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The New Coffee Room

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  2. General Discussion
  3. Military can’t recruit

Military can’t recruit

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  • JollyJ Offline
    JollyJ Offline
    Jolly
    wrote on last edited by Jolly
    #5

    Recruitment is exceeding goals.

    Joining the military usually is for economic reasons. Kids join to either acquire skills that are transferable to good paying civilian jobs or they are in direct combat MOS, then use their GI Bill benefits for economic benefit. Some guys like the military and the benefits enough to become lifers or they follow active duty with the Guard or Reserves.

    Some examples would be J.D. Vance or maybe my friend's son who was a tanker, and when mustered out, went to electrician school. A different example would be my wife's uncle, who did a couple of enlistments with the Marines, then took a job as a prison guard, but stayed in the Marine reserves until he could retire. Or a guy I worked whose son signed up for a six-year hitch, because the Army guaranteed him cyberwarfare training.

    Another example would be a guy I went to school with, who joined the Army, got his college degree while in and went to OCS. He later left the Army and joined the fulltime National Guard, retiring as a Brigadier General.

    “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

    Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

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    • MikM Offline
      MikM Offline
      Mik
      wrote on last edited by
      #6

      Or my nephew who was an Olympic level marksman and a fine musician who is now in a Marine band.

      Today in fact is his birthday.

      “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

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      • MikM Offline
        MikM Offline
        Mik
        wrote on last edited by Mik
        #7

        If I were a young man considering the military I’d be very turned off by the wokeness. Thankfully that is waning, permanently I hope.

        “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

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        • X xenon

          https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/06/14/armys-recruiting-problem-male.html?amp

          This is not a new trend. But just got me thinking - what’s the narrative for joining the military these days?

          Our last 20 years are pretty firmly seen as a waste of blood and treasure.

          Our new posture seems to be that we need get resources first.

          Would you feel proud as a parent if you lost your son trying to secure Ukrainian mineral fields?

          No one likes the military anymore - left or right.

          CopperC Offline
          CopperC Offline
          Copper
          wrote on last edited by Copper
          #8

          @xenon said in Military can’t recruit:

          No one likes the military anymore

          About 95% of the people living within 40 miles of here would tell you that statement is absolutely not true.

          The other 5% are deployed and wouldn't see that statement.

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          • X Online
            X Online
            xenon
            wrote on last edited by
            #9

            I think this is a very new phenomenon. Kids growing up in the Donald Trump era have a very different view of this from people who grew up in mine.

            HoraceH 1 Reply Last reply
            • X xenon

              I think this is a very new phenomenon. Kids growing up in the Donald Trump era have a very different view of this from people who grew up in mine.

              HoraceH Online
              HoraceH Online
              Horace
              wrote on last edited by Horace
              #10

              @xenon said in Military can’t recruit:

              I think this is a very new phenomenon. Kids growing up in the Donald Trump era have a very different view of this from people who grew up in mine.

              It's also probably regional. What did kids in your high school think about joining the military? Or maybe the better question is, what did kids think of other kids who joined the military?

              The Onion started in the area I grew up in, and I remember one headline "Bottom Half of High School Graduating Class Ships Off to War".

              Education is extremely important.

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              • X Online
                X Online
                xenon
                wrote on last edited by xenon
                #11

                I move only talked to a very small sample size. I don’t know that many American teens.

                But what sort of mission can kids point to lately and be excited about joining?

                I’m trying to think about this in terms of my own kids.

                If you asked me 10 years ago if I’d be supportive of my son joining the military - I’d probably say yes.

                Now it’s trending no.

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                • JollyJ Offline
                  JollyJ Offline
                  Jolly
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #12

                  My first cousin's grandson just received his appointment to the Air Force Academy.

                  Yes, people still join the military.

                  “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                  Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

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                  • HoraceH Horace

                    I thought recruiting was up after the election.

                    35 years ago when I was in high school, the military was seen mostly as a destination for the kids who weren't smart enough to go to college.

                    These days, the narrative is probably more towards economic opportunity. I don't think we need to take anybody's word for that, we should probably look to the military's marketing materials, and what the recruiters actually say when they're recruiting. I'm very sure it's all weighted towards economic opportunity. Also probably excitement and action. (Fun.)

                    And of course, the honor and bravery and self-sacrifice narrative is still alive. That narrative is part of the compensation as well. It's every citizen's duty to pay that compensation when called upon to do so. Generally this comes up in conversation with random military members who tell you they served, and then it's your job to thank them for their service.

                    jon-nycJ Online
                    jon-nycJ Online
                    jon-nyc
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #13

                    @Horace said in Military can’t recruit:

                    35 years ago when I was in high school, the military was seen mostly as a destination for the kids who weren't smart enough to go to college.

                    Though even then the marketing messages were about learning marketable skills.

                    You were warned.

                    HoraceH 1 Reply Last reply
                    • jon-nycJ jon-nyc

                      @Horace said in Military can’t recruit:

                      35 years ago when I was in high school, the military was seen mostly as a destination for the kids who weren't smart enough to go to college.

                      Though even then the marketing messages were about learning marketable skills.

                      HoraceH Online
                      HoraceH Online
                      Horace
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #14

                      @jon-nyc said in Military can’t recruit:

                      @Horace said in Military can’t recruit:

                      35 years ago when I was in high school, the military was seen mostly as a destination for the kids who weren't smart enough to go to college.

                      Though even then the marketing messages were about learning marketable skills.

                      Yep. But now they can compare the economic opportunity favorably with a bachelor's degree. Back then, they were comparing favorably to no college.

                      Education is extremely important.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      • taiwan_girlT Online
                        taiwan_girlT Online
                        taiwan_girl
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #15

                        I was surprise to see the below picture. On a historic basis, the % of military vs. the overall population is not a big difference (except of course during major wars)

                        Screenshot 2025-03-15 at 9.34.37 PM.png

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