U. S. military command is joyous the service hit its recruiting objectives this year after experiencing a significant fall in the number of innovative candidates signing up to meet. But beneath the surface of this “win” is a disturbing reality that could harm the preparation of America’s high fighting power.
With the 2024 governmental time coming to a close, faces of America’s military trees have been quick to tout their supposed success in hitting their respective interviewing goals. Throughout the past several weeks, the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force revealed they all ( barely ) met their yearly goals for bringing in new talent to the service.
While the Navy signed up more recruits than it was targeting, it “will fall about 5,000 short ” of its FY2024 goal because “it won’t be able to get them all through boot camp by next month, ” according to Sept. 26 review by The Washington Post.
Despite the military ’s perceived achievement in bringing in enough skills to complete its ranks, a closer look at what the branches did to reach their individual goals reveals a striking decline in standards necessary to qualify for service and other disturbing policy changes.
In 2022, for instance, the Army axed a tree legislation requiring serious volunteers to possess a high school diploma or GED certification to meet the service. That change was announced the same week the Army “relaxed its tattoo rules, allowing potential recruits to enlist with tattoos on their hands and neck, which previously needed waivers, ” according to Military. web.
The branch’s “success ” in hitting its 2024 recruiting goal is even more of a mirage when considering that it lowered its target from years prior. As noted by The Denver Gazette, the Army “dropp[ed ] its requirement by 10,000 people compared to last year, ” when it aimed to bring in 65,000 new recruits.
So, while the branch technically met its FY2024 target, the number of individuals recruited ( 55,000 ) is virtually the same number it brought in last year ( 55,000 ). The only distinction is that the Army lowered its year-over-year purpose.
[READ: White Men Don’t Want To Join An Army That Tells Them They Aren’t Wanted ]
The Army is almost the only tree guilty of lowering its standards in order to meet interviewing level, however.
According to statistics apparently reviewed by Military. com, “Of all the major policy updates ” adopted by the Air Force within the past few years, “the 2023 change that allows applicants to have a greater percentage of body fat — up to 26 % for men and 36 % for women — contributed to the most new recruits. ” Similar to the Army, the unit even altered its “existing hands and chest tattoo plan, ” and individually lowered its everlasting legal citizenship requirement from 10 years to two.
However, the Navy announced in December 2022 it would be lowering its entry requirements to let those “who have lower ratings on part of the entrance test used to determine a recruit’s ability to serve ” into company, according to the Navy Times. Following in the Army’s footsteps, it separately revealed in January 2024 plans to accept recruits lacking a high school diploma or GED.
While it ’s commendable for any American to want to serve their country in such a capacity, the military is n’t designed to accept individuals who don’t meet the necessary requirements to join. It’s intended to be exclusionary to recruit the best talent available. By bringing in traditionally unqualified candidates into its ranks, the military is running the risk of hampering its overall efficiency and ability to carry out operations designed to protect U. S. interests.
Military leadership should n’t be faulted for wanting to grow the force’s ranks. What they can’t afford to do, however, is toss aside the very standards that made it the most feared fighting force in the world.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClear Health, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood