Army to shift $1 billion to recruiting, retention efforts; rely more on reserves as ranks shrink By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times - Thursday, July 21, 2022
The Army will shift about $1 billion to recruiting programs and will rely more heavily on reserve units as its ranks dwindle and the service struggles to attract new soldiers, Army officials said in a memo this week that described a high-stakes “war for talent” that confronts America’s armed forces and comes at a crucial moment for national security.
Faced with demographic shifts and a red-hot civilian job market, Army officials said the number of active-duty soldiers is expected to drop considerably over the next several years.
They said the Army’s strength will be about 466,000 by the end of the fiscal year. It could drop to as low as 445,000 by the end of 2023, they said, “barring a significant positive change in the current recruiting environment.”
The forecast leaves the Army about 10,000 soldiers short of its planned end strength this year. If the trend continues as Pentagon leaders expect, the Army will fall much shorter from its goal next year.
Army leaders acknowledged the scope of the problems and said it will take an all-hands-on-deck approach to turn the tide. With two months left in the fiscal year, the service is just 50% of the way to reaching its annual recruiting target.
“The United States Army exists for one purpose, to protect the nation by fighting and winning our nation’s wars as a member of the Joint Force, and our readiness depends on a quality all-volunteer force. This is not a recruiter problem. This is an Army problem,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville said in the memo released Wednesday evening. “We are in a war for talent, and it will take all our people — soldiers across all components, families, Army civilians, and soldiers for life — to fight and win this war.”
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