The Daily Caller
BARR: Problems In Our Military Go Beyond Recruitment Shortfalls
Opinion by Former Rep. Bob Barr • Yesterday 10:41 AM
At least three of our military services – Army, Navy, and Air Force – are on track to miss their 2023 recruiting goals; not just by a little, but by many thousands. While these shortfalls pose a serious risk to our nation’s military readiness, the problems in our armed services go far deeper, and suggest serious issues with the type of individuals we are allowing to serve.
Calls to prioritize diversity in recruitment and promotions, including by the Air Force general President Biden is pushing for the post of his top military advisor are not helping, nor are the lingering aftereffects of forcing thousands of active duty personnel out of the services because they refused to take the COVID inoculation as mandated in 2021.
Broadly, the shortcomings in military recruitment and retention reflect a series of fundamental changes in our nation’s culture. Fewer and fewer recruitment-age young people are growing up in households in which close relatives served in the military and there has been a dramatic decline in the percent of Americans who trust and have confidence in the military, now at a disconcerting 45%.
Addressing this myriad of problems by lowering recruitment standards further, however, risks making some matters worse. For example, the Pentagon apparently has been considering discarding or at least waiving a long-standing health barrier for entry into the military – individuals who suffer from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/barr-problems-in-our-military-go-beyond-recruitment-shortfalls/ar-AA1elt85?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=41534db82a4d4581823a1f5b31ac95cc&ei=7
