US Military: Bad Publicity Is Hurting Recruiting. Lawmakers: Fix Your Problems
As services miss end-strength and accession goals, senators at personnel hearing have some blunt suggestions.
CAITLIN M. KENNEY | SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 11:00 AM ET
When military leaders testified that “negative publicity” was hurting recruiting, some senators sympathized—but then proceeded to grill the generals and officials about dilapidated housing, sexual assault in the ranks, and other problems that have been in the news.
“Today, only one of 11 eligible individuals in the 17- to 24-year-old range has a propensity to serve. Furthermore, overall public perception of the military is often inaccurate, with negative publicity overshadowing the tangible benefits and positive global impact airmen make every day,” Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel, and services said Wednesday at a hearing before the Senate Armed Services personnel subcommittee.
The committee’s ranking member, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, also talked about the impact on recruiting of negative depictions of the military, pointing to Pentagon surveys of potential recruits who said they did not want to join because they feared death, injuries, or post-traumatic stress.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2022/09/military-bad-publicity-hurting-recruiting-lawmakers-fix-your-problems/377501/
