Recruit or Retain: DoD’s Manpower Problem
By Brian Kruchkow
April 10, 2023
The U.S. military is struggling to recruit and retain qualified members due to stagnating population growth. Profound changes are required for the military to meet its manpower requirements in the coming decades.
Before COVID-19, retention was arguably the U.S. military's most significant challenge concerning manpower. Retention plummeted after the pandemic as businesses began a hiring boom and wage increases. In addition to a retention drop, recent news headlines have lamented a fall in recruitment. The DoD missed its recruitment goal for 2022 by over 15,000, or roughly 25%, and has little hope of meeting its goal soon.
The DoD finds it hard to recruit and retain mainly due to factors outside its control. The United States currently faces stagnating population growth. Stagnating populations have presented unique military challenges historically; in each case, the cost of military labor rose significantly for three main reasons.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2023/04/10/recruit_or_retain_dods_manpower_problem_892720.html
