Originally Posted by Bill14564 (Post 2198930)

The article seemed to cover both of those questions with a good level of detail.

Originally Posted by Marine1974 (Post 2199341)

Our Military is paid combat pay while serving in a war zone .

Originally Posted by rrtjp (Post 2199209)

1. Why has it fallen?
I think welfare has become a more appealing career choice.
2. How to increase it?
Every illegal alien entering this country gets deported back to where he or she came from or is given the choice of serving in any branch of our military and on being honorable discharged along with a dd214 they also receive their citizenship papers.

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2198927)

Interesting article on the problem with military recruitment.

Any advice as to
1. why it has fallen and
2. how to increase it?

Addressing the U.S. Military Recruiting Crisis - War on the Rocks

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2198927)

Interesting article on the problem with military recruitment.

Any advice as to
1. why it has fallen and
2. how to increase it?

Addressing the U.S. Military Recruiting Crisis - War on the Rocks

Originally Posted by maggie1 (Post 2199303)

You must be a fan of Tucker Carlson. And we know all about his credibility, don't we?

Originally Posted by Marine1974 (Post 2199341)

Our Military is paid combat pay while serving in a war zone .

Originally Posted by Boston-Sean (Post 2199455)

And don't forget separation pay if you were separated from your spouse while on deployment. Or as we used to call it "no p***y pay".

Originally Posted by ronwinger (Post 2199360)

I was drafted within months of graduating from High School. It was the only lottery I ever won, my number was 20. I did not know it at the time but, it was the best thing that happened to me. I wound up spending 3 years as I did not realize I had to work some place for the rest of my life therefore, I did not retire. Of course like everyone, I wish I would have stayed in. I believe that the US should require every male to spend a couple of years in the service. It would or should change their thought process and our outlook of the future would be brighter.

Originally Posted by collie1228 (Post 2198993)

I believe it is cultural. When I turned 18, I knew that college was of no interest to me and going to work in the local large manufacturing plant seemed like jail to me at the time. There was no way my father was going to allow me to live at home for much longer, even if I was employed, so I took the next best option and joined the Navy. It turned out to be the best move ever, as the GI Bill paid for college four years later, and I learned how to be an adult, but I really didn't have much choice. If, like many (probably most) parents today, mine were willing to coddle me, give me a bed and food, wash my clothes, etc., I probably would have stayed home too. Thanks Mom and Dad for your conservative values and willingness to stick to them. It made my life a better place.

Originally Posted by I'm Popeye! (Post 2199063)

Let's face it...
After the "Greatest Generation" this country has produced and allowed mostly ____.......
......and if you disagree, you are part of the problem! :ho:

Originally Posted by jimjamuser (Post 2199418)

Today's young generation has BETTER access to information that ours did, so, basically, they are making BETTER decisions. Our generation was too selfish!

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2199470)

Interesting.

When I was 18, education was considered incredibly important to my family. At the time it opened doors to all kinds of possibilities that NOT going to college kept closed.

I couldn't become a doctor without a degree. Couldn't get a decent job as an engineer without at least an associates degree. Couldn't be a teacher without a degree, couldn't even be a police officer without going to the academy - which required more education. If you wanted to work for a newspaper, the owner of the paper would pick the person with the degree EVERY TIME over the person without one, all other qualifications being equal.

I had the choice: I could either go to school and my parents would co-sign the loan and invest in MY future by footing the bill for school expenses that the loan didn't cover -

Or I could stay at home, abide by their rules, get a job, and pay rent -

Or I could move out, abide by the rules of society, get a job, and pay rent.

I chose college. And after my first semester, I worked anywhere between one and four part-time jobs until I graduated with honors. I paid back my loan in full 11 years after I graduated, and from the time I was 16 and 30 days of age (the minimum required to work in my state at the time) until two years ago, I worked almost continuously barring vacations and injuries. Even when I didn't "have to" work for a living, I worked, because my parents instilled a strong work ethic in me. I didn't need the Armed Forces for that. Education was the opener of doors, and service to others was - rather than a contractual obligation via the Armed Forces, was just an expected part of being a human being.

When I graduated, I was then qualified, and educated, and had the opportunity to CHOOSE which kind of career I would go into or whether I would CHOOSE to continue studies for a career that required more education. Society didn't impose that choice on me. No, I didn't become a doctor, or engineer, or teacher. But it was because I chose not to - not because I wasn't authorized to try.

No Navy necessary. No risking my life necessary. No obeying orders no matter what necessary. I didn't have to give up my freedom, to attain my freedom. I only had to allow new thoughts and ideas into my mind, and embrace life as a never-ending education.

Originally Posted by coralway (Post 2199509)

Probably because about 48% of them have developed bone spurs

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2199470)

Interesting.

When I was 18, education was considered incredibly important to my family. At the time it opened doors to all kinds of possibilities that NOT going to college kept closed.

I couldn't become a doctor without a degree. Couldn't get a decent job as an engineer without at least an associates degree. Couldn't be a teacher without a degree, couldn't even be a police officer without going to the academy - which required more education. If you wanted to work for a newspaper, the owner of the paper would pick the person with the degree EVERY TIME over the person without one, all other qualifications being equal.

I had the choice: I could either go to school and my parents would co-sign the loan and invest in MY future by footing the bill for school expenses that the loan didn't cover -

Or I could stay at home, abide by their rules, get a job, and pay rent -

Or I could move out, abide by the rules of society, get a job, and pay rent.

I chose college. And after my first semester, I worked anywhere between one and four part-time jobs until I graduated with honors. I paid back my loan in full 11 years after I graduated, and from the time I was 16 and 30 days of age (the minimum required to work in my state at the time) until two years ago, I worked almost continuously barring vacations and injuries. Even when I didn't "have to" work for a living, I worked, because my parents instilled a strong work ethic in me. I didn't need the Armed Forces for that. Education was the opener of doors, and service to others was - rather than a contractual obligation via the Armed Forces, was just an expected part of being a human being.

When I graduated, I was then qualified, and educated, and had the opportunity to CHOOSE which kind of career I would go into or whether I would CHOOSE to continue studies for a career that required more education. Society didn't impose that choice on me. No, I didn't become a doctor, or engineer, or teacher. But it was because I chose not to - not because I wasn't authorized to try.

No Navy necessary. No risking my life necessary. No obeying orders no matter what necessary. I didn't have to give up my freedom, to attain my freedom. I only had to allow new thoughts and ideas into my mind, and embrace life as a never-ending education.

Originally Posted by Djean1981 (Post 2199475)

Speak only for yourself. How was it selfish that we went into the military (to serve our country and provide for your safety) and worked every day of our lives into our 60s?

Originally Posted by ronwinger (Post 2199360)

I was drafted within months of graduating from High School. It was the only lottery I ever won, my number was 20. I did not know it at the time but, it was the best thing that happened to me. I wound up spending 3 years as I did not realize I had to work some place for the rest of my life therefore, I did not retire. Of course like everyone, I wish I would have stayed in. I believe that the US should require every male to spend a couple of years in the service. It would or should change their thought process and our outlook of the future would be brighter.

Originally Posted by Drdoug49 (Post 2199204)

there is a labor shortage everywhere, with declining birth rates, a booming economy young people can get jobs anywhere. Also the number one reason why recruits are rejected, is obesity

Originally Posted by waterflower (Post 2199234)

Many are waking up to the bankers using the military to fight illegal wars.Why would you unknowingly kill someone or destroy a country for the un/nato. All criminal groups.

Originally Posted by MandoMan (Post 2199240)

Interesting article. I don’t agree with all of it, but it offers some interesting suggestions for improvement, such as allowing recruits who aren’t married but have children. (That was once considered a way of escaping responsibilities, but these days so many are already escaping them with impunity.) One reason given that hadn’t occurred to me is that recruitment is down because we don’t currently have a war where those in the military can go out and kill people. That could be! But not for most, I think.

However, the article doesn’t mention one big one. I think that from 1980 to 2001, recruiting was based on the idea of enlisting in order to get training in what could be a useful career someday and get access to help with college costs. I recall reading that recruiters were encouraging enlistment by telling kids they were unlikely to be asked to serve in a war zone overseas. Some were allowed to sign up with stated objectives of getting to serve overseas in countries like Germany and South Korea and seeing the world. Enlisting was a career move and NOT a desire to fight for one’s country. As there was no big war, not wanting to go into battle wasn’t considered a big problem. But then came the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recruits were not only being sent into battle where they might kill or be killed, but many were required to serve multiple tours in war zones. I recall the son of a college girlfriend of mine who enlisted in early 2001 because he was told he’d never have to go into battle, but he served three tours in Afghanistan. He wasn’t wounded, at least physically, but it was harrowing. It may have been wrong to tell recruits they wouldn’t have to serve in combat, whether they want to or not, but one could argue that it was also wrong to enlist in the military without being willing to fight.

I recall reading another article about Coast Guard enlistments being down because enlisted men and women were being sent to war zones instead of staying in the U.S. and doing what the recruitment posters said the National Guard does. A lot of people also decided to not join the Reserves because of the likelihood that they would be sent back to war, disrupting their careers and families. I don’t see any real way around it. You shouldn’t enlist unless you are willing to fight and protect. Getting job training and other benefits should not be the main reason for joining.

I myself would favor a near universal two year conscription for training, followed by a couple decades in the reserves. If you want the right to keep and bear arms, then you ought to be willing to be properly trained to bear them and be willing to actually bear them in war. Israel has a system somewhat like that, and that’s why young Israeli men and women are so confident and strong and brave. They all know they are trained and ready.

Originally Posted by srswans (Post 2199258)

The article did not mention the Covid shots - forcing someone to do this is probably detrimental to recruitment.

Originally Posted by PugMom (Post 2199267)

i think you captured something with comment.

Originally Posted by Pairadocs (Post 2199033)

You expressed it perfectly. It is definitely a cultural "revolution", a totally new society of keyboard "warriors" desperately attempting to build some measure of self-esteem (yet sadly way too often ending in the desperation of suicide). An interesting observation on this recently in the news. The daughter of the king and queen of Spain, age 17, will soon complete what we here call "high school education", and will be joining her country's military. It is the custom in Spain, that those who are in the line of monarchs, to serve their county before completing further formal education. A princess not addicted to Tic Toc maybe ? ? To say I believe we, as a nation, are headed over the cliff, is an understatement. The "root" ? Well, of course we can blame it on coddling parents, but all the coddling at home is not a more powerful force in forming basic personal philosophy, as is the general agreement of parents to abolish all traces of patriotic pride, teaching of history, and the role of the United States as a leading force for liberty from public school curriculum's. Parents have been given the RESPONSIBILITY to determine what they want to emphasize in THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL'S curriculum. THAT is their responsibility, but most seem to prefer to leave it to the federal government and individual teachers (whose personal lives and philosophy may be FAR from the values, goals, and philosophy of the local area ! That is exactly what our wise forefathers anticipated: a national so large, so vast, so diverse, that a "national" or "federally mandated" public school curriculum would be a disaster.

Patriotic holidays were once a major emphasis at ALL grade levels, kindergarten to high school. Now, they are seldom even mentioned at school, let alone the kind of emphasis most of us experienced as young people: school assemblies, speakers, elementary students made red, white, blue decoration during art period, students who finished a math, English, etc. assignment before other students were always directed to the "extra work" box which held patriot coloring sheets, or word search puzzles with "patriotic" words, etc. When we are more concerned with making sure even very young children learn "pronouns" like "ze" and other gender neutral terms, than we are with junior high and high school students who can not name even 4 of the parts of speech, or have no idea what verb "tense" even is, silly as it may seem to some, I think this all works together (throw in "everyone gets a trophy, the winning team and the losing team) to form the "roots" of why so few are interested in joining a military they have been taught is "evil" !
,

Originally Posted by Djean1981 (Post 2199052)

Exactly. We were expected out of the house at 18.

Originally Posted by Michael G. (Post 2199058)

The #1 reason parents move to the villages, there's no basements for kids to live in......:thumbup:

Originally Posted by Babubhat (Post 2199153)

Instead of putting people in Coleman, sentence them to join the military. More effective than prison

Originally Posted by ronwinger (Post 2199360)

I was drafted within months of graduating from High School. It was the only lottery I ever won, my number was 20. I did not know it at the time but, it was the best thing that happened to me. I wound up spending 3 years as I did not realize I had to work some place for the rest of my life therefore, I did not retire. Of course like everyone, I wish I would have stayed in. I believe that the US should require every male to spend a couple of years in the service. It would or should change their thought process and our outlook of the future would be brighter.

Originally Posted by I'm Popeye! (Post 2199063)

Let's face it...
After the "Greatest Generation" this country has produced and allowed mostly ____.......
......and if you disagree, you are part of the problem! :ho:

Originally Posted by jimjamuser (Post 2199526)

I don't think so.................too much Tuckums may be twisting reality.

Originally Posted by eyc234 (Post 2199582)

Please go tell an Afghan, Iraq or any young veteran that. Luv to see what you get. Also let all the first responders now working that they are worthless. There are good and bad in all generations.

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2198927)

Interesting article on the problem with military recruitment.

Any advice as to
1. why it has fallen and
2. how to increase it?

Addressing the U.S. Military Recruiting Crisis - War on the Rocks

Originally Posted by Mlundberg (Post 2199564)

My number was 14.

Originally Posted by mike234 (Post 2199675)

well, lets get the females to register for the draft when they turn 18, just like males have to. anyone have a problem with that?

Originally Posted by Keefelane66 (Post 2199142)

You are misinformed VA benefits are for Veterans receiving a disability in line of duty.
Retired Veterans Active or Reserve receive Tri-Care upon completion of service enlistment requirements retirement.
Active duty in War zone receive extra pay also seagoing Sailors receive extra pay. Also Military personnel assigned to isolated duty receive extra pay

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2198927)

Addressing the U.S. Military Recruiting Crisis - War on the Rocks