Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.

Pentagon admits problems recruiting young Americans to US army: Report

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 18 Feb 2023 20:26
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Recent estimates show that only 9% of young Americans are interested in joining the US army.

  • x
  • US Department of Defense
    US army soldiers at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia, US, March 11, 2022 (Reuters)

The Pentagon has admitted that it is facing difficulties in recruiting new people to the US army, Sputnik reported on Saturday.

The agency's report revealed that in 2022, the US army planned to recruit 70,000 people. However, by June 2022, the army dropped the number to 60,000, and by the end of the fiscal year in September, only 45,000 were enlisted. The Economist found that the year 2022 witnessed the lowest enlistment figures since 1973.

In this regard, US Congressman Adam Smith, former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, claimed that "the biggest reason we have a recruitment problem is because of two years of pandemic."
 
"We can develop all of the most high-tech new weapons systems, like we are working on right now, but if we don’t have the kinds of talented motivated individuals to use those weapons systems, we won’t be able to do what we need to do," Secretary of the US Army, Christine Wormuth, pointed out at a convention hosted by CNBC in September.

Sputnik cited recent estimates as saying that 75% of Americans aged 16-28 are unaware of the work and history of the US army, adding that only 9% of young Americans are interested in joining the armed forces.

Jeremy Shepherd, a political scientist, told Sputnik that the fact that many young Americans are aware of how their relatives were treated when they served in the army is one factor that discourages them from joining the military.

"If you bring in a lot of coffins with flags on them, it looks very bad in the news," Shepherd said.

Another factor deterring young people from enlisting in the army is the mental health issues reported by active-duty service members in recent years. According to the Pentagon, suicide rates among active-duty service members increased by 40% from 2015 to 2020.

Read more: For the second year in a row: US Army misses recruiting target by 25%

Related News

US envoy Barrack calls Lebanese journalists "animalistic"

Majority of young Americans view Israeli war as genocide: Poll

Outdated recruitment strategies

In the same context, Michael Strobl, the assistant deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs for the Marine Corps, indicated during a Senate panel last September that recruiting efforts have to be upgraded to the reality.

"Current recruitment efforts rely too much on an outdated, ‘telephone book-era’ method to recruit youth through high school directories rather than focusing on social media," Strobl pointed out.

Due to the failure to reach its recruitment target, the #US military tried something different, enlisting students into their J.R.O.T.C. military program without their permission. pic.twitter.com/f4OgW4gpO7

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 17, 2022

The Sputnik report said the US government has not acknowledged that some influencers on social media are part of its propaganda strategy, although the Pentagon has faced controversy over its interference with platforms such as streaming network Twitch.

It cited a report by Vice Media that claimed to have seen a manual that outlines steps for US military streamers to capture the attention of young videogamers, many of whom are addicted to games that have been accused of military propaganda, such as Call of Duty.

An attractive career option

Secretary of the US Army, Christine Wormuth, acknowledged that the military faces a huge challenge in making itself an attractive career option.

"We're competing for talent just like all of the folks in industry are, and the job market is hot right now," Wormuth pointed out.

She indicated that "wages have gone up a lot, and that’s great for Americans, but it’s making it harder for us in the Army to compete."

Read more: US military dwindling in strength: WSJ

  • United States
  • US military
  • Pentagon
  • US
  • US Army

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS