of problems, politicians will never vote for it. The 25% of Americas youth who would be susceptible do not want to die and would vote the politicians out of office. Also, the parents and families of the 25% would likewise vote against these politicians. But, the biggest reason the politicians would not bring back the draft is they know a large portion of Americans would then become interested in our foreign affairs and that would drastically limit the politicians ability to send our military into conflicts. This would dry-up the money and influence politicians now have access to. THEY ARE NOT CHANGING HOW WE ADDRESS FOREIGN AFFAIRS Our leaders are also not considering changing our approach of engaging in military interventions around the world. Our history of deciding where to get involved, our goals, our definition of victory, our strategy and tactics have a 75 year record of failure. We don’t seem to know what we are doing ( This is not an opinion. this is historical FACT ). Yet, there is no call to examine what we did and how we can avoid the continuation of our record of failure. Nobody has been held responsible. NOTHING ! Perhaps the gen-Z generation has recognized this and has acted to try and stay alive. WE GET WHAT WE VOTE FOR

With every War being started on lies and the way veterans are not taken care of after serving, I don't blame people for not wanting to join.

My daughter has been in for 13 years and I wouldn't recommend anyone join! They don't take care of them and it's completely unorganized!

I recently got our after doing 13 years in the navy. I also served in Afghanistan for a year in a joint mission. I did a total of eight deployments.I couldn’t take it anymore after getting stuck out to sea during covid for ten months straight. I was literally harassed and bullied every single day by my leader. When I tried to talk to someone over them I was told I was “to interesting” and that’s when I knew that I could do it anymore. If you want to sign up for torment, harassment, and stalking then go ahead. It’s not worth the mental abuse. Just do a few years and get out of you have to go!!

Simply put, The United States just isn’t a society worth fighting for anymore and until we see some change I don’t think we’ll see an improvement in recruiting numbers