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Essay Contest Call for Submissions: Solving the Military Recruiting Crisis

MWI Staff | 07.19.23

Essay Contest Call for Submissions: Solving the Military Recruiting Crisis

Update: We’re thrilled to announce that the US Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) has joined the Modern War Institute in organizing this essay contest and evaluating submissions. In addition to the top essays being published by the Modern War Institute, authors of the best submissions will have an opportunity to discuss their ideas with TRADOC senior leaders. TRADOC will also review all essays to evaluate their contributions to resolving the military recruiting crisis.

Essay requirements and the submission deadline remain the same, and authors who have already submitted their entries should not resubmit.

“Credible defense begins with our ability to steadily attract and retain the men and women who would assume the initial burden of a fast breaking war.” More than forty years ago, Vice Admiral Robert B. Pirie, Jr. eloquently described why recruiting was a national security issue.

This year, the Army will again fail to meet recruiting goals after falling fifteen thousand short last year. Likewise, the Navy anticipates falling six thousand sailors short of its target. The Air Force has issues too , with Secretary Frank Kendall acknowledging in March that his service would fall 10 percent short this year. Except for the two smallest services—the Marine Corps and Space Force—the United States’ armed forces continue to face recruiting woes.

With this serious issue as a backdrop, the Modern War Institute and the US Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) are launching an essay contest that seeks to explore the problem and identify solutions that could help the services address it.

Essay Prompt

Essays must answer the following prompt: What novel approaches can the United States military employ to solve the recruiting crisis?

This topic is broad. Essays might address new incentives, lessons from other countries or uniformed services, the impact of telework, messaging and marketing, how to resolve tensions created by years of recruiting shortfalls, ideas from labor economics or other academic fields, historical perspectives on recruiting challenges and solutions, or other ideas related to recruiting. Essays can take any form, to include speculative fiction. However, because of length limits, we strongly encourage authors to clearly articulate one idea or concept in their responses to the prompt.

Your ideas will inform internal conversations and workshops in support of the Modern War Institute’s human resources research theme. Based on the ideas presented in their essays, authors may be invited to contribute to future MWI publications or events on this topic.

Eligibility

Essays will be accepted from any person in any field, and submissions from non-US participants are welcomed.
Up to two people may coauthor an essay entry.
Participants may submit only one entry to the competition.
Essays must be original, unpublished, and not subject to publication elsewhere.
Essays will not exceed 1,500 words.
Use the standard submission guidelines for the Modern War Institute.
Email your entry to [email protected] with “ Recruiting Essay Competition ” in the subject line. Once submitted, no edits, corrections, or changes are allowed.
Submission deadline: essays will be accepted until 11:59 PM EDT on September 3, 2023.

Selection Process

Submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by a team from the Modern War Institute and TRADOC. Submissions will be assessed based on how well and creatively they address the topic of the contest and provoke further thought and conversation, as well as their suitability for publication by the Modern War Institute (e.g., style, sources, accessibility, etc.). Evaluation criteria include:

Does the essay clearly define a problem and present a solution?
Does the essay show thoughtful analysis?
Does the essay inject new provocative thinking or address areas where there needs to be more discussion?
Does the essay demonstrate a unique approach or improve current initiatives?
Does the essay take lessons from history and apply them to today’s challenges?
Is the essay logically organized, well written, and persuasive?

Winning Submissions

The top three essays will be announced publicly and will be published by the Modern War Institute. Depending on the evaluation of the Modern War Institute editorial team, revisions may be required before publication.

Additionally, the authors of the top submissions with senior leaders from TRADOC and the US Army’s Recruiting Command. Furthermore, TRADOC will review all essays to support the Army’s recruiting efforts.

Image credit: Spc. Kelsea Cook, Indiana National Guard

Although I am not much of an essay writer, perhaps the thesis, etc.. that I provide below will allow someone — who is a decent essay writer — to develop and provide a good essay for this competition. Here goes:

First, the essay prompt/question: "What novel approaches can the United States military employ to solve the recruiting crisis?"

Next, the proposed answer to this such essay prompt/question:

In order for the United States military to solve its current recruiting problems, the United States military must become able — in some way, shape or form — to better assure potential military recruits — and their families and friends — that they (these potential military recruits) will now (a) be less likely to be used to prosecute unnecessary, improper, ill-advised and/or ill-conceived and executed engagements and wars and, thus, will now (b) be less likely to find themselves in a position to be badly injured and/or killed in such unnecessary, improper, ill-advised, etc., engagements and wars.

(Herein to note that this such thesis and approach takes direct aim at the our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan of late and, thus, potentially gets directly to the/a true "root cause" of our current recruiting problems?)

It is not so much the fact that potential military recruits — and their families and friends — are unlikely to join/want their children and friends to join because they understand that these children and/or friends might get seriously injured and/or kill while engaged in our military profession.

Rather it is the fact that these such potential military recruits — and their families and friends — are unlikely to join/want their children and friends to join because they see the trend (think Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.) wherein these such injuries and deaths were/are incurred in what now is considered to be unnecessary, improper, ill-advised and/or ill-conceived and executed engagements and wars.

(Herein, it will be important to address the "common nature" of these such unnecessary, improper, Ill-advised, etc., engagements and wars — this being — that they were ultimately undertaken to achieve "revolutionary" political, economic, social and value "change" in the states and societies of the world — that is — states and societies in the world who are most different from ultra-modern "us.")

Bottom Line Thought — Based on the Above:

Today's recruiting problems, thus I believe, can be traced to the fact that our potential military recruits — and their families and friends — :

a. Do not agree with the "transformative" political objective of the United States post-the Old Cold War and/or:

b. Do not agree with the manner (war; military engagement) in which the U.S. has chosen to pursue this such — "transformative" — post-Cold War political objective.

B.C I believe after reading this long-winded comment. That you have a problem with Americas terrible policy and foreign policy decisions. You of course would be correct. For the same reasons they can't figure out foreign policy, our leaders can't figure out Retention and Recruitment problems. In both cases the American people are becoming aware that little of the decisions being made are done to benefit the country as a whole. Instead, they are to line the pockets of certain individuals and companies. For example, the Ukraine conflict, Billions of taxpayer dollars for no strategic goal or benefit. This coming off the back side of 20 years of Iraq and Afghanistan which obviously served little purpose at this point. Where is Kurdistan? Was Dick Chaney ever charged? There are many more such examples. But to your original point, I would believe that contest submissions would need to limit the material to only what the military itself could do to correct the recruitment shortfalls.

Don't worry. I wrote a very direct but elligent version of thus. You're welcome. Shoot me an email if you want it, [email protected]

Bring back the 6 month active duty with 4 years active reserve and free college education.

So, when it is time to combat, they will retreat with the excuse that I got in to get the college, not to go to war. My father (RIP) lived this cluster, and it was ridiculous seen young men and women played the Army. My son and I did active duty, did the required services, and every time that we hear the national anthem "of the land of the brave", we meant it. We never embrace college free benefits to defend our nation. and money

If you would like access to at least 250 papers on this topic get with the Sergeants Major Academy. Class 73 wrote a lot on this topic between white paper, capstone papers, and possibly a focus papers.

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The Army’s Moral Recruiting Problem

Introduction

The Army has an age old problem with recruiting persons whose value systems don’t match up with their mission. Given it costs over $15,000 to recruit just one soldier, it’s important to get it right (Buddin, 2005).The result is soldiers who drink and drive, sexually assault their team members, and create a toxic environment. This mismatch has led to an emphasis on combatting behaviors stemming from immoral attitudes with numerous programs which take valuable resources. The challenge I am proposing is to develop a recruiting and selection strategy which ensures the best possible physical, mental and moral match between a prospect and the Army.

The Army diverts a huge chunk of manpower, time, and money to train people that “sexual assault/harassment is bad and will not be tolerated” yet the problem persists. This paper explores current recruiting practices, its shortfalls, and offers solutions tied to a thorough job analysis and restructured recruiting strategy.

The paper begins with a summation of the current Army recruiting strategy. This is supported through researching official publications, published papers from the Army War College and the School of Advanced Military Studies, anecdotal testimony from recruiters, and the author’s own personal experience with the recruiting system.

The Current Situation [i]

Recruiting in a Nutshell

At the time of this writing there is no overall recruiting strategy for the Army. In the past documents such as the National Security Strategy (NSS) and the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) provided at least minimal guidance to recruit “quality people”. These documents didn’t go on to discuss what “quality” meant. The 2015 NSS doesn’t even mention government personnel and the 2014 QDR only makes references to a “ready” and “capable” force without a focus on people (Department of Defense, 2014). The document does highlight that “eliminating sexual assault is one of the Department of Defense’s highest priorities” (Department of Defense, 2014).

Recruiting as a whole is only referred to vaguely and in a few instances of the 64 page QDR. For example a solution to “ensure” the recruitment of personnel is to “offer competitive compensation”. The QDR further states the reserve component will “seek to recruit personnel with critical skill sets” (Department of Defense, 2014) but doesn’t elaborate on what those skillsets are. Ultimately the primary metrics used to determine what quality means to the Department of Defense (DoD) appears to be physical ability, lack of criminal history, and the level of education. There are no references to character traits or ethics on the macro level.

The Army continues to recruit with archaic instruments. As Lieutenant Colonel Jones lamented in 2000 with his critique, U.S. Army Recruiting: Problems and Fixes , the Army relies on financial incentives and benefits to attract recruits (Jones, 2000). The Army hasn’t changed this approach in the last 15 years. Traditionally the Army has struggled to meet its recruiting mission and in a numbers-driven world the metric for success is purely the quantity of personnel, not the quality. This quantity-over-quality approach could explain the lack of a moral recruitment focus.

According to the United States Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) its current mission is: “...recruit professional, volunteer Soldiers(sic); Soldier 2020 [ii] , capable of effectively executing operations in the Army’s complex operating environment.” (USAREC, 2015). Further their vision encompasses recruiting soldiers who “exhibit… attributes, and values of a dedicated professional enabled by leading edge technologies & premier recruiting practices…” (USAREC, 2015). Lastly their values statement exclaims USAREC is “exemplifying Army values and demonstrating the Warrior Ethos” (USAREC, 2015). Taken together we can see the Army wants to bring in versatile, professional, value-oriented recruits using cutting-edge recruiting practices. But is this the case? This section will discuss the current methods used in recruiting and will be followed by a section discussing the inherent flaws in the system starting with the mission.

The Mission

The ultimate recruiting mission for the Army is determined by Congress who authorizes military strength (Jones, 2000). From there the Army breaks this total number down into subgroups: Graduate A and Graduate B and High School A and High School B. For example, if the person has graduated high school and scores above a 50 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test’s Armed Forces Qualification Test [iii] (AFQT or simply QT score) they would be a Graduate A category. If they scored below a 50 they would be Graduate B. Recruiting stations are given a recruiting mission from their higher echelons based on these numbers and their recruitment area population size. This mission entails the number of recruits and types required to meet overall goals.

Process of Recruiting [iv]

The Army used to recruit on an individual basis where one recruiter was held responsible for “making mission” or not. This model has changed to the “small unit recruiting” where a station is jointly responsible for the mission. There are contact teams who find interested persons, processing teams who handle the paperwork, and a “Future Soldier Leader” who is then responsible for training and keeping the prospects committed until the time they ship out 8 months later.

After a recruiter makes first contact they gather pertinent information about the prospect. Additionally prospects are required to fill out a moral and medical pre-screening form. The medical form looks for immediate disqualifiers such as heart issues, diabetes, etc. The moral questionnaire is purely dedicated to arrest or criminal history information. Following this process a potential soldier is taken to the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) where a majority of the testing occurs.

MEPS stations are where recruits get their initial medical, vocational, and now psychological screening. They have to perform certain physical activities, have their hearing and vision screened, and take the ASVAB. During their screening if a potential recruit shows outward signs of psychological distress (such as cutting scars) they receive a psychological screening. If a recruit scores below a 50 on their QT composite they undergo an ethical screening. The effectiveness of this screening is suspect though, as the questions are not well worded. Since people think strategically, it is easy discern the correct answer. This is disturbing as it shows an absolute lack in moral decision making screening. The best way to determine moral characteristics is to perform a job analysis.

Job Analysis

According to Pynes, before any “informed decisions can be made about recruitment and developmental needs… data must be collected analyzed” and the technique to do it is the job analysis. (Pynes, 2013, p. 143). The process of conducting a job analysis is somewhat lengthy but can be accomplished with various methods. The goal is the same, to gather information such as job activities, educational requirements, types of equipment or tools used, working conditions, supervisory or management responsibilities, interpersonal or communication skills, and the Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics (KSAOCs) (Pynes, 2013, p. 145) required for a particular job.

The analysis collects data several different ways. Sometimes incumbents are interviewed since they are viewed as the subject matter experts (SMEs) for their particular job. Other ways of collecting information include but are not limited are questionnaires, observation, internet-based data collection or a combination of techniques (Pynes, 2013, p. 146). At the end of the analysis, depending on the purpose for doing it, there should be a coherent description of the job which includes what KSAOCs a person should possess to be successful at the particular job.

The Problem with the Status Quo

The Symptoms of Value Misalignment

Antisocial and destructive behaviors such as drinking and driving, criminal behavior, and sexual assault are detrimental to the good order and discipline of the armed forces. Sexual assault was reported to happen to 6.1% of active duty women and 1.2% of men in fiscal year (FY) 2012 (Department of Defense, 2012). These high numbers drove the Army in 2005 to establish a cohesive sexual assault response program. Currently this training takes the form of quarterly (approximately four hours) and annual refresher training. The Army has also created the Sexual Harassment Assault Response Program (SHARP) College, dedicated to training the response coordinators, victim advocates and program managers.

In 2013 the Army discharged 11,000 soldiers for misconduct (Baldor, 2014). There is some concern with the numbers reflecting untreated mental illness (Tan, 2015), but that notwithstanding the numbers are still unreasonably high. This encapsulates behaviors such as criminal activities, disobedience, alcohol or drug related infractions, and SHARP violations. Each of those discharges has administrative overhead as well as cost of recruiting and training a replacement soldier.

The bottom-line is a vast majority of soldiers are of upstanding moral character; however the few bad apples ruin it for everyone. T.E. Moffit has demonstrated “life-course persistent (LCP) offenders” are individuals who from childhood have exhibited antisocial and increasingly violent behaviors (Boutwell, Barnes, & Beaver, 2013). Further those only account for between 5-10% of the population, but commit approximately 50% of violent crimes (Boutwell, Barnes, & Beaver, 2013). Boutwell-et.-al’s study indicates LCPs are disproportionately more likely to commit acts of rape and sexual assault (Boutwell, Barnes, & Beaver, 2013).

The approach of one-size-fits-all mandatory training is a drain on money, time, and personnel. Not to say some training isn’t warranted, but there are more efficient ways to apply organizational training. With few persons creating many of the problems the Army needs to identify a way to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff. With the current situation the Army is clearly not doing this well. The Army must shift from a take-all-comer’s approach to placing a higher level of importance to moral character.

Job/Skill Mismatch

Germaine to the argument is the Other Characteristics part of KSAOCs. These include the attitudes, personality factors, and/or the physical or mental traits required for the job (Pynes, 2013). All soldiers in the Army are soldiers first, which means they have an expectation to adhere to the Army Values of Leadership, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage. Each has their own specific definition, however many are self-explanatory. Each MOS has its own additional characteristics based upon its function.

What does this have to do with recruiting? Simply speaking without an accurate job analysis recruiting isn’t going to be as efficient at evaluating moral character. If we don’t know those, we can’t screen them for possessing them. This is a bad hiring practice as it creates the opportunity to recruit soldiers whose moral compass varies from the Army’s ideal and misbehave. These manifest themselves and grate on the morale and overall discipline of the all-volunteer force.

With the expansion of the Army post September 11 th , 2001 it needed more personnel. Even before this the Army has traditionally struggled to meet mission, necessitating the inclusion of all able-bodied persons regardless of moral hazard. The trend which began in the 1990s of high quality potential recruits going on to college and lucrative careers continues to this day. This leaves either the service-motivated recruit or the one who didn’t go to college for any number of reasons. With more quality young people eschewing military service this leaves the rest to recruit from which has implications such as higher rates of first-term attrition, discipline problems, and bring down unit morale (Koucheravy, 2001). There are diamonds in the proverbial rough however, the trick is to identify and set forth the ethical potential recruits. The job analysis of being a soldier is what drives the “other characteristics” needed for moral and ethical performance, which is why this step is so important.

How Does the Army Do Job Analysis? [v]

Short Answer: It doesn’t. There is no formal method for conducting job analysis in the Army readily available. There have been individual unit efforts to conduct some occupational analysis on certain MOS’ (O*NET, 2015). However there appears to be no formal method from big Army on how to conduct job analysis. This leaves it up to the various sub commands to figure it out.

Each branch of the Army (infantry, armor, artillery and so on) has what is called a “Proponent Office”. These proponents are charged with running the affairs of the branch across the domains of Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership & Education, Personnel, and Facilities (DOTMLPF). This office works together to determine what tasks are necessary for their associated MOS’ found within their branch. Each branch has their own method, but a rudimentary job analysis is typically conducted. This could include using surveys for the personnel serving in, for example artillery, to answer questions pertaining to their job KSAOCs. The proponent office would then distill this down to a task analysis to see if their description in Department of the Army Pamphlet (DA PAM) 600-3 Commissioned Officer Professional Development and Career Management is accurate and to verify if what they are training their soldiers is relevant to their real life experiences. DA PAM 600-3 describes what (using our example) artillery is and the unique knowledge and skills personnel must possess and their core competencies. This forms the foundation for a “job description” for a particular branch.

While this method of job analysis might be (barely) adequate to give the Army an idea of what other characteristics are needed for a particular job, it isn’t operationalized well. Ironically the Army has a lot of values programs, such as the Center for the Army Profession and Ethic (CAPE) which is entirely dedicated to this endeavor. Yet it appears the left hand isn’t talking to the right as the primary method of lining up a new enlisted recruit with a job is still the ASVAB. Each MOS has a requisite score each recruit needs to obtain in order to be eligible. While DA PAM 600-3 and other similar publications may include OCs which is job specific, they speak to professional rather than personal characteristics.

Recommendations

Recurring and Accurate Job Analysis

The Army needs to develop a coherent standard for conducting job analysis. This standard needs to reflect current Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) standards of practice to ensure methods remain up to date. Human Resources Command (HRC), USAREC, and other relevant stakeholders need to be incorporated into the job analysis to ensure each entity is aware of the standards. This process needs to be iterative to ensure prevailing Army values are incorporated into the moral criteria for recruitment.

Recruitment

Clearly the current and thorough job analysis is the most important driver to determine who the Army needs to recruit. With this in mind, the Army needs to fundamentally change the way it thinks about recruitment. A paradigm shift moving from a numbers-based approach to a holistic quality approach is necessary. In addition to the knowledge, skills, and abilities, a serious method and metric to assess other characteristics needs to happen.

The Army knows what its ethics are and they clearly expect their soldiers to adhere to them. Therefore it is imperative to screen for and consider potential applicants ethical values prior to spending the resources on recruiting, training, and potentially retraining and discharging them. The process must be carefully thought out to avoid violating equal opportunity requirements and not screen out particular protected groups (Pynes, 2013, p. 183). This process must identify the values and ethics to been screened and a method in which to gauge them. Using this process, the Army will be able to screen prospects for an appropriate moral fit.

A second significant shift needs to occur in the Army’s view of recruiting. The Army needs to view itself as an employer of choice and as such should subject prospects to the same type of hiring procedures as private firms. In almost any other job an applicant has to prove they are worthy to work where they apply. This typically involves completing an application, providing references, and going through several interviews. Employing modern hiring practices, the Army can use references supplied by prospects to vet them for ethical and moral behavior. Some police departments as well as the Office of Personnel Management’s security clearance investigators employ this method by asking references provided by the prospect for other references, then following up with those as well. This negates the bias inherent in references provided by a person who is trying to get hired (since they more than likely list people who will speak favorably of the applicant) and helps uncover more of the truth regarding a person’s ethical behavior. I propose using the Army recruiter as the instrument to do this vetting.

Recruiters are the first line of scrutiny. They are the ones who make the first contacts and vet potential entrants before any significant investments of resources go into a person. The Army needs to develop specific training for recruiters during their schooling which equips them with the ability to discern if a prospect is a good moral fit for the Army. This approach is consistent with the doctrine of Mission Command which “enable[s] disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders” (Department of the Army, 2014).

Recruiters need to also be aware of and apply other aspects of candidates. This includes finding prospects who demonstrate public-service motivation. The lament of one recruiting company commander I spoke with was the volume of people who were infatuated with killing – obviously not commensurate with public service motivation. Additional screening will enable trained recruiters to screen for what Moffit calls “life-course persistent offenders” – those who since childhood have exhibited antisocial and escalating violent behavior (Boutwell, Barnes, & Beaver, 2013). Ascertaining why a prospect wants to join the Army will help ensure it isn’t for nefarious reasons.

The overall product of recruiting individuals with a broken moral compass is the breakdown of unit and professional discipline. With a thoughtful and thorough job analysis, the Army can determine what moral and ethical “other characteristics” it wants in its new recruits. The Army must then make a paradigm shift in its recruiting efforts to actively screen applicants for moral attitudes and behaviors. Taken together, conducting a recurring job analysis will inform what recruiters look for in prospects to screen out those who aren’t naturally predisposition to moral reasoning on par with the Army’s.

The views expressed are my own and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

Bibliography

Baldor, L. C. (2014, February 16). Soldiers Leaving Army Due to Misconduct On The Rise . Retrieved from Talking Points Memo: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/army-misconduct-discharge

Boutwell, B. B., Barnes, J., & Beaver, K. M. (2013). Life-Course Persistent Offenders and the Propensity to Commit Sexual Assault. Sex Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment , 69-81.

Buddin, R. J. (2005). Success of First-Term Soldiers. Arlington: RAND Corporation.

Cone, R. W. (2013). Soldier 2020. Army Magazine , 29-32.

Department of Defense. (2012). Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military. Washington, D.C.: The Department of Defense.

Department of Defense. (2014). Quadrennial Defense Review - 2014. Washington D.C.: Department of Defense.

Department of the Army. (2014, March 28). Unified Land Operations and Mission Command. Army Doctrine Publication 6-0 Mission Command . Washington D.C.

Jones, R. D. (2000). U.S. Army Recruiting: Problems and Fixes. Carlisle Barracks: US Army War College.

Koucheravy, R. J. (2001). Whence The Soldier of the Future? Recruiting and Training for the Objective Force. Fort Leavenworth: School of Advanced Military Studies, US Army Command and General Staff College.

O*NET. (2015, November 25). O*NET Products at Work . Retrieved from onetcenter.org: http://www.onetcenter.org/paw.html?ot=7&fmt=print

Pynes, J. E. (2013). Human Resources Management For Public and Nonprofit Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Tan, M. (2015, November 4). Senators call on Army to investigate 22,000 misconduct discharges . Retrieved from Army Times: http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/capitol-hill/2015/11/04/senators-call-army-investigate-22000-misconduct-discharges/75148446/

USAREC. (2015, November 25). About Us: United States Army Recruiting Command . Retrieved from United States Army Recruiting Command: http://www.usarec.army.mil/aboutus.html

[i] Some information provided in this section was obtained through personal interviews of persons formerly working in USAREC who wished to remain anonymous.

[ii] Soldier 2020 is the Army’s current campaign to open up all military occupational specialties (MOS) to women (Cone, 2013).

[iii] The AFQT is a composite of the 4 sections of the ASVAB (arithmetic reasoning, mathematics knowledge, paragraph comprehension, and word knowledge) to give an overall score.

[iv] Evidence for this section was gathered through personal communications with a former recruiting company commander and battalion staffer who wished to remain anonymous.

[v] Much of the uncited material in this section is contributed through first-hand experience.

About the Author(s)

Kyle Borne is a master’s student in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at the University of Kansas. He is also a Captain in the United States Army. The views expressed are his own and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

I agree with this author that there is "lack of moral recruitment focus". In addition to emphasis on Army values and the warrior ethos, the Army does need a way to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff.

Wow, the author just went biblical with separating wheat from chaff. Let me point this to recruiting. There are only 29% of Americans of recruiting age qualified to serve because of drugs, education, health, or felonies. Now, put with that figure about 70% of the population who profess a Christian religion. Current policies with respect to gays, gay marriage, and transgender issues potentially "screen out" a majority of the population possessing Christian values. While you say you want to avoid violating equal opportunity requirements and not screen out particular protected groups, you have just alienated 70% of the population of this country who would serve or encourage their children to serve. That does not make any business sense at all. With the added ethical scandals of senior military and public officials, no wonder there is a recruiting, morals, and values problem. George Washington said: "religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society."

Does the author understand the task of the army is to inflict or threaten to inflict violence?

"...volume of people who were infatuated with killing – obviously not commensurate with public service motivation."

Public service motivation? It's laughable.

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‘In a War for Talent — Recruiting, Retention and Opportunity:’ Army leaders work to grow the Army of 2030

By Staff Sgt. Michael Reinsch, Army News Service October 14, 2022

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Gen. James McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army, gives his opening remarks during a “In a War for Talent – Recruiting, Retention and Opportunity,” panel Oct. 13 during this year's Association of the U.S. Army convention.

WASHINGTON — One of the key pillars of transforming the Army of 2030 is investment in people, including Soldiers, their family members and civilians.

Army leaders at this year’s annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army held a panel Oct. 12 titled “In a War for Talent — Recruiting, Retention and Opportunity,” where panelists discussed the Army’s efforts to reach and maintain its recruiting and retention goals.

“We are in a war for talent, and when I think about the Army, it is people — every Soldier, every family member, every Department of the Army civilian, and every Soldier for life matters,” said Gen. James McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army. “We have opportunities to offer men and women unlike any other place. We want to make sure that we’re taking advantage of the talent we have in the military.”

“Right now, 83% of the young men and women coming into the Army are coming from military families,” he said. “However, only 23% of Americans are qualified to serve. We are not going to lower standards. Quality is more important than quantity.”

During the panel, several Army leaders spoke about the Army’s recruiting and retention efforts and took questions from the audience.

“We’re very pleased to say that across all of the services, that we recruited about 170,000 American young men and women to come into the military, and we’re excited that they are about to join their brother and sisters in arms. But we have a lot more work to do,” said Stephanie Miller, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense of Military Personnel Policy.

Over the last year, the Army met and exceeded its retention goals. However, it did not meet its recruitment goals.

“In looking at the crisis we’ve had, we have seen opportunities at both the national and local marketing [levels] and how to leverage that,” said Gen. Gary Brito, commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.

“Army is not the only service that is facing this challenge, it’s all the services,” Miller said. “For those of us that really work this problem every day, we will say fiscal year 2023 is looking just as challenging, if not more, than 2022. One of the biggest challenges we have is just the [lack of] propensity to serve.”

Some people today do not have the Army in minds when they become old enough to enlist, and part of joining is knowing it is an option.

“It’s not necessarily that they’re saying no — N-O. It’s just that they don’t know what those opportunities are and how we can meet their drive for passion, for purpose, for relationships and a clear path to success,” Miller said.

To reach a wider audience, the Army has been looking into leveraging different types of media to get their message to potential recruits.

“We’re looking to be a more precision deliverer of our messaging and our strategy,” Miller said.

“If you work with the generation that we’re trying to recruit from or have them in your family, you know that they are very market savvy, very attuned to filtering out the messages that they’re not really interested in,” Miller said. “They’re very sensitive to what is not organic content, and they have the ability to tailor the content they are seeing to a greater degree than we’ve ever seen.”

“We have to work harder than ever to make sure that our marketing and our strategies are getting in front of people where we count success in a matter of seconds,” she added.

Marketing isn’t the only way the Army communicates its story to potential recruits.

In the past, recruiters would often visit educational institutions to talk to students about serving in the Army. But, due to the pandemic and some other factors, it has been difficult to get the Army story to those audiences.

“We’ve really stepped away from that high school market. Part of that is losing that connective tissue with them over the pandemic years, where they were largely operating remotely,” Miller said. There is a focus on secondary education, and some people see serving in the military instead of going to a secondary school as not being successful.

“We certainly believe that going into the military, whether that is the officer path or enlisted path, is going to drag you along the path to success,” Miller said. “We need to do a better job of explaining that.”

In addition to people not wanting to serve or not knowing about serving, some want to serve but just can’t meet the Army standards.

“I believe young people today want purpose, they want us to recognize their talents, and they want us to give them an opportunity for them to grow. The Army is absolutely the right place to do that” McConville said. “We’re going to invest in American youth.”

In August of this year, the Army tested a pilot program called the Future Soldier Preparatory Course to help potential recruits meet Army standards.

“I think that is how we’re going to do business in the future,” McConville said. “We’ve already had about 1,000 kids come through that process, and it gives them an opportunity to beef up their ASVAB scores and get into physical condition. The initial results are very, very impressive. Seventy-five percent of the kids that are coming, that were barely meeting the standards, are doing extremely well.”

The pilot program, which was held at Fort Jackson, provided academic and fitness instruction to assist potential Soldiers to meet Army ASVAB scores and pass the body-fat composition standard.

The Army of 2030 will rely on Soldiers who are highly trained, disciplined and fit to fight. To that end, the Army is transforming the way it recruits as well as retains its Soldiers for the new and ever-evolving battlefield.

“Once we have Soldiers in the Army, we have to retain them,” McConville said. “We basically manage officers and NCOs by two variables: this is their rank, and this is their MOS. That’s not the future. We need to know all their knowledge, skills and behavior. We have so many talented Soldiers, especially in the National Guard and Reserve, that bring incredible talent to us, and we have to manage those.”

The Army of 2030 is focused on assessing overall skills to ensure that Soldiers are matched to positions where they will perform best. Certain programs, some of which have already launched, are designed to curate duty locations and positions that are best for particular Soldiers.

“I want to make sure that, whenever called upon to deploy, that you have all of the men and women to your right and left,” said Maj. Gen. Johnny Davis, commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command. “When you need to depend on them, you’re not putting an extra weight in your rucksack.”

The challenge for the next year in recruiting is going to be difficult, but Army leaders are positive and ready to build the Army of 2030.

“This is a big, total-team effort, and we will succeed at this,” Brito said. “But, in order to deliver that Army of 2030 and get ready for 2040, we will continue to be innovative in our talent management approaches, and we will turn this recruiting challenge into an opportunity.”

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United States Army Recruiting has gone through numerous challenges in war time. Even during the peace time, recruiting command engages on real time mission day after day, month after month. I can clearly say that the command was in war of accomplishing mission of providing strength of all volunteer Army well before the 911. It takes a gut, total commitment, and winner's attitude for accomplishing mission regardless of the situation. I am really glad that I am in the honored profession called Army Recruiting that gave me so much of what I am supposed to be and better person period. My Mentors and Leaders in Recruiting Command I have always had a lifelong dream of becoming a respected leader in the United States Army. In …show more content…

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The U.S. Army Has a Recruitment Problem. Here’s How to Solve It

T he difficulty of recruiting the U.S. Army’s next generation has become not only one of the biggest challenges for the future of the force, but also perhaps its biggest political football.

When Army leaders projected late last year that active Army troop strength for 2023 would have a shortfall of almost 20,000 from the projected 485,000, it quickly led to action inside the force and heated debate outside. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Chief of Staff General James McConville announced they would shift up to $1.2 billion from Army programs to recruiting initiatives, enlistment and reenlistment bonuses, and other efforts. In turn, worries about what the personnel shortfall meant and its connection to some of the most hot-button political issues became a talking point everywhere from cable news shows to congressional hearings .

Yet, the reality of the issue is not what much of the controversy has made it seem. The actual causes of the recruiting problems, and thus measures we should take in answer to them, don’t match where so much of the attention is being paid.

Despite receiving so much attention in the media and our politics, Army leaders note that there is literally no “hard data” indicating that the cause of the shortfall is a COVID-19 vaccine mandate (which has been rescinded anyway ). The numbers of its effect on retention don’t add up either. According to Defense Department records , 1,816 soldiers have been discharged for refusing to receive vaccinations, which is a relatively small proportion of the service and the gap. U.S. defense officials believe that the resistance of the vaccination results from misinformation about the safety of the vaccination

Similarly, the data doesn’t support the idea that “woke-ism” and a focus on social justice is behind the recruiting gap. As the commanding general of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Major General Johnny Davis, told Defense One, “While there are many things that prevent young Americans from enlisting in the military, including a lack of awareness about military life in general, ‘woke-ism’ is not one of them.” This finding has been backed by the latest Army surveys , which queried some 2,400 youth between the ages of 18 to 25 on their attitudes toward the service.

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Experts who study the issue agree. As Lindsay Cohn, an associate professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College, told a recent conference on the topic, there is plenty of data showing why young people don’t join the military, but “wokeness is not on the list. ” Indeed, by the raw numbers, there have been over four times more articles, op-eds, cable news interviews, think-tank reports, and angry web posts on the issue of wokeness deterring service (87,000 at last count) than the actual number of recruits in the gap.

It is also valuable to understand the historic and current context around the Army’s recruiting gap. For instance, shortfalls are not new to the force. As it enters the 50th year of the all-volunteer force, the Army has experienced multiple periods of recruiting highs and lows, from the surges in the wake of 9/11 patriotism to similar difficulties in recruiting following the Vietnam War and during the Iraq War. It has also regularly been lifted or buffeted by the surrounding economy, with today’s low unemployment rate being good for job prospects, but tougher for military recruiting.

Nor is the current recruiting challenge unique to the U.S. Canada’s armed forces presently have such a far more severe shortage, such that about 1 in 10 of its military’s 100,000 positions are unfilled. In turn, even the U.S.’s new strategic competitors face recruiting challenges. Russia’s army has had to turn to conscription and the use of prisoners to fill out its ranks during the Ukraine war, while the People’s Liberation Army is scrambling to fill gaps in well-educated young troops, leading China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, to call for a greater “sense of urgency” on military-personnel modernization at both the 19th and 20th Party Congresses.

Finally, it is notable that, despite the fact that they all operate under the very same supposed problems of vaccine mandates and wokeism, the recruiting issues differ across the U.S. military services. In fact, General John “Jay” Raymond, the new Space Force’s first chief of staff, recently told an event that his service has the opposite problem as the Army. “We have more people knocking on our door than we can take,” Raymond said.

So what is actually happening, and what can be done to have a real effect? The short answer is that the Army faces a combination of challenges beyond its control that link to problems of its own making. Fortunately, each has a ready set of responses in three areas.

First is to widen a shrinking pool. Put directly, less young Americans are eligible to serve than in the past, due to changing demographics, education performance, and especially health (weight, behavioral health, and other medical conditions). Only 23% of American youth fully meet the Army’s eligibility requirements, compared to 29% in the previous years.

Obviously, long-term efforts to aid such social problems would be helpful, yet the Pentagon has multiple ways to face this better in the here and now. The first is that the requirements are not uniform across the U.S. military; the Army and its peers are drawing from the same pool, but with different standards. According to our discussions with Lieut. Colonel Felichia Brooks, a Battalion Commander with the Baltimore Recruiting Command, the organization has lost multiple applicants to other services because of these differences. Fixing these enlistment eligibility disparities should be on the action list.

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The second is to recognize that no matter how standards are applied, the problem of societal demographic and health aren’t going away. As such, more is required to aid would-be recruits to meet these standards. For example, a pilot program called the Future Soldier Preparatory Course has met with great success at Fort Jackson in South Carolina to help overcome obstacles to military duty related to academic performance and physical health barriers. Such programs could be scaled more widely.

It would also be valuable to widen the pool by updating outdated policies that are presently excluding potential recruits. Here there are also two ready responses. Regulation (AR) 600-85 of the Army Marijuana and the Army’s Substance Abuse Program penalizes would-be recruits for using a substance now accepted in more than 20 states and the District of Columbia. It could be modified to reflect that if marijuana use is permissible in the state where the applicant enlists, then the Army must consider the laws of that state. It is upon enlistment, not before, that recruits should be limited to Army’s Drug and Alcohol policies.

Finally, the Army must change to reflect the new American family. There are over 11 million single parent households in the U.S. now, of whom a quarter face joblessness or economic challenges. And yet, under current Army policy, single parents must give up guardianship of their children for their initial enlistment. The resulting duration could be anywhere between two years to a lengthy six years, which creates an obvious barrier to entry for single parents. Yet, the Army has successfully navigated having single parents inside the force for decades. At last count, in 2021 , there were 119,186 single parents successfully serving in the U.S. military, nearly half of them in the Army. The force should therefore explore adjusting its current policy to allow recruits to regain custody of their children within an earlier stage of their service, such as 12 to 18 months on active duty.

The second area of shift needed is to reform the Army’s own systems and bureaucracy, to reduce anything hampering the recruiting process. Too many barriers are thrown up for those showing interest in the force, something all the worse among a generation that experiences quick responses in so many other parts of their lives. For instance, the Army recently put into place a program called GENESIS, an automated and integrated medical information system that aids in managing and providing health care. Although it has the laudable goal of performing a more thorough medical screening of applicants and boosting medical screening efficiency, it has caused significant processing delays for applicants. These can extend sometimes as long as a year, according to Brooks, resulting in many applicants choosing an alternative military service than the Army or even a civilian job that offers a much quicker on-ramp.

A recruit for the Army shouldn’t be lost because of protracted red tape and a burdensome documentation process. To decrease medical delays, the Army must consider authorizing the United States Military Entrance Processing Command permission to hire more medical personnel to review and handle medical waivers to reduce delays.

The final track is to build up the awareness and attraction of the Army. As Major General Alex Fink, chief of the Army’s Enterprise Marketing team, noted after the survey results came out, the issue for today’s youth wasn’t vaccines or wokeness, but they “just don’t see the Army as something that’s relevant.”

In this public outreach effort, though, Army recruitment has been behind the eightball in its branding. When it first shifted from a draft to a professional force, the Army messaged “Be All You Can Be.” It was considered one of the best slogans in not just the history of military recruiting, but all of advertising.

In 2001, though, the Army jettisoned the tried and true and spent the next two decades cycling through new mottos and campaigns, from “Army Strong” and “Army of One” to the present “What’s Your Warrior?” The current campaign was actually adapted in 2018 in a deliberate attempt by Army leaders to find a new slogan they hoped would be “as powerful as Be All You Can Be.”

Unfortunately, the video-game-derived question has failed to resonate both with youth it targeted and the equally important set of parents, coaches, and teachers who advise them.

As a result, this year, the Army will debut a new marketing initiative. It turns out the best course of action was to return to the slogan “Be All You Can Be.” The force is going back to the slogan because it better “conveys the possibilities that await a new Army recruit,” as Fink explains.

A better message, though, will only go so far. Less than 1% of the population is a military member; hence, most Americans do not have personal connections to understand Army life and its opportunities (which the survey data shows is more of a barrier). Thus, the Army must step up its community outreach activities at every command. As Wormuth and McConville put it, “We are in a war for talent, and it will take all of our people — troops from all components, families, Army civilians, and soldiers for life — to fight and win this war.”

This recruiting “war” will only be won if actual organizational incentives and leader evaluations are changed to reflect the force’s needs. We must turn outreach into a real whole-of-force effort, with the inducements to match. An example start is a pilot program that mirrors how civilian industry recruits; successful companies don’t just rely on their HR department in a job search, but also enlist their own employees’ peer networks. The new Army pilot similarly rewards enlisted soldiers who personally aid recruiting, by providing them with a promotion if their referral draws another soldier into the force.

For all the controversy that surrounds the Army’s recruiting shortfall, its answers lie in reflecting the world we live in. The successful force of tomorrow will be built not from the angry debate but from sound policy. And that may be the best outcome of all.

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Recruiting the All-Volunteer Force: New Approaches for a New Era

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Heritage.org

Oct 18, 2022 About an hour read

Richard Brady

The National Defense Strategy defines the enduring mission of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) as providing combat-credible military forces to deter war and protect the security of our nation. This requires the fielding of sufficient capable forces to defeat America’s enemies and protect the American people and our vital national interests. 1

In 1973, the U.S. military undertook a dramatic change in how it populated the services, moving from a model that relied on a combination of young Americans who wanted to join and those who were drafted by order of the government. The volunteer or recruited model has been a feature of the military since the country was founded, and the services have made all sorts of efforts to attract young men—and later, women—to join the military. Recruiters have appealed to a sense of patriotism, a desire for experience or education, health care benefits, or even a steady paycheck.

During periods of war, when the size of the military needed to be increased dramatically and very rapidly, the country employed a draft to fill the ranks, especially when casualties from combat needed to be replaced even by the unwilling. But the Vietnam war, occurring as it did during a period of great social and political upheaval in the U.S., led to a great rethinking about the military and what it needed to be. While not always the case, compelling draftees to serve in a controversial war during a time of domestic discord led to disciplinary problems in the military and declines in unit cohesion, effectiveness, and morale. The all-volunteer force (AVF) model was meant to improve the professionalism of the force, which it has, but it also depends on success in convincing young Americans in large numbers to join the force.

We are now seeing some substantial problems. Changes in American culture, the rise of new technologies used by American youth to interact with the world around them, and fewer opportunities to be exposed to the military are making the recruiting effort extraordinarily difficult. Beyond making it harder to meet annual recruiting goals, this potentially calls into question the AVF’s viability and demands a number of improvements to and adaptations within the “accessions enterprise” if we are to continue to have the most competent, professional military possible.

Military accessions—the process of recruiting, qualifying, and conducting initial entry training—is vital to our national security interests. Its operating environment is constantly evolving, and the organizations involved must respond in kind to remain relevant and accomplish their missions. This is particularly true of the recruiting portion of the accession environment, as recruiting tends to be the most visible and significant aspect of accessions. Recruiting is constantly affected by changing applicant demographics and expectations, service requirements and demands, accession policies, threats and security requirements, and technologies.

The accession enterprise is made up of three components:

The service recruiting commands;
The United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM); and
The service recruit training sites.

Each component has a vital role in supporting the DOD mission by ensuring and supporting the quality and quantity of the AVF. Given some significant changes in the recruiting environment, all participants in the process must adapt their systems, processes, organizations, and mindsets to meet the annual requirement of recruits in an AVF.

The military accession enterprise is experiencing structural, political, social, and technical shifts on a scale not seen since the all-volunteer force was adopted in 1973. It has been 50 years since the U.S. last drafted people, and the military services must address these shifts if they are to continue to be successful in populating our military with young Americans who are willing to serve our country.

Military recruiting involves actions and activities taken by a service to identify and attract individuals in sufficient numbers to meet organizational needs. These actions include marketing, advertising, influencing, and educating to generate a pool of desirable candidates, enhance their interest and attraction to military service, and increase the probability that these individuals will enlist. Among the organizational needs to be met by this process are the end strength objective for each service (how large it needs to be) and personnel with the aptitude and skills required to serve in technical fields. 2

DOD recruiting data highlight the challenge involved in accomplishing the accession mission. 3 Service recruiting productivity and resultant USMEPCOM and service recruit training throughput continue to be challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in limited access to high school students and large student gatherings. But the COVID-19 challenges tell only part of the story. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated systemic issues—changing demographics, propensity, standards, technology, and methods—within the accession environment that had been building for years, and it will take more than the end of the pandemic to resolve them.

The services have limited levers to influence near-term recruiting results. For applicants, these levers include waiving tattoo policies, weight standards, and education standards and providing higher enlistment bonuses. Recent headlines indicate that service recruiting commands are attempting to use a mix of these levers to improve recruiting outcomes in fiscal year (FY) 2022. 4 Similarly, the services can increase recruiter productivity in the near term through promotion and duty assignment preferences, monetary incentives, and involuntary extension of productive recruiters. 5

The more important levers reside at the policy and societal levels where the quality and quantity of military service inductees can be properly balanced with a focus on long-term outcomes and costs to the accession enterprise. These levers include medical policies and standards, testing policies and standards, and youth propensity to serve. An appreciation for the role these levers play requires an understanding of the complex interplay of the organizations involved as well as the history of accession standards.

A Balance of Interests: The Accession Triad

The first leg of the accession triad includes the military service recruiting commands. Under Title 10 of the United States Code:

The Secretary concerned may accept original enlistments in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, Regular Space Force, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be, of qualified, effective, and able-bodied persons who are not less than seventeen years of age nor more than forty-two years of age. 6

The service secretaries carry out this mission largely through the recruiting force with oversight from service headquarters.

In terms of a supply chain, the service recruiting commands are the first step in a long process that eventually results in military servicemembers being fielded to operational commands and adding to military readiness. Collectively, the service recruiting commands employ more than 20,000 recruiters worldwide to meet their annual recruiting requirements. Within the accession triad, service recruiting results receive the most visibility, as annual goals are used by both the public and private sectors to gauge military readiness and the willingness of young Americans to serve their country in uniform.

In 1976, the Secretary of Defense established the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, the second leg of the accession triad. Initially established as a Department of the Army field operating agency under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, USMEPCOM was led by a commanding general who was also commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command. This arrangement remained in place until 1979 when USMEPCOM became a DOD field operating activity reporting to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. This arrangement gave the Secretary of Defense greater oversight of the accession process through USMEPCOM’s mission of evaluating applicants by applying established DOD aptitude, medical, and moral standards during processing for military service.

The Secretary of Defense’s authority over USMEPCOM and the accession process helps to ensure equality of opportunity for all eligible applicants for military service. The DOD uses common entrance qualification standards for enlistment, appointment, and induction across all military services. This helps to avoid inconsistencies and inequities linked to ethnicity, race, religion, or gender. Moreover, this enables the judgment of suitability for military service on the basis of an applicant’s adaptability, potential to perform, and conduct. 7

The third leg of the accession triad is the service recruit training mission. The services, including the U.S. Coast Guard, maintain nine recruit training sites with the mission to transform civilian volunteers into professional servicemembers who are disciplined, fit, acculturated, and combat ready. To increase the likelihood of success, the service recruit training commands desire new recruits who are at high levels of medical and mental readiness before the start of training.

All components of the accession triad—recruiting, USMEPCOM, and recruit training—must work cohesively to enlist approximately 250,000 men and women into the U.S. armed forces annually. This requires not only the integration of policies and systems, but also the balance of incentives and desired outcomes at each step of the process. Recruiting has the dual mission of quantity and quality with the former taking precedent over the latter. USMEPCOM has a near singular focus on quality and adherence to accession standards. Recruit training focuses on individual recruit readiness, which is a function of quality and training standards.

Because of the divergent incentive structure, there is a natural tension among the three elements of the triad: recruiting, USMEPCOM, and recruit training. This tension has generally led to positive outcomes for the accession enterprise, allowing it to meet quality and quantity metrics in most years. However, when recruiting quantity metrics begin to fall short, as experienced in FY 2022, the tension builds, upsetting the balance between quality and quantity.

The military services must enlist a sufficient quantity of recruits to fill units in the operating forces and maintain readiness. If the quantity of recruits falls short, then the services must restructure operational units to ensure combat effectiveness. 8 In terms of cold, hard metrics, quantity is valued more than quality. This has been true in both peacetime and in war. But starting in the early 20th century and as medicine and cognitive testing evolved, it became more difficult to ignore the quality aspects of recruits and the medical and mental fitness impacts on readiness.

Evolution of the Accession Process

Today’s modern accession standards originated with the United States’ entry into World War I. The declaration of war signed by President Woodrow Wilson on April 6, 1917, set in motion what would become by the end of the war the largest coordinated system of human resource selection, classification, training, and assignment ever implemented. During the 18 months the nation participated in World War I, uniform standards were devised to screen out the medically unsuitable and to assess the aptitude capabilities of enlistees. Medically, screening for tuberculosis was a priority as TB was a leading cause of death at the time. Height and weight standards were also first applied with uniformity during the World War I era. 9 The application of these standards resulted in far more rejections of prospective servicemembers for underweight than for overweight.

World War I also witnessed the advent of aptitude testing. The Army Alpha test consisted of eight subtests and served as a prototype for later test development. The Army Beta test was one of the first paper-and-pencil tests to evaluate the aptitude of recruits who had little or no schooling or who did not speak English. Both tests were eventually replaced by the Army General Classification Test (AGCT).

More than 20 years later, World War II presented the nation with an even more monumental mobilization effort. By the time the wartime selective service laws expired in 1947, more than 10 million men had been inducted into the military services. The physical standards for induction were first published by the War Department in 1940. 10 They were used by local draft board physicians and physicians at Joint Army and Navy Induction Stations. The physical standards changed as the war progressed, as medical science advanced, and as the needs of the War Department evolved. The most extensive changes involved dental and visual acuity standards and the PULHES physical classification system, all of which are still in use today. 11

In 1948, an interservice working group was created to develop a single aptitude test for use by all services. This effort resulted in the introduction in 1950 of the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT). The AFQT served as a screening device, determining an applicant’s overall capacity to absorb military training, and provided a uniform yardstick with which to predict the individual’s potential for success while in service.

The AFQT did not aid in job classification. For this, the services employed their separate examinations or specialized tests. In 1974, the DOD selected the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) as the single instrument of choice to screen applicants both for enlistment and for occupational classification testing. This streamlined the testing process and enhanced the individual service’s ability to match applicants with jobs and provide job guarantees to applicants who qualify. In 1976, the same year USMEPCOM was established, a revised version of the ASVAB became the enlistment eligibility test DOD-wide. 12 Refined and improved versions of the ASVAB continue to serve in the 21st century.

Medical fitness standards continue to be refined to keep pace with current trends in public health and advances in medical science and military requirements. Audiometric standards were added and hearing tests became routine. 13 Screening for HIV was mandated in the 1980s for all persons entering the services. 14 USMEPCOM incorporated International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) codes in 2015, 15 and updated standards related to transgender applicants and the pandemic diseases were added between 2017 and 2021. 16

Today, the DOD regularly evaluates the medical and testing standards applied to accession based on emerging science, research, and advances in technology. These efforts, intended to balance cost and performance in military enlistments, are nonetheless influenced by politics and public opinion. The shifts in policy governing military service for transgender individuals between 2018 and 2021 and the COVID-19 medical standards and vaccine policies of 2020 and 2021 are cases in point. While these policies are of interest from a societal or public health perspective, their impact on military readiness is hotly debated. One thing is quite clear, however: They increase both the cost and the level of effort needed to recruit military personnel.

Levers of Control: Medical, Testing, and Propensity

The United States Army is projected to miss annual recruiting goals in FY 2022 and FY 2023, falling short by as many as 40,000 new recruits. General Joseph Martin, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, identified the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic environment, the labor market, and competition with private companies as key factors that negatively impact recruiting. 17 These challenges have affected recruiter productivity by largely prohibiting large group events, curtailing widely attended sports or school events, and limiting the impact of traditional incentive schemes like bonuses. The Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard are the recruiting bellwether for all of the military services, accounting for nearly 50 percent of the annual DOD accession goal of 250,000 recruits.

The traditional model of recruiting, which was effective before the COVID-19 pandemic, will not suffice in a post-COVID environment. Understanding this requires understanding the structural issues that determine whether a potential recruit desires to serve and is qualified to join. Finding medically fit, academically proficient, and motivated men and women is the foundational issue in military recruiting.

Medical. DOD Instruction 6130.03, Volume 1, “Medical Standards for Military Service: Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction,” establishes baseline accession medical standards. 18 All applicants complete the same accession medical history process, which requires self-disclosure of medical history, authorization given to the military to access personal medical records, and a physical examination by a licensed medical professional.

Uniform accession medical standards reduce the risk of long-term negative outcomes both for the servicemember and for the military services. The intent is to not aggravate any preexisting physical or mental health condition that might lead to the injury or death of the servicemember or a long-term cost to the government from a permanent disability. The stress of military service can result in a reoccurrence of some previous condition, whether resolved or unresolved. All components of the accession enterprise have a shared goal: finding young adults to meet the mission requirements of the military services and ensuring that they have every opportunity to pursue a successful military career.

Accession medical standards are based on advances in medical science, changes in public health, operational needs, and prerogatives of the DOD and military services pertaining to sociopolitical or cultural issues. They are designed to ensure that individuals are physically and psychologically qualified and capable of performing the strenuous military duties that are often associated with wartime activities. This requires the applicant to be available for worldwide duty without restriction or delay; able to tolerate exposure to stressful, dangerous, and harsh environments; and able to operate dangerous, sensitive, or classified equipment.

Applicants with conditions that would normally disqualify them are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the relevant service to determine whether a medical waiver can be issued. Each service has its own waiver policy that typically calls for more information about the condition of the individual and treatments available to mitigate risk associated with the medical condition. This additional information helps the service to make a risk-informed decision on the applicant. Conditions that are more rarely waived include those involving behavioral health, including self-mutilation, suicidal attempts or gestures, major depression, bipolar disorder, or other similar conditions.

As important as the military recruiting and accession processes are, they rely heavily on a patchwork of outdated technology and paper-based data collection for medical history. Until recently, this process was seen to serve both the needs of DOD and those of the services even though it was based on the assumption that the medical record provided by the applicant was complete and accurate. Based on this assumption, the DOD thought it was able to apply stringent accession medical standards, and this gave the impression that high quality standards were being met even though the services were recruiting applicants with largely unverifiable medical histories.

Various studies and reports over the years identified this shortfall in validating applicant disclosure of medical history, which led to Existing Prior to Service (EPTS) attrition (early discharge of the servicemember because of undisclosed medical problems revealed during the servicemember’s first enlistment) and high costs to the DOD at recruit training and during first-term enlistment.

USMEPCOM data consistently show that almost 50 percent of all EPTS attrition in all services is due to applicant nondisclosure of medical information. 19 The principal reasons for EPTS in all services are (in order) psychological, orthopedic, and asthma (pulmonary). Applicants for military service undergo a USMEPCOM medical screening that includes a physical exam; urinalysis for protein, glucose, and illicit drugs; hearing; and vision. 20 Applicants complete a report of medical history as well as behavioral questionnaires, both of which require the applicant to disclose any conditions, particularly in behavioral health, that would normally be disqualifying.

For various reasons, from willful nondisclosure to poor recall, applicants tend not to reveal such information. According to a 2016 Accession Medical Standards Analysis and Research Activity (AMSARA) report, “the great majority of EPTS discharges are for medical conditions that were not discovered or disclosed at the time of application for service, with concealment by the applicant being the most common scenario.” 21 Since these instances of nondisclosure are not uncommon, obtaining applicant medical and/or prescription records helps USMEPCOM medical providers to make the appropriate qualification decisions. In addition, the services, through their Service Medical Waiver Review Authorities (SMWRA), are better informed when conducting risk assessments during waiver reviews. In most cases, the relevant military medical authorities are able to acquire this important information, but the time needed to do so also means that it takes longer to process the applicant.

Between 1997 and 2017, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) made several recommendations to improve recruit medical screening processes at USMEPCOM. The GAO’s 1997 report recommended that DOD develop methods to verify applicant medical history to decrease issues of nondisclosure that could lead to recruit injury, attrition, or even death. 22 Its 2017 report highlighted concern with the lack of electronic interfaces between USMEPCOM and electronic medical information holders that would otherwise make it easier for Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) to obtain medical history information. 23

In 2016, USMEPCOM was directed to gain access to authoritative health information through a fully automated and electronic health record system to reduce the number of EPTS discharges and respond to the various problems noted in government reports. USMEPCOM conducted assessments, pilots, and initiatives between 2016 and 2020 to obtain this information and prepare for implementation. These efforts resulted in a system-of-systems approach that began with formal pilot programs in 2020 and an implementation plan in 2021.

Medical modernization in USMEPCOM encompasses multiple systems that collectively provide access to an applicant’s health information and electronic health records. The systems include:

MEPCOM Integrated Resource System (MIRS 1.1). MIRS is a cloud-based, enterprise processing system that provides centralized control and interface for accessions. 24 Deployed in 2021, MIRS features increased maintainability, usability, security, and scalability compared to legacy systems. It supports medical processing through the scheduling and reporting of medical exams.
Health Artifact and Image Management Solution (HAIMS). HAIMS provides global visibility and access to records and images generated during health care delivery. 25 With access available at all MEPS and service recruit training sites, HAIMS supports the digitization and transmission of accession health records while reducing personally identifiable information (PII) and personal health information (PHI) exposure.
Joint Longitudinal Viewer (JLV). JLV provides an integrated, read-only view of electronic health records from the DOD, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and health information exchanges. 26 JLV primarily contains health information on prior service applicants and the dependents (spouses and children) of military servicemembers. It utilizes electronic health records held by DOD and VA to provide prescription history for beneficiary populations.
Prescription Medication Reporting System (PMRS). A commercial application used primarily by the insurance industry, PMRS provides pharmacy history reports on individuals, including prescription drug dosage and refill information. 27 PMRS primarily covers insured applicants who have no prior military affiliation and is compliant with both the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Military Health System (MHS) GENESIS. MHS GENESIS is the next-generation DOD, VA, and Department of Homeland Security (for U.S. Coast Guard) electronic health record that covers accession through retirement. 28 MHS GENESIS is a fully digital system that leverages authoritative data and reduces reliance on paper-based processes.

Collectively, these systems provide end-to-end electronic health record coverage and access to authoritative health information while fully digitizing the accession medical process in a cloud-based environment. From an enterprise standpoint, they improve qualification decisions, reduce recruit training attrition (EPTS), and enhance policy formation at the DOD and service levels.

In December 2021, USMEPCOM initiated the Medical Review of Authoritative Data (MROAD) program as the first step to address the problem of applicant nondisclosure. MROAD makes it possible for the military to obtain applicant prescription histories that are used to identify medical conditions contributing to avoidable attrition. 29 MROAD leverages two complementary systems: JLV and PMRS. The data obtained from JLV and PMRS reports allow for a more comprehensive picture of applicants’ medical histories.

In early 2020, USMEPCOM used MROAD to assess the use and impact of JLV and PMRS in the medical evaluation process. Only records of applicants already shipped to recruit training were reviewed so that the assessment did not affect actual qualification decisions. After reviewing the records of 1,545 applicants between April and June 2020, USMEPCOM found that nearly 7 percent of applicants had a prescription history suggesting non-waiverable medical conditions. 30 Further analysis indicated that approximately 83 percent of applicants would be fully qualified during the physical exam with an additional 10 percent receiving service medical waivers.

The net impact on qualifications confirmed that applicants were not disclosing potentially disqualifying conditions, as the disqualification rate increased by nearly 7 percent overall. It was estimated that the savings associated with better qualification decisions totaled nearly $1 billion per year for the DOD and services at a financial cost of only $5 million per year. Interestingly, the results of the review also revealed that an additional 21,000 applicants need to be recruited each year to offset the number that are medically disqualified during prescreening for the services to meet their annual recruiting goals.

The individual applicant findings were somewhat more startling. When the prescription history of applicants who had already assessed and shipped to recruit training during 2020 were reviewed, it was found that many had undisclosed, significant mental health conditions that would not be compatible with military service or success at recruit training. Examples included:

An applicant with 232 prescription fills for multiple psychiatric medications,
An applicant with over 100 prescription fills for ADHD and anti-depressives, and
An applicant who was prescribed lithium for bipolar disorder.

Such cases would not normally be granted a waiver for enlistment by the military services, yet they somehow “slipped through the system.”

The decision to implement MROAD in actual qualification decisions was made in 2021. DOD developed several courses of action (COA) that balanced the need for medical modernization with the realities of the recruiting environment. While varying somewhat in their implementation start date and the use of medical history reports during the course of the accession process, all of the COAs recommended better use of both electronic and paper medical records to determine whether an applicant needed a more comprehensive physical examination.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the positions of agencies involved in the decision to implement recommendations varied greatly, depending on their missions and roles in the accession supply chain.

USMEPCOM had processes and procedures in place to implement the use of PMRS and JLV when directed. This initiative addressed the historical problem of applicant nondisclosure of medical history and would have allowed USMEPCOM medical providers to make better informed risk-based decisions. The use of authoritative health information would also reduce the variance in medical decision-making and EPTS attrition, nearly 50 percent of which is due to applicants failing to disclose medically disqualifying information.
Service recruiting commands were hesitant, preferring to implement MROAD in FY 2023. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, inability to gain access to schools and conduct large-scale events, and a young, less experienced recruiting force had created challenges to meeting recruitment goals. Recruiting commands were concerned that implementation of more stringent medical screening practices would decrease the pool of eligible applicants and increase the workload for recruiters. Any additional barriers to entry were seen as counterproductive.
The Council on Recruit Basic Training, an organization made up of the commanders and commanding generals of the service recruit training commands, supported medical modernization efforts if they reduced EPTS attrition at the initial entry training sites. Identifying medically disqualifying conditions would arguably prevent injury or death, minimize attrition rates, and increase graduation rates. Furthermore, applicants approved through the waiver process would sustain fewer injuries/illnesses if preventive measures were available.
Service medical review waiver authorities largely favored the use of authoritative health information in the accession process because it provided a more holistic picture of an applicant's medical history and allowed for better determinations in cases involving medical waiver requests.

The DOD directed the implementation of MROAD beginning in FY 2022 31 against the strong reservations of the services. USMEPCOM was directed to provide implementing procedures to the services before the initiation of MROAD and to conduct an assessment of the program after six months of use. Military applicant medical disqualification rates began to increase immediately following the implementation of MROAD in December 2021. Additionally, the increase in the quantity of medical history that MEPS medical providers needed to review increased the timeline for medical evaluations. These two factors—higher disqualification rates and longer timelines—increased the risk of missed recruiting goals for the service recruiting commands. The services voiced their concerns in early 2022, and DOD decided to pause the MROAD program in anticipation of the deployment of MHS GENESIS. 32

USMEPCOM deployed MHS GENESIS in the second and third quarters of FY 2022. Similar to the deployment of MROAD, the services strongly objected to the deployment of MHS GENESIS. They continued to be concerned about the negative impact that increased medical disqualification rates would have on service recruiting efforts, particularly in a year when all military services are struggling to meet their recruiting goals. Despite these concerns, determining that the improved quality of military applicants outweighed the services’ concerns about quantity and given the difficulty of the recruiting mission in FY 2022 and the likelihood that the services would miss recruiting goals in any event, DOD determined that FY 2022 was the best time to deploy MHS GENESIS.

The deployment of MHS GENESIS marked the most significant change in medical qualification in a half-century and was the result of decades of work and research. USMEPCOM moved from a paper-based system to a modern health care system that provides “a single health record for service members, veterans, and their families” 33 as well as better, more responsive access to authoritative health information. Its use not only has the direct impact of improving the quality of recruits enlisted in the military, but also provides improved insight into the overall health of the U.S. armed forces. These long-term benefits should not be outweighed by the short-term impacts being experienced by the service recruiting commands in meeting their quantity goals.

Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Testing. The ASVAB is the world’s most widely used multiple-aptitude test battery and became so widely used because of the evolutionary process by which it was developed and implemented—a process in which the U.S armed forces have played a central role.

The process of administering standardized tests at the beginning of the 20th century was time-consuming and costly and required highly trained administrators. In 1917, American Psychological Association (APA) President Robert Yerkes urged the APA to contribute to the war effort by helping to find a way to assess recruits. 34 The APA formed numerous committees, one of which was charged with developing a group intelligence test that could identify men with low intelligence and those who were well-prepared for special assignments or higher-level training.

Their efforts resulted in the Army Alpha and Beta tests, introduced in 1917. 35 The Army Alpha was a written test for literate recruits. It had various parts, including analogy recognition, missing number fill-ins, and sentence unscrambling. These types of questions are still common in modern IQ tests. The Beta version was used for men who did not speak English or were illiterate. It also had several parts, including a maze, number work, and picture completions. The Alpha and Beta tests could be administered to large groups and took less than an hour to complete. By the end of World War I, more than one million people had taken the Army Alpha and Beta tests.

The Army used the tests for two primary reasons: to improve the assigning of new recruits and to allow military leaders to gain a better understanding of their soldiers’ individual abilities. The first tests were just the beginning of the journey for intelligence and aptitude testing within the U.S. military.

During World War II, each service used its own assessment procedures before an individual’s induction. The War Department also began to use the Army General Classification Test and Navy General Classification Test to classify enlisted personnel. 36 These tests included questions on vocabulary, arithmetic, and block counting. More than nine million people took these tests during the war.

In 1948, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which mandated that the newly formed DOD should develop a uniform screening test to be used by all of the services. In response, DOD developed the AFQT. 37 DOD began to administer the AFQT in 1950 and continued to administer it until the mid-1970s. The AFQT consisted of 100 multiple choice questions in vocabulary, arithmetic, spatial relations, and mechanical ability. DOD used the AFQT to measure the “general trainability” of draftees and volunteers for all of the armed services.

In 1966, the DOD began to develop a single battery for all of the services. In 1968, the DOD first offered the ASVAB at no cost to high schools and postsecondary schools. By 1976, DOD introduced the ASVAB as the official aptitude test for all of the services. 38 Since that time, the DOD has improved the ASVAB program, most notably with the inclusion of the Career Exploration Program (CEP). Administered to over 500,000 high school students annually, the CEP is used by school counselors to encourage students to increase their level of self-knowledge and understand how that information is linked to military and civilian occupational opportunities.

For recruiters and potential recruits, the ASVAB test’s most important score is the AFQT, which is computed using scores from four subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Word Knowledge. The AFQT score is a percentile ranging from 1–99 and is normed based on a sample of 18-year-old through 23-year-old youth that was collected in 1997, resulting in a bell curve in which an AFQT score of 50 represents an average result. The AFQT scores are further broken into eight categories, as depicted in the accompanying table.

The military services are required to report the number of military applicants enlisted under each category. The service recruiters are strongly encouraged to enlist AFQT Category I, II, and IIIA applicants and to limit AFQT IIIB applicants. Generally, the services will not enlist applicants below Category IIIB without a waiver.

The difficulty involved in finding sufficient numbers of AFQT Category I, II, and IIIA applicants has led the services to explore non-cognitive testing as an alternative way to assess American youth for their potential to succeed in military service. These non-cognitive tests, the most notable being the Tailored Adaptive Personality Assessment System (TAPAS), identify behavioral skills and attributes like grit, resilience, or coping that predict success in an endeavor. Nearly all of the military services have administered or are administering the TAPAS test to military applicants, and the Army was administering it on a limited basis as early as 2012. However, none of the military services has fully integrated the TAPAS scores into its enlistment-related decision-making.

Service recruiting commands and advocacy groups have asked that applicants be allowed to use electronic calculators when taking ASVAB tests and that testing be provided in a language option other than English (for example, in Spanish). The thought is that the use of calculators and testing in a native language will increase the pool of qualified applicants. However, these proposals present multiple challenges. ASVAB testing questions have not been developed with calculators in mind, and the test has not been normed with applicants who used calculators. As a result, allowing calculators to be used in ASVAB testing would likely have only a marginal impact on the number of qualified applicants. In addition, military training is conducted in English, so applicants who are not proficient in English would likely struggle with and possibly fail in training because of their inability to comprehend the training materials.

The most viable way to increase the pool of qualified applicants would be to use a blend of cognitive and non-cognitive tests to determine suitability and enlistment. For example, ASVAB Category IV applicants who would otherwise not be considered for enlistment could be granted a waiver if they have a high TAPAS score. As all the services are currently administering the TAPAS test to prospective recruits, this blended approach could be implemented quickly and at a fraction of the cost of other options. The blended approach represents a step-increase in testing capability, increasing the enlistment eligibility (qualification) of the current and prospective pool of recruits while also improving the classification of recruits to improve success rates in military service.

Propensity. While the DOD as a whole and the military services individually develop and implement policies to identify high-quality prospects for military service and increase the odds that such service will be successful, they also work to understand the attitude of youth toward military service. This is key to marketing efforts that link the military to American youth.

One of the DOD’s greatest challenges is a significant decline in the propensity to serve among America’s youth and a corresponding negative trend in views of the value of military service among key “influencers” that shape their opinions. This decline has been influenced by a combination of factors such as:

A shrinking military footprint in many areas of the country (resulting in less opportunity for youth to have personal contact with anyone in the military);
Low unemployment rates (plenty of job opportunities in the civilian sector);
Improved access to college and higher education; and
Years of prolonged overseas conflict for the military (implying that anyone joining the military would have a similar experience).

These factors have created conditions in which the intrinsically motivating elements of military service have become less self-evident to the youth market while the sacrifices of service in terms of physical, psychological, and quality-of-life consequences remain top-of-mind. Today’s youth view military service as fraught with risk and sacrifice without unique rewards or advantages. The distinguishing outcomes that youth associate with joining the military often include physical injury, constant deployment, family separation, post-service unemployment, and trouble reintegrating into society. These views are often reinforced by the media, national headlines, and family influence.

Moreover, the increased political polarization of America has crept into perceptions of military service. The military is portrayed negatively as either a breeding ground for racist, extremist, or insurgent behavior on the one hand or weakened by “woke,” fragile, and social experimentation policies on the other. Both portrayals, neither of which is either true or productive, undermine youth propensity to serve and therefore military recruiting.

To counter these challenges and help reimage the military for today’s youth, the DOD initiated a series of influencer media campaigns. The messaging was intended to increase awareness of the opportunities of military service, advocate for the benefits of public service, and overcome the misinformation with respect to the risks associated with military service.

The Joint Advertising, Market Research and Studies (JAMRS) program is the DOD office for military advertising, market research, and studies related to recruiting. 39 JAMRS uses annual surveys to explore the perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes of American youth as they relate to joining the military. Understanding these factors is critical to success in sustaining an AVF and helps to ensure that recruiting efforts are directed in the most efficient and beneficial manner.

JAMRS survey results show a steady decline in the general propensity to serve in the military among youth ages 16–21 between 2018 and 2021, reaching a low of 10 percent in the summer of 2021. 40 At low levels of propensity, all resources supporting the recruiting mission must work harder for the services and DOD to make annual recruiting goals. For the first time, a majority of youth have never considered the military as an option, even though economic hardships and uncertainties persisted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, only 23 percent of America’s youth are eligible to enlist in the military without a waiver. 41 Disqualifying factors include overweight, drug use, adverse medical conditions/history, adverse mental health condition/history, low aptitude and education, poor conduct, and having dependents (a spouse, child or children, or other family members who depend on the potential enlistee for support). Nearly half of all youth who are ineligible are so for multiple reasons. This situation is exacerbated by low youth propensity and the difficulties recruiters have in engaging youth in a fragmented social and cultural landscape with limited resources.

Most youth do not seek information about serving in the military and are not motivated to look past the stereotypes presented in our culture. Emergent concerns around sexual harassment and assault in the military are at an all-time high: Nearly one-third of eligible youth cite this as the main reason why they would not consider joining the U.S. military. Significant growth in the number of media platforms, including traditional media, social media, and digital media, requires outreach resources to work harder and be targeted so that they reach intended markets more effectively.

The disconnect between the youth population and the military has been exacerbated by current events, creating a perfect storm for military recruiters. The restrictions on in-person engagements imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic have left recruiters at a disadvantage in cultivating and maintaining relationships with both the broader market and the low-propensity segments of that market. As many recruiters will relate, it is much easier for a potential applicant to “ghost” them, either by not responding to efforts to contact them or by ignoring follow-on efforts once an initial contact is made, if they have met only online. Additionally, many recruiters lack the social media skills and authorities to engage with potential applicants in the digital platforms where they are most likely to be found.

Nonetheless, recruiting remains a very personal business. Unlike transactional sales, recruiting for military service is more akin to a serial sales model where a recruit must be sold multiple years of service. This requires face-to-face interactions not only with the prospective recruit, but also with his or her family, friends, and other influencers. For most successful recruiters, this is not a “9 to 5” job; it is one that requires significant evening and weekend engagement to achieve recruiting goals. Individual recruiter engagement with prospective applicants is therefore extremely important and must be measured across multiple metrics to ensure that the front end of the accession pipeline remains productive.

Market indications are problematic for military recruiting in both the short and long terms. Many youth aspire to a lifestyle that maximizes work–life alignment, which they do not perceive as being available with military service. The military recruiting services have not adjusted their messaging to account for this change in youth attitudes. Doing so will come at increased cost, but it will also help to attract high-quality, eligible, and diverse youth. Experience has shown that support for AVF recruitment requires adequate and sustained resources. The services must have the resources to make timely investments in the number of recruiters, marketing and advertising efforts, and enlistment bonuses to mitigate the adverse effects of such a challenging environment.

Modernizing Military Accessions

The military accession process must evolve to achieve the quality standards and quantity requirements that are needed to maintain military readiness. Industrial age accession practices, based on large-scale batch processing, need to be replaced by data-driven and targeted strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic served as an inflection point for the accession enterprise, highlighting systemic issues in the accession model while prompting the development of potentially transformational programs to modernize the process. At present, the military services are failing to leverage new tools to achieve their recruiting goals at the very time when American youth are increasingly ineligible to serve and have less desire to serve.

While challenging, the recruiting environment does present an opportunity to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with a new accession model that is built on modern medical standards and technologies, integrated cognitive and non-cognitive testing, and the ability to adapt to changing youth attitudes and behaviors. The current incentive structure, which tends to favor quantity of recruits over quality of recruits, does not support this transition. History has shown that the accession enterprise can evolve when there is sufficient dissatisfaction with the current state, when there is a compelling vision for a future state, and when initial steps are taken toward that future state.

The medical technologies, in terms of authoritative health information and electronic health records, and the cognitive and non-cognitive testing methodologies are in place to be fully integrated into the accession process. The only obstacles that remain are the policy and political will to do so and the institutional resistance to change. Failure to act at this moment will delay implementation for at least another generation and continue to jeopardize military readiness.

Political agendas and public opinion will continue to play a role in the accession process, but their negative manifestations can be marginalized when all of the components needed to identify, engage, recruit, and induct new servicemembers are aligned on outcomes. Understanding the primary levers of control through medical and testing standards, as well as a deep understanding of changing youth attitudes and behaviors, will allow the accession enterprise to achieve its goals in any political, economic, or social environment.

The accession enterprise must build the resilience that is similarly expected of military servicemembers. Recruiting the AVF cannot be a reactive activity; it must be a proactive, initiative-driven effort that engages American youth and convinces them of the value and nobility of serving their country in uniform.

Removing impediments is critical to making progress in this endeavor, and implementing a host of modern systems within the medical screening and recruit processing systems is a huge step forward. Similar efforts are needed in the recruiting system and should receive priority attention not just from senior defense officials, but also from influencers in education, civic organizations, and the sports and entertainment industries. These are the sectors of American society that are in the closest and most regular contact with our youth. If such efforts are not made, the viability of the AVF and, consequently, the security of the country will come into question.

[1] James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, Summary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy of the United States of America: Sharpening the American Military’s Competitive Edge , U.S. Department of Defense, p. 1, https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf (accessed August 8, 2022).

[2] Alan M. Saks, “The Im practicality of Recruitment Research,” in The Blackwell Handbook of Personnel Selection , ed. Arne Evers, Neil Anderson, and Olga Voskuijl (Malden MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005), pp. 47–72).

[3] Press release, “Department of Defense Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for Fiscal Year 2022 Thru February 2022,” n.d., https://prhome.defense.gov/Portals/52/Documents/MRA_Docs/MPP/pressreleases/2022/5%20-%20Press%20Release%20February%202022%20FY22.pdf?ver=a9W-dWRNxTH06HwIvfFu4g%3D%3D (accessed August 8, 2022).

[4] Steve Beynon, “Army Drops Requirement for High School Diploma amid Recruiting Crisis,” Military.com, June 24, 2022, https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/06/24/army-drops-requirement-high-school-diploma-amid-recruiting-crisis.html (accessed August 8, 2022), and Joe Lacdan, “Army Eases Tattoo Restrictions with New Policy,” U.S. Army, June 23, 2022, https://www.army.mil/article/257828/army_eases_tattoo_restrictions_with_new_policy (accessed August 8, 2022).

[5] Steve Beynon, “Army Extending Assignments for Recruiters Involuntarily as Service Scrambles to Fill Ranks,” Military.com, June 10, 2022, https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/06/10/army-involuntary-extending-assignments-recruiters-service-scrambles-fill-ranks.html (accessed August 8, 2022).

[6] 10 U.S. Code § 505(a), https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/505 (accessed August 8, 2022).

[7] U.S. Department of Defense, “Qualification Standards for Enlistment, Appointment, and Induction,” Department of Defense Instruction No. 1304.26, March 23, 2015, Incorporating Change 3, October 26, 2018, p. 2, https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/130426p.pdf?ver=2018-10-26-085822-050 (accessed August 8, 2022).

[8] Davis Winkie, “Army May Restructure Brigade Combat Teams amid Recruiting Woes,” Army Times , July 29, 2022, https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2022/07/29/army-may-restructure-brigade-combat-teams-amid-recruiting-woes/ (accessed August 8, 2022).

[9] The standards were first published in Selective Service Regulations in 1917 and were later incorporated into Army Regulation 40-105, “Standards of Physical Examination for Entrance into the Regular Army, National Guard, and Organized Reserves,” which included the horse-friendly policy of barring those exceeding 180 pounds from joining the cavalry. See Selective Service Regulations , Part VIII, “Physical Examination,” 1917, pp. 94–101, https://centropr-archive.hunter.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/military-project/1917%20Draft.pdf (accessed August 8, 2022), and Army Regulation 40-105, “Standards of Physical Examination for Entrance into the Regular Army, National Guard, and Organized Reserves,” May 29, 1923, in Colonel William B. Foster, Ida Levin Hellman, Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Hesford, and Captain Darrell G. McPherson, Physical Standards in World War II , Department of the Army, Office of the Surgeon General, 1967, pp. 244–248, https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA291761.pdf (accessed August 8, 2022).

[10] War Department Mobilization Regulation No. 1-9: “Standards of Physical Examination During Mobilization,” August 31, 1940, in Foster et al., Physical Standards in World War II , pp. 129–160.

[11] The PULHES physical classification standard was adopted from a system already in use by the Canadian Armed Forces. The Canadians had a system called PULHEMS, which indicated the individual’s suitability for a particular assignment at a glance. (The “M” in the Canadian system stood for mentality (intelligence) and was eliminated from the U.S. system in favor of AGCT results, which were recorded separately in the individual’s record.) After experimenting with the Canadian system, the Americans adopted it as PULHES in May 1944. “In a complete profile, an individual received a grade from 1 to 4 in each of the six body parts or functions; that is, ‘P,’ physical capacity or stamina; ‘U’, upper extremities; ‘L’, lower extremities; ‘H’, hearing (including ear defects): ‘E’, eyes; and ‘S’, neuropsychiatric.” Each of the letter categories had four numerical grades that could be assigned. See “The Adoption of PULHES,” in Foster et al., Physical Standards in World War II , pp. 68–72, esp. p. 68. See also U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, “Medical Standards for Military Service: Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction,” DoD Instruction 6130.03, Volume 1, March 30, 2018, pp. 16–17, https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/613003_v1p.PDF?ver=9NsVi30gsHBBsRhMLcyVVQ%3D%3D (accessed August 8, 2022), and U.S. Department of Defense, “Criteria and Procedure Requirements for Physical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction in the Armed Forces,” Department of Defense Instruction No. 6130.4, April 2, 2004, p. 9, https://biotech.law.lsu.edu/blaw/dodd/corres/pdf/i61304_040204/i61304p.pdf (accessed August 15, 2022).

[12] Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, “History of Military Testing,” https://www.officialasvab.com/researchers/history-of-military-testing/ (accessed August 8, 2022). See also Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, “ASVAB Fact Sheet,” n.d., https://www.officialasvab.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ASVAB-Fact_Sheet.pdf (accessed August 8, 2022).

[13] National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, Medical Follow-up Agency, Committee on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Associated with Military Service from World War II to the Present, Noise and Military Service: Implications for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, (Washington: National Academies Press, 2006), p. 190, https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/11443/chapter/8 (accessed August 8, 2022).

[14] Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch, “Update: Routine Screening for Antibodies to Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Civilian Applicants for U.S. Military Service and U.S. Armed Forces, Active and Reserve Components, January 2014–June 2019,” U.S. Department of Defense, Military Health System, last updated January 9, 2020, https://health.mil/News/Articles/2019/08/01/Routine-Screening-for-Antibodies?type=Fact+Sheets#:~:text=Infection%20with%20HIV%20is%20medically,detect%20newly%20acquired%20HIV%20infections (accessed August 8, 2022).

[15] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2015 , 2014, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/Downloads/icd10cm-guidelines-2015.pdf (accessed August 8, 2022).

[16] Daniel Wilson, “DOD Issues Guidance for Recruiting Transgender Troops,” Law360, December 21, 2017, https://www.law360.com/employment-authority/articles/997304/dod-issues-guidance-for-recruiting-transgender-troops (accessed August 8, 2022). Subscription required. See also U.S. Department of Defense, “In-Service Transition for Transgender Service Members,” DoD Instruction 1300.28, April 30, 2021, https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/130028p.pdf (accessed August 9, 2022), and U.S. Department of Defense, “Coronavirus: Timeline: DOD Response,” last updated August 8, 2022, https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/Coronavirus-DOD-Response/Timeline/ (accessed August 9, 2022).

[17] Testimony of General Joseph M. Martin, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, in hearing, Fiscal Year 2023 Readiness Program Update , Subcommittee on Readiness, Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives July 19, 2022, 1:03:20 to 1:03:52, https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings?ID=6D218012-FDB2-47DE-8DCF-9EA14A5D821F (accessed August 8, 2022).

[18] See note 11, supra .

[19] U.S. Department of Defense, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Preventive Medicine Branch, Accession Medical Standards Analysis & Research Activity, Annual Report 2015: Attrition & Morbidity Data for 2014 Accessions , Published and Distributed 2nd Quarter of Fiscal Year 2016, p. 3, https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1005616.pdf (accessed August 15, 2022). U.S. Government Accountability Office, Military Personnel: Improvements Needed in the Management of Enlistees’ Medical Early Separation and Enlistment Information . GAO-17-527, July 2017, pp. 20 and 21, https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/686352.pdf (accessed August 15, 2022); and “FY18 EPTS Attrition Data (October 2017–September 2018),” in Colonel Arthur B. Cajigal, “Brief to British Armed Forces Recruiting Programme,” U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command, February 3, 2020, p. 15.

[20] U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command, “Your Future Begins Now!” https://www.mepcom.army.mil/Archived-Pages/Enlistment-Processing/ (accessed August 8, 2022).

[21] U.S. Department of Defense, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Preventive Medicine Branch, Accession Medical Standards Analysis & Research Activity, Annual Report 2015: Attrition & Morbidity Data for 2014 Accessions , p. 3.

[22] Mark E. Gebicke, Director, Military Operations and Capabilities Issues, National Security and International Affairs Division, U.S. Government Accountability Office, “Military Attrition: Better Screening of Enlisted Personnel Could Save DOD Millions of Dollars,” testimony before the Subcommittee on Personnel, Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate, GAO/T-NSIAD-97-102, March 5, 1997, https://www.gao.gov/assets/t-nsiad-97-102.pdf (accessed August 9, 2022).

[23] U.S. Government Accountability Office, Military Personnel: Improvements Needed in the Management of Enlistees’ Medical Early Separation and Enlistment Information , pp. 20–25. See also U.S. Department of Defense, Walter Reed Institute of Research, Preventive Medicine Branch, Accession Medical Standards Analysis and Research Activity, Annual Report 2015: Attrition & Morbidity Data for 2014 Accessions , pp. 101–113.

[24] Tandem, “U.S. Department of Defense: Modernizing the Military Enlistment Process,” https://madeintandem.com/case-studies/modernizing-the-military-enlistment-process/ (accessed August 9, 2022).

[25] Fact Sheet, “HAIMS: Health Artifact and Image Management Solution,” U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency, Solution Delivery Division, October 2021, https://health.mil/Reference-Center/Fact-Sheets?query=haims&isDateRange=0&broadVector=000&newsVector=00000000&refVector=0000100000000000&refSrc=1 (accessed August 9, 2022).

[26] Fact Sheet, “DoD Healthcare Management System Modernization Joint Longitudinal Viewer,” U.S. Department of Defense, DoD Healthcare Management System Modernization, Program Management Office, October 2019, https://health.mil/-/media/Files/MHS/Fact-Sheet-Files/JLV_Factsheet_20191022_508C.ashx (accessed August 9, 2022).

[27] U.S. Department of Defense, Military Health System, “Military Health System Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Procedures,” last updated December 10, 2021, https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Access-Cost-Quality-and-Safety/Pharmacy-Operations/Prescription-Monitoring-Program/Prescription-Drug-Monitoring-Program-Procedures (accessed August 9, 2022).

[28] Claudia Sanchez-Bustamante, “New Electronic Health Record Rollout Will Hit Major Milestone in 2022,” U.S. Department of Defense, Military Health System, January 12, 2022, https://health.mil/News/Articles/2022/01/12/New-Electronic-Health-Records-Rollout-Will-Hit-Major-Milestone-in-2022 (accessed August 9, 2022).

[29] U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command, FY2021 Annual Report , p. 3, https://www.mepcom.army.mil/Portals/112/Documents/Command%20Annual%20Report/Command%20Annual%20Report%20online%20FY2021.pdf?ver=UGoLTRx6024TEVZosMWD8w%3D%3D#:~:text=Medical%20Review%20of%20Authoritative%20Data,streamline%20the%20medical%20qualification%20process (accessed August 8, 2022).

[30] Slide 6, “MROAD Pilot Results, April–June 2020,” in Stephanie P. Miller and Colonel Rich Brady, “OUSD(P&R) Military Personnel Policy: Accession Policy Directorate,” U.S. Department of Defense, presented July 2021, p. 6, and Slide 11, “PMRS/JLV Impact on Attrition,” in “Accession Medical Modernization,” U.S. Department of Defense, presented January 2021.

[31] U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command, FY2021 Annual Report, 2021, p. 3.

[32] Private correspondence with the author.

[33] U.S. Department of Defense, Military Health System, “About MHS GENESIS,” https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/MHS-Transformation/MHS-GENESIS#:~:text=About%20MHS%20GENESIS,%2C%20veterans%2C%20and%20their%20families (accessed August 10, 2022).

[34] Kendra Cherry, “Robert Yerkes Was Influential in Comparative Psychology,” Verywell Mind, updated April 13, 2020, https://www.verywellmind.com/robert-yerkes-biography-2795531 (accessed August 8, 2022).

[35] Joe Ricker, “Army Alpha & Army Beta & Psychology: History, Theories, & Results,” Study.com, updated January 7, 2022, https://study.com/academy/lesson/army-alpha-army-beta-psychology-history-theories-results.html (accessed August 8, 2022).

[36] Andrew Marshall, “What Is the Army General Classification Test?” Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute, January 15, 2021, https://bootcampmilitaryfitnessinstitute.com/2021/01/15/what-is-the-army-general-classification-test/ (accessed August 8, 2022).

[37] Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, “Historical Importance of Military Testing,” https://asvabmilitarytest.com/history-of-asvab-test (accessed August 9, 2022).

[38] Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, “History of Military Testing.”

[39] U.S. Department of Defense, Joint Advertising, Market Research & Studies, “Marketing Communications,” https://jamrs.defense.gov/marketing-communications/ (accessed August 8, 2022).

[40] U.S. Department of Defense, Joint Advertising, Market Research & Studies, Office of People Analytics, “Summer 2021 Propensity Update,” PowerPoint Presentation, May 18, 2022, p. 2, https://jamrs.defense.gov/Portals/20/Documents/YP50Summer2021PUBLICRELEASEPropensityUpdate.pdf?ver=gSF5SrE3hRX5lhFwoz7Iqw%3d%3d (accessed August 8, 2022).

[41] Matt Seyler, “Military Struggling to Find New Troops as Fewer Young Americans Willing or Able to Serve,” ABC7 Eyewitness News, New York, July 2, 2022, https://abc7ny.com/military-troops-recruitment-war/12011656/#:~:text=Only%2023%25%20of%20Americans%20aged,use%20are%20common%20disqualifying%20factors (accessed August 8, 2022).

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Exclusive: The inside story of how the Army rethought recruiting

The army’s top civilian told army times how the decisions were made and offered new details about the changes..

WASHINGTON — Army Secretary Christine Wormuth knows she — and the Army — can’t control everything in life.

The Army can’t control childhood obesity rates. The Army can’t control the falling rate of applicants medically or legally eligible to enlist. Nor can the service stop seismic shifts in the labor market, or control the falling percentage of veterans, who are traditionally the most influential and trusted advocates for military service among the U.S. population.

But Wormuth, who announced sweeping recruiting reforms last week , is focused on what the Army can control.

Some of the organizational moves can occur almost immediately with a stroke of her pen:

Recruiting Command, led by Maj. Gen. Johnny Davis , will now directly report to Army headquarters, instead of Training and Doctrine Command.
The Army Enterprise Marketing Office , headed by Brig. Gen. Antoinette Gant, will now directly report to Recruiting Command.

Other changes will take years, though Army headquarters will soon issue orders detailing how the effort will unfold, Wormuth said.

Some of those reforms include: focusing on recruiting Americans who have attended some college; creating experimental recruiting units to try new approaches without having to meet a quota; abolishing involuntary recruiting assignments in favor of a specialized recruiting MOS; or even bringing in those without prior service, but with relevant experience, to serve as recruiters.

“I see these transformations as us taking charge of our own destiny,” said Wormuth in an exclusive Sept. 28 interview with Army Times ahead of the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting. The Army’s top civilian provided an inside account of why and how the service, facing a shortage of new recruits and potential structure cuts, rethought and reformed its recruiting and marketing structure.

The far-reaching reforms will combine to largely align the Army’s recruiting practices with those of the private sector, Wormuth said.

Early efforts didn’t go far enough

When the Army’s top leaders realized in early 2022 that its recruiting efforts had collapsed, they rapidly rolled out a series of initiatives to avoid falling short of required troop levels. Army Times detailed the service’s in-progress efforts in June 2022 .

Some of the efforts succeeded more than leaders anticipated.

The Future Soldier Prep Course, initially a pilot program , became permanent and has helped more than 10,000 recruits meet Army body fat or academic standards before renegotiating their contracts and shipping to basic training. A new referral program established ribbons and accelerated promotions for enlisted troops who pointed willing friends to recruiters.

Members of the Future Soldier Prep Course play a game of football in August 2022 at Fort Jackson, S.C. (Davis Winkie/Staff)

Other programs fell flat or died on the vine. Juicing recruiting bonuses didn’t fix the problem. Offering merit-based education waivers to non-GED high school dropouts created a political firestorm, and leaders ended the program .

Despite the scramble, the Army still ended fiscal year 2022 short nearly 20,000 soldiers . That’s when Wormuth and now-retired Gen. James McConville, the Army’s then-chief of staff, launched a special task force to review the Army’s hiring enterprise — and “tear it down to the studs and see what’s out there,” as Lt. Gen. Doug Stitt, the service’s top personnel officer, characterized the effort during a September 2022 congressional hearing.

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There’s no sugarcoating it: all three components of the army missed their required end strength for fiscal 2022..

The task force’s director, Maj. Gen. Deborah Kotulich, quickly realized the service’s recruiting structures “had been built in the Industrial Age for the Industrial Age,” she said in Army Sustainment magazine . Her team eventually compiled “a rather exhaustive list of the policies, incentives, and processes needing revamping or transformation.”

But many of the ideas were rooted within the structure of recruiting as the Army has known it, where nearly every trick has been tried once. “Nothing was new to our recruiters, especially those sergeants major and master sergeants with 20 or 30 years of experience,” said Kotulich, a Reserve officer who previously was the Naming Commission’s chief of staff.

By early spring, the writing was on the wall, Wormuth said. “Doing more of what we were doing already — sort of trying to do it harder — was just not going to get us the returns that we needed.”

How to find the right answers

So Wormuth, McConville and Gen. Randy George began assembling a study group in May to redesign Army recruiting from a “clean slate.”

Earlier that month, the secretary told lawmakers that the Army was going to miss its recruiting goals again in fiscal year 2023. She warned of “substantial potential force structure reductions” if things didn’t improve.

In addition to the crisis’ rising urgency, Wormuth said her decision and guidance to the study group was motivated by an analysis of internal marketing data she’d read by West Point’s Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis, as well as work by students from professional military education courses in recent years.

Although Recruiting Command and its parent headquarters, Training and Doctrine Command, were involved in the process to provide feedback along the way and feed data to the study group, the Army did not have them lead the study.

Wormuth said she made the move because “it’s really hard to ask the person responsible for managing the present to think about how…we create the future.”

Wormuth and George ultimately tapped Stitt, the Army G-1 and a career human resources officer, as the study team’s leader — taking a page from the private sector’s playbook where many companies associate recruiting with HR.

Then-Brig. Gen. Douglas Stitt (left), is greeted by Maj. Korneliya S. Waters, (middle), brigade personnel management officer, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division on Fort Carson, Colorado, November 15, 2018. (Sgt. James Geelen/Army)

Stitt’s office was supported by OEMA, Kotulich’s recruiting task force and the Army Enterprise Marketing Office, among others.

The secretary noted that retired Lt. Gen. Tom Bostick advised Stitt. The retired three-star turned around Recruiting Command in 2005 after one of the worst annual performances in its history through a series of tactical and structural changes — and with the help of slightly relaxed entry standards. Bostick, who also served as the Army G-1 and holds a Ph.D. in systems engineering, has worked as an organizational consultant since his 2016 retirement.

With the study team selected, Wormuth said she asked them to consider questions such as:

Do we have our recruiting enterprise aligned properly to the labor market?
Do we have the Army’s recruiting force designed, selected, trained and geographically distributed to generate maximum success in today’s labor market?
Are we giving recruiters the right resources at the right levels?
Does Recruiting Command have the right command and control or authority over the recruiting enterprise?
Is Recruiting Command the right organizational approach for Army accessions? If not, how should it be restructured?
How can the Army make its marketing approach more effective?

Stitt and his team had the summer to answer them, and they did.

Diagnosing the recruiting problem

Perhaps the group’s most important contribution, Wormuth said, was to “diagnose the problems and give us the opportunity to make sure that across the Army, we all…see the problem in the same way.” Stitt’s team focused on factors that the Army could influence.

In recent years, Army and Defense Department data has shown that fewer young Americans can see themselves in uniform, recruiters are increasingly less productive, the academic quality and fitness of applicants has declined, and the Army’s once numerous soldiers-in-waiting have dried up.

One of the major causes Stitt’s team identified: the U.S. labor market has evolved in recent decades, but the Army’s accessions structures had not, Wormuth said. The trends run deeper than recent phenomena such as high employment.

Staff Sgt. William Barnett, a combat medic specialist working as a recruiter in York, Pennsylvania, shows students in teacher Rick Guinan's applied sports medicine class at Central York High School how to use pressure to control bleeding as part of the "Stop the Bleed" program February 2, 2023. (Sarah Zaler/Army)

“The labor market has changed…in some very fundamental ways, and the Army has not changed how we recruit...whereas our competitors to a significant degree have,” the secretary explained. She highlighted how the Army has traditionally focused on recruiting recent high school graduates.

In 1973, the year the draft was abolished, only 46.6% of recent high school graduates were enrolled in college, according to federal government figures . That quickly changed. By 1990, more than 60% of recent grads were going to college, and the rate peaked around 70% in 2016 before the COVID-19 pandemic reduced college enrollments .

People with only a high school education represent 15 to 20% of today’s labor market, Wormuth said. But the Army kept going after high school seniors.

“The bulk of the labor market has more than a high school degree, whereas 50% of our Army contracts are high school seniors or high school graduates,” Wormuth said. “So we’re not focusing on a significant population of…the people who are thinking about employment.”

The study also identified that Recruiting Command lacked incentives to experiment with new tactics that could counter changes in the labor market — taking recruiters off the line risked not meeting current year targets. The command has also lacked the resources to accurately assess whether the changes it does make are having an impact.

“We don’t have a very good way of knowing whether the new things we’re actually trying are actually successful,” Wormuth confessed. “This year, for example, we tried so many things all at once — and frankly, we needed to do that. But sometimes it was hard to tell which things were really giving us bang for the buck.”

Another major systemic defect, Wormuth said, was the Army’s over-reliance on “a generalist approach to recruiting.” The service has long used involuntary tours for mid-career noncommissioned officers to fill the recruiting ranks, and they could volunteer to become career recruiters under the legacy recruiting occupational specialty.

“The training they get is shorter than most of the training we give to other [fields] during [occupation-specific training],” the secretary said. “The study team looked at the private sector and talked to Fortune 500 companies. What they found was almost all major companies have a specialized recruiting workforce — they do not take people from all over their company and say, ‘Hey, you’re going to spend a year or two doing recruiting.’”

The study group confirmed that the accessions enterprise’s structural instability may have impacted its performance. All of its elements, including marketing, were centralized under Accessions Command in 2002, then scattered to the winds when the command was inactivated in January 2012. Army marketing was lost in the woods until its 2019 reorganization, but the Army Enterprise Marketing Office reports to an assistant Army secretary, several layers of bureaucracy removed from recruiters.

How embracing ‘Be all you can be’ resurrected Army marketing

The rebrand is the latest move in a series of service-wide efforts that may reduce recent years’ recruiting struggles., what will unfold, and when.

Wormuth believes that the reforms will address the problems that the study group highlighted, and she described them in detail.

First and foremost, she said, the Army is going to adjust its targets and techniques for “prospecting” in order to increase its share of new recruits who have attended college, including those who may have left school. The goal is to increase the proportion of enlisted accessions who have at least some college credits from its current 20% share of recruits to around 33% by fiscal 2028, she said.

Instead of “a table in a high school cafeteria” staffed by a handful of recruiters, Wormuth envisions an approach that integrates digital job boards and modern private sector recruiting techniques like showing up in force to career fairs in major cities.

A Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps student from Shoemaker High School, takes a photo of the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle during a Career Fair hosted by the 1st Cavalry Division, on Fort Cavazos, Texas, March 29, 2023. (Pfc. David Dumas/Army)

She knows that won’t be enough, though, so Recruiting Command will also appoint a deputy commanding general to oversee experimentation units — without contract quotas — tasked with developing and testing new techniques, and the command will receive analytic support to track new initiatives’ successes and failures.

Wormuth emphasized the importance of not requiring experimental units to meet recruiting targets. Because “some of those things will fail,” she acknowledged, but the fear of failure can’t deter trying new techniques.

The reforms also will eliminate one of the Army’s longstanding ironies: using involuntarily selected recruiters to find new troops for an all-volunteer force.

“People who have chosen to be in a certain profession or industry tend to be better performers in that field,” Wormuth noted.

Doing so will abolish the legacy recruiting field, which the Army will replace with a new 42T recruiting track aligned with its human resources specialties, allowing it to tap into existing channels for civilian HR certifications, professional development and private industry fellowships. The Army will also create recruiting warrant officers.

The first 42Ts will be today’s top-performing recruiters, Wormuth said.

Internal recruiters will fan out across the Army to find promising candidates much like in-service special operations recruiting currently occurs, with the help of a specialized aptitude test. The service may also accept non-prior service recruits for recruiting roles.

When it comes to commissioned officers, Wormuth said the service isn’t yet certain how they’ll fit into this new version of Recruiting Command, but she wants them to be specialized to a reasonable extent as well. Currently, most recruiting officer roles are open to all types of officers.

The secretary also explained why she chose to bring Recruiting Command under her office’s control, elevate it to a three-star billet with a four-year command tour, and reassign the Army Enterprise Marketing Office to be under Recruiting Command.

“We need to have as flat a structure as possible to…[ensure we’re] giving all of the resources and authorities to [it],” Wormuth said. “When your [commander’s] tenure is only a couple of years on average, it’s hard to get up to speed, put new initiatives in place, see whether those initiatives are working, and make adjustments.”

Wormuth said those changes will ensure the Army’s recruiting and marketing efforts also mirror “best practices in the private sector, where you have [employment] marketing reporting to the same person who has responsibility for talent acquisition and talent management.”

Ultimately, the recruiting reforms emerged from a place of necessity for the Army, Wormuth said.

“The Army’s recruiting mission is an existential issue,” she said.

Davis Winkie covers the Army for Military Times. He studied history at Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill, and served five years in the Army Guard. His investigations earned the Society of Professional Journalists' 2023 Sunshine Award and consecutive Military Reporters and Editors honors, among others. Davis was also a 2022 Livingston Awards finalist.

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Vets group recruiting poll workers says next few months are ‘critical’

We the veterans is attempting to recruit 100,000 veterans and military family members to serve as poll workers for the november presidential election..

How Gustav the pigeon broke the first news of the D-Day landings

Gustav flew for five hours and 16 minutes across a distance of 150 miles to deliver the news, amid darkened skies and a headwind of about 50 mph..

The officer who stormed Normandy with nothing but a cane and pistol

One nco recalled seeing roosevelt on the beach 'with a cane in one hand, a map in the other, walking around as if he was looking over some real estate.'.

‘What they left behind’: Ernie Pyle recalls the carnage of Omaha Beach

The story of d-day as told by what one war correspondent saw left on the beaches..

A personal account of a paratrooper who jumped into Normandy on D-Day

Lt. col. gerhard bolland, an 82nd airborne division officer, described what it was really like to parachute during the invasion of normandy..

Official websites use .mil

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AR 40-501 Standards of Medical Fitness
AR 135-100 Appointment of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the Army
AR 601-210 Regular Army and Reserve Enlistment Programs, Ch 9-10, 9-16
AR 611-110 Selection of Army Aviation Officers and Warrant Officers
UR 601-210 Enlistment and Accessions Processing, Chapter 25
DA PAM 601-6 Warrant Officer Procurement Program
DA PAM 611-256-2 Selection Instrument for Flight Training
Aeromedical Policy Letters and Aeromedical Technical Bulletins
All Current USAREC Messages Pertaining to the Civilian (WOFT) Program
Meet basic enlistment eligibility requirements IAW AR 601-210
Be older than 18, but has not reached their 33rd birthday at the time of the board selection. As an exception, a Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT) applicant, younger than 18 years old, may apply as a high school senior when expected to graduate within 365 days from board selection. However, the WOFT applicant must be 18 years of age prior to shipping to initial active duty training (IADT).
Proponent and HQDA G1 consider age waivers on a case-by-case basis.
Have less than 8 years active federal service if PS.
GT Score of 110 or Higher.
SIFT Score of 40 or Higher
High school diploma or GED.
Must be a U.S. Citizen.
Able to obtain a secret security clearance.
Any applicant that does not meet these standards must have a DA 5500 (male) or DA5501 (female) indicating the applicant is within Body Fat standards.
Aeromedical Policy Letters and Aeromedical Technical Bulletins (with FAQ) can be downloaded at AERO: https://aero.health.mil
Not have attended or have been eliminated or graduated from a previous course of military-sponsored flight or preflight instruction program (AR 601-210, para 9-10b(8)).
If applicant does not complete the Warrant Officer Candidate School, he/she is still obligated for the remaining of their enlistment option (AR 601-210).
DA Form 61 Application for Appointment
UF 601-210.12 Packet Checklist Validation
Letters of Recommendation:(Minimum of 3, Maximum of 6) Preferred form UF 3.3
Typed Essay “Why I want to be an Army WOFT Aviator”
ERB or equivalent (PS)
Evaluations – if applicable ( NCOERs, OERs, AERs, or service equivalent)
Education Documents: Official High School Transcripts and College Transcripts
Copies of Professional Certificates (i.e. FAA)
Official SIFT Results
UF 610-210.10 Security Clearance Questionnaire
DD Form 2808 with stamp from USAAMC, Ft. Novosel
DA 160-R Application for Active Duty
UF 601-210.42 Occupational Physical Assessment Test (OPAT) Consent
DA Form 7888 Occupational Physical Assessment Test (OPAT) Scorecard
DA Form 5500/5501 Body Fat Content Worksheet – if required (do not meet height/weight standards set in AR 600-9)
REDD Report/GT Conversions (PS)
Prior Service DD Form 214, DMDC Report, and NGB Form 22 (PS)
USMEPCOM 680-3ADP (with DAT Results Posted)
Sex Offender Check
Misconduct waiver request w/ ALL supporting documentation – if required (as identified in block 26 on DA Form 61)
Conduct Waiver - A conduct waiver is required when the final finding of a court or of another adjudicating authority is a conviction or other adverse adjudication such as, but not limited to, fines, imprisonment, placed on probation, paroled or pardoned, or have ever been ordered to deposit bail or collateral for a violation of any law, police regulation or ordinance, including traffic violations involving a fine or forfeiture of $100 or more. This includes juvenile offenses, expunged dispositions, non-judicial punishments, and courts-martial proceedings.
Major misconduct offenses require General Officer endorsement , Conduct Waiver Case Summary . See Army Directive 2020-09 for details.
Active Federal Service ETP request – if required (have not exceeded 8 years of Active Federal Service as of the date the DA 61 is signed by the applicant)
Age waiver request -if required (be older than 18, but has not reached their 33rd birthday at the time of board selection. As an exception, a Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT) applicant, younger than 18 years old, may apply as a high school senior when expected to graduate within 365 days from board selection. However, the WOFT applicant must be 18 years of age prior to shipping to initial active duty training).
All WOFT (Civilian) applicants must meet the following standard.
USAREC G-3 Special Programs will process exceptions (waivers) to AR 135-100, AR 601-100, AR 611-110, and Army Directives.
Request for waivers are not routinely granted. Requests for waivers must be fully documented and must be clearly in the best interest of the Army
The respective Recruiting BN must upload WOFT misconduct, AFS, and age waivers to ERM. Aviation Proponent and HQDA G1 will not take incomplete packets; therefore, packets need to be complete and error free to avoid delays. Upload all waivers supporting documents to ERM.
After the WOFT (Civilian) packet is review/complete, G-3 Special Programs will process the waiver through Aviation Proponent and HQDA G1 for approval.
Research this entire site for answers before, during, and after the submission process.
Spend the time to get good letters of recommendations.
Use highly influential people that personally know the applicant.
Close all loops in the packet. It represents the applicant and the recruiter.
Make sure all forms have legible signatures and branch.
Make sure that the Body Fat Sheet matches the USAREC Form 601-210.12.
Have more than one person review the packet to make sure it is complete.

Last Updated: 14 June 2023

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Publishing Disclaimer: In all of its publications and products, NCO Journal presents professional information. However, the views expressed therein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Army University, the Department of the US Army, or any other agency of the US Government.

Virtual Recruiting

How the 1st medical recruiting battalion is shaping the future, by sgt. 1st class joshua cannon, 1st medical recruiting brigade, 1st medical recruiting battalion.

February 12th, 2019

Col. Jay Johannigman, a U.S. Army Reserve general surgeon, poses for a portrait while wearing a pair of binocular loupes during a promotional photo shoot for Army Reserve marketing and recruiting in a field hospital at Fort Hunter Liggett, California, July 18, 2018. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)

The U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) recruiting battalions are struggling to recruit medical doctors for the Medical Corps (MC) (one of six branches in AMEDD), the most undermanned corps in AMEDD and most needed in times of war—directly affecting Army readiness. Conversely, within AMEDD recruiting, there is a ray of hope. The 1st Medical Recruiting Battalion (MRBn) is currently challenging the status quo and using modern technology to provide the command with a competitive edge. This article provides an understanding of the complex healthcare recruiting environment, the exciting solution, and a look into the future of AMEDD recruiting.

The Future Success of AMEDD Recruiting

Understanding your market is key, both in business and in achieving recruiting numbers. According to United States Army Recruiting Command (2014), “Our strategic mission is to recruit and assess highly qualified individuals to meet near and long-term Army requirements” (p. 1). The importance and impact of this statement plays out critically as we move into the future, one that we must realize before we are left behind by other services. The legacy style of recruiting has shown signs of failure, and in order to adapt, AMEDD recruiting must attack the market in a manner that is cooperative and understanding of the future (p. 4). As technology advances, so does the culture. If we are uninformed and illiterate on both, then the reality of failing the mission will continue to be the harsh actuality. This will directly produce a negative effect on Army readiness. In order to understand the market and achieve mission success, we must spotlight the innovative virtual recruiting methods that are currently proving successful.

U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Harvey, an operating room specialist assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, provides medical instruments to the surgeon during Medical Readiness Training Exercise 17-2 at the 37th Military Hospital in Accra, Ghana, Feb. 8, 2017. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Staff Sgt. Shejal Pulivarti)

The direct effect AMEDD recruiting has on Army readiness is undeniable. While attending the Annual Training Conference for the 1st and 2nd Medical Recruiting Battalions, Command Sgt. Maj. Tabitha Gavia, United States Army Recruiting Command, said, “Failure to accomplish our mission holds a negative impact on Army readiness that directly impacts national security. What we do in AMEDD recruiting affects Army readiness more than you think” (2018).

Soldiers are counting on AMEDD recruiting to provide the required medical experts needed.

The Problem

Within AMEDD recruiting lies an antiquated method of recruiting that is losing steam. The situation is the U.S. Army cannot match the pay and incentives that our civilian counterparts can offer. This reality cannot be ignored. Compensation is a high priority for students fresh out of medical school with a large amount of debt who expect adequate pay in return. One study has civilian compensation, on average, at more than $98,000 higher than the military’s (“Military vs Civilian Doctor Salary,” 2011).

What’s not being communicated properly to the potential candidates is that the military has modern loan repayment and scholarship programs that most medical students would find invaluable. According to The Association of American Medical Colleges , “The average medical student debt balance for graduating physicians in 2015 was $183,000, and is no doubt higher today” (Gitlen, 2017, para. 10).

Yet the shocking reality is that the bulk of the Army’s target audience has no idea that it offers programs that will pay for their entire medical education: Medical residencies through graduate medical education (GME). As medical schools continue to graduate more students, medical residencies are lacking. In recent years, the number of medical school graduates has increased by more than 23 percent, all the while the residency programs have simply not kept pace (Koeppen, 2016). Estimates from Medical Malpractice Lawyers claim there will be 50 percent more medical school graduates by the year 2020 than in the 1990s. With the lack of residencies and the increased population, the nation is experiencing a shortage in physicians and medical school graduates are being hung out to dry (“Main Cause of Physician Shortage,” 2013), presenting us with a massive target of opportunity.

Col. (Dr.) Stephen Bolt leans in close to speak to his patient as he assesses his injuries at Madigan Army Medical Center's Emergency Department following an Amtrak train derailment near DuPont Wa. The incident left three dead and 62 injured with 19 of those coming to Madigan. (U.S. Army photo by John Liston)

The Solution

Perhaps the greatest struggle for AMEDD recruiters is the system we are mandated to use for prospecting. Recruiters Zone (RZ) is an antiquated system, and our civilian competitors have systems that far exceed our own. We have lost the art and ability to contact the most desirable prospects in AMEDD recruiting due to the change in culture as applicants are more comfortable in the virtual space than physical space. If we cannot contact those we are missioned to recruit, then recruiting efforts will fail. Thankfully, the solution is here and the Virtual Recruiting Station (VRS) has taken the 1MRBn to new levels of efficacy.

Since May of 2018, the VRS has broken new ground in an environment that was once looked upon with uncertainty. Army leadership recognized the need for a change and the VRS is now being utilized to accomplish the mission in a manner that is certain to become the future of AMEDD recruiting.

Staff Sgt. Jamey Neher, Healthcare Recruiter, uses the Virtual Recruiting Station at 1st Medical Recruiting Battalion, Ft. Meade, MD, February 6, 2019. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Cannon)

Recruiters Zone

While using RZ, the average contact attempt can take anywhere from thirty seconds to two minutes. At times this may take longer depending upon the systems the recruiter is given to work with and the amount of detail that is required within each individual record being updated. This means the average recruiter will make anywhere from 30 to 45 attempts an hour while working at full capacity with no issues. In an effort to go around this ineffective model of recruiting, the virtual team has challenged the status quo. Since its inception, the VRS has been using alternate methods (mail merge, social media, and public job boards) with amazing results. Virtual recruiters at the 1MRBn are able to send thousands of emails in a matter of seconds.

Realistically, the average prospecting day allows for four to five hours of dedicated prospecting, around three to four days a week. This means the average recruiter will only make 600 to 900 attempts in a given week. However, this is a best case scenario and does not take into account processing, training, administrative duties, and other distractors that can take away from prospecting efforts. The alternate methods of prospecting (mentioned above) are being employed successfully through the virtual team at the 1MRBn and have recently been used to send out upwards of 53,000 emails in only a few seconds.

What would normally take a team of four recruiters over 17 weeks, can now be accomplished by one recruiter almost instantaneously. The remaining work is managed by recruiters in the office answering phone calls and emails from responses received from applicants.

Recently, with one virtual recruiter, in the span of two months, 55 Health Professions Scholarship Program applicants (who are qualified and have agreed to process) have been passed down to recruiting stations throughout the area of operations. Not all will cross the finish line, however, the realization that one recruiter has the ability to prospect in such an effective and efficient manner should be recognized.

Med Corp Direct Markets

Direct doctors, those that have chosen to have a more direct relationship with their patients and not go through third party billing companies (Hoff, 2018), have always proven difficult to recruit and require a new method of prospecting. AMEDD recruiters have never hit their prescribed benchmarks, but with the use of the VRS and its mass communication capabilites, it’s possible to get closer than ever to reaching the proposed recruiting goals.

In the span of four months, the 1MRBn is achieving numbers for direct doctors once thought unobtainable. With one virtual recruiter using precisely targeted email campaigns, 17 MC direct doctors have agreed to process. It is easily recognizable the VRS is changing the face of modern recruiting and is paving the way for recruiting battalions to communicate with more applicants than ever.

Virtual recruiting is the wave of the future, and a tool that can positively affect Army readiness. As the Army begins to maximize its VRS capabilities, a job that at one time would take 50 Soldiers to accomplish, can now be done by a minimal staff. By using this modern capability, the Army can get closer than ever to achieving its recruiting goals.

Gavia, T. (2018, October 17). Keynote . Speech presented at the Annual Training Conference for the 1st and 2nd Medical Recruiting Battalions.

Gitlen, J. (2017, Feb 15). Average medical school debt in 2019. Lendedu . Retrieved from https://lendedu.com/blog/average-medical-school-debt/

Koeppen, B. (2016, Jan 22). Shortage of residency slots may have chilling effect on next generation of physicians. The Hill . Retrieved from http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/266610-shortage-of-residency-slots-may-have-chilling-effect-on-next

Main cause of physician shortage is lack of enough residency programs. (2013, Nov 23). Medical Malpractice Lawyers . Retrieved from https://www.medicalmalpracticelawyers.com/blog/main-cause-physician-shortage-lack-enough-residency-programs/

Military vs Civilian doctor salary. (2011, Oct 21). MD Salaries . Retrieved from http://mdsalaries.com/2011/10/21/military-vs-civilian-doctor-salary-infographic/

United States Army Recruiting Command. (2014). USAREC Manual 3: Recruiting (V2). Ft Knox, Kentucky: United States Army Recruiting Command.

Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Cannon is an AMEDD Recruiter in the United States Army and is currently serving as the 1st Medical Recruiting Battalion Virtual Recruiting Station’s NCOIC at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. He served one tour in Iraq during OIF1 as a Military Intelligence Soldier with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Squadron, 66 MI Company. He currently holds two graduate degrees (Master of Divinity and Master of Arts) and is working towards completing his Doctorate of Educational Ministry degree. He is currently applying to become a United States Army Chaplain.

ROTC Scholarships

Pay for college with the army’s help..

Cover your college education while gaining valuable leadership skills in Army ROTC with financial support from the Army.

Get a scholarship with Army ROTC.

Two female ROTC cadets sitting outside against a wooden obstacle

Scholarships and other monetary support are available to help with costs when you join Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). Focus on your education and graduate into a secure path as an Army Officer—and with less debt for the school years your scholarship covers. You’re eligible if you are a high school student enrolling in college, enrolled in college, or an active-duty enlisted Soldier.

Reach your financial goals.

A female student in a university parking lot

Get tuition and fees covered.

Get the full college experience, only with less debt, in exchange for a career serving in the Army as an Officer after graduation. ROTC scholarships are awarded based on academic achievements and can be applied to any of the 1,000+ participating schools, covering either tuition and fees or room and board.

Get money for expenses and books.

Receive monthly help to offset living and book costs. All ROTC scholarships include an extra $420 each month throughout the school year for expenses like housing, along with $1,200 each year to spend on books.

Apply in high school or college.

You’re eligible to apply for an Army ROTC scholarship at a participating school upon completion of your junior year of high school or as a college student.

High School

Here’s what to know when applying for an ROTC scholarship in high school.

Start the application process.

To get started on your ROTC scholarship application, create an account and log in to the Scholarship Application. From there, you’ll locate and contact the Recruiting Operations Officer at the school you plan to attend. Most of them have served before and understand the process you’re going through.

Important dates to remember

ROTC scholarship applications opened on June 12, 2023. Applications must be started no later than March 4, 2024 to be eligible for review by the Army ROTC National Scholarship Board for the 2024 – 2025 school year.

Due October 9, 2023

Applications will be reviewed from October 16 – 20, 2023.

Due January 15, 2024

Applications will be reviewed from January 22 – 26, 2024.

Due March 11, 2024

Applications will be reviewed from March 18 – 22, 2024.

Your obligation with an ROTC scholarship

Your acceptance of the ROTC scholarship means a future service obligation of eight years in the Army, with requirements for active duty and/or the Army Reserve or Army National Guard depending on the scholarship. You may be eligible to serve part time in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard while pursuing a civilian career immediately after graduation.

Scholarship recipients who wish to exit the ROTC program may do so after their freshman year of college without any obligation.

Here’s what to know when applying for an ROTC scholarship in college.

Types of scholarships available.

You’ll have access to four-year, three-year, or two-year scholarships if you decide to join Army ROTC as a college student. Four-year scholarships are most common for students who are on a five-year college plan, while two-year scholarships are more common for those who attend certain participating two-year community colleges before transferring to a four-year university.

To get started on your ROTC scholarship application, locate and contact the Recruiting Operations Officer at your school to discuss how to apply. Most of them have served before and understand the process you’re going through. Their years of experience will help the process.

Scholarship recipients who wish to exit the ROTC program may do so after their freshman year of college without any obligation.

Requirements to be eligible for an ROTC scholarship.

To be accepted for any ROTC scholarship, you must meet these standards.

Be a U.S. citizen.

Be at least 17 and under 31 in year of commissioning.

Have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Have an unweighted high school GPA of at least 2.50 if you’re in high school while applying.

Have taken the SAT or ACT.

Take the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) .

Meet the physical weight and height requirements .

Agree to accept a commission and serve in the Army , Army Reserve , or Army National Guard .

Career-building scholarship programs

Nursing scholarships.

Nursing students can apply for any Army ROTC scholarship by following the directions above. Being a nurse in the Army provides you with opportunities not found in the civilian world, including a three-week paid Nurse Summer Training Program, which introduces students to the Army Medical Department and the roles and responsibilities of an Army Nurse Corps Officer .

Enlisted Soldier Scholarships

As an enlisted Soldier, you have access to the Green to Gold program and scholarship opportunities to cover costs for tuition or room and board, while you earn your undergraduate or graduate degree.

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Privacy Act Notice: The above disclosure is voluntary. All information will be used strictly for recruiting purposes. The authority for the collection of this information is Title 10, United States Code, Sections 503, 505, 508, and 12102, and EO 9397. For more information, please review our Privacy & Security Notice.

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US Army Chief of Innovation, SL Dan Shrimpton Visits ICT

SL Dan Shrimpton, Chief of Innovation, US Army, visited ICT today to see presentations of our latest R&D, including projects featuring Natural Language Research, Mixed Reality and AI-Generated Character Experiments.

[L – R] Back row: United States Military Academy, West Point: Cadet Marcus Sebastian; Cadet Jared West; Cadet Bennett Stoltzfus; (C) David Nelson, Director, Mixed Reality (MxR) Lab, ICT; Cadet Arlind Shefiku; Cadet Ansh Deshmukh; Cadet Steven Lee

[L – R] Front row: Rob Groome, CIO, ICT; Cheryl Birch, CFO, ICT; Ryan McAlinden, Director, Defense and Intelligence Community Initiatives; SES Dan Shrimpton, Chief of Innovation, US Army; Dr. Randall Hill, Vice Dean, Viterbi School of Engineering, Omar B. Milligan Professor in Computer Science (Games and Interactive Media), Executive Director, ICT; Major Victor Shen, Chief, L.A. Strategic Officer Recruiting Detachment (L.A. SORD), United States Army Cadet Command USA CC; Dr. Pete Khooshabeh, Lead, ARL West, U.S. Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory.

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Allies Warn Former Fighter Pilots Not to Train Chinese Military Members

A new bulletin says China is trying to step up recruitment of Western-trained fighter pilots to improve its air combat capability.

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By Julian E. Barnes and Helene Cooper

Julian Barnes covers the U.S. intelligence agencies, and Helene Cooper covers the American military.

For years, U.S. officials have accused China of stealing American technology to design and build fighter planes. But while China learned how to build advanced fighters, its pilots could not fly them so well.

That may be starting to change, according to American officials.

U.S. and allied intelligence officials warned on Wednesday that Beijing was intensifying a campaign to entice former fighter pilots from Western nations to train Chinese pilots.

The United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — an intelligence-sharing partnership known as the Five Eyes — said in a bulletin that China’s People’s Liberation Army was trying to tap the “skills and expertise of these individuals” to improve its own air operations.

“To overcome their shortcomings, China’s People’s Liberation Army has been aggressively recruiting Western military talent to train their aviators, using private firms around the globe that conceal their P.L.A. ties and offer recruits exorbitant salaries,” said Michael C. Casey, the director of the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center.

China has been building up its air and naval forces, and leaders in Beijing have warned that they could eventually be open to using force to unite their country with Taiwan. American officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the findings, say there is little doubt that Chinese fighter pilots appear to be getting better.

But officials debate how much of the improvement can be attributed to training by foreign pilots versus an increase in hours that Chinese pilots are logging in homegrown training programs.

Officials say China’s efforts to entice pilots to train the People’s Liberation Army stretch back years but have intensified. Britain issued a warning in September after it strengthened laws against training foreign pilots.

American officials said the Chinese military has set up a number of nominally independent training centers in several countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. They say the recruited pilots have been offered the chance to fly in a variety of exotic and advanced planes and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for their services.

While the pilots may not initially know they are training the Chinese military, it quickly becomes apparent, according to officials briefed on the findings.

Officials would not say how many allied pilots have been involved in training the Chinese military, but American officials said it was easily in the dozens. Britain has reported that at least 30 former British pilots have trained the Chinese military. Three Canadian former pilots, seven from New Zealand and a group from Germany have also been accused of training China’s military.

In addition to the centers in other countries, training has also occurred in China, according to American officials. In 2022, a Chinese fighter plane crashed and the pilots ejected. In a videotape of the incident, one of the pilots on the ground is a Westerner speaking English.

In September, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., then the head of the U.S. Air Force but who later became the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, warned American aviators against assisting the Chinese. “The People’s Liberation Army wants to exploit your knowledge and skill to fill gaps in their military capability,” he wrote in a memo to Air Force service members.

Asked at a news briefing on Wednesday how the Pentagon would get American pilots to refrain from training their Chinese counterparts, Sabrina Singh, the deputy press secretary, said that “loyalty for your country” was something the Defense Department “always imparts” on service members.

Teaching advanced warfighting skills to foreign nationals can quickly bring legal action. In addition to banning weapons sales, the Arms Export Control Act also prohibits training of foreign militaries without the permission of the U.S. government.

The United States has been trying to bring a former Marine pilot, Daniel Duggan, to trial on charges that he trained Chinese pilots.

Mr. Duggan was indicted in 2017, on charges that he trained Chinese pilots in 2010 and 2012. But the indictment was not unsealed until 2022, when he was arrested in Australia. Mr. Duggan denies the accusation and has been fighting his extradition to the United States.

Intelligence officials said the bulletin released on Wednesday was meant to deter current or former service members from engaging in training. Mr. Casey said such efforts would “put their military colleagues at risk and erode our national security.”

American officials say China has not only tried to learn American and allied air tactics from former pilots. It has also stepped up surveillance of military exercises using drones, balloons and other technology , efforts that sometimes have led to reports of unidentified objects near military bases.

Pentagon officials have attributed some puzzling sightings of unidentified objects to relatively ordinary drone technology. They say surveillance, by drones and balloons, is part of Beijing’s effort to learn more about how American fighter planes fly off aircraft carriers and conduct operations.

Julian E. Barnes covers the U.S. intelligence agencies and international security matters for The Times. He has written about security issues for more than two decades. More about Julian E. Barnes

Helene Cooper is a Pentagon correspondent. She was previously an editor, diplomatic correspondent and White House correspondent. More about Helene Cooper

COMMENTS

Essay Contest Call for Submissions: Solving the Military Recruiting
Use the standard submission guidelines for the Modern War Institute. Email your entry to [email protected] with " Recruiting Essay Competition " in the subject line. Once submitted, no edits, corrections, or changes are allowed. Submission deadline: essays will be accepted until 11:59 PM EDT on September 3, 2023. Selection ...
The Army's Moral Recruiting Problem
The paper begins with a summation of the current Army recruiting strategy. This is supported through researching official publications, published papers from the Army War College and the School of Advanced Military Studies, anecdotal testimony from recruiters, and the author's own personal experience with the recruiting system.
Army Recruitment Essay
Due to recent problems with recruitment, the Army has increased the maximum age of recruits from 34 to 39. This five year increase shows that the Army is becoming desperate to. Free Essay: Army Recruitment Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Problem Statement 3 3.
PDF ADP 6-22
Army definitions of leader, leadership, and counterproductive leadership. The Army leadership requirements model as a common basis for recruiting, selecting, developing, evaluating leaders and, most importantly, for leading Soldiers and Department of the Army (DA) Civilians.
'In a War for Talent
The challenge for the next year in recruiting is going to be difficult, but Army leaders are positive and ready to build the Army of 2030. "This is a big, total-team effort, and we will succeed ...
Four ways to begin fixing the Army recruiting crisis
Brig. Gen. John M. Cushing, deputy commanding general of Recruiting Command, administers the oath of enlistment to a formation of future soldiers in Times Square, N.Y., on June 14, 2022.
The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters
on factors outside the service's control. The essay concludes with four history-based recruiting lessons and an affirmation that the 2019 . Army People Strategy. recognizes the need for the Army to revise its talent management approach. Keywords: recruitment, US Army history, personnel policy, talent management, Army People Strategy. L
Modernizing Recruiting
Recruiting Challenges for the Army. While troops may receive fair compensation for their service, the Army is struggling to find new candidates ready and eligible to serve. In 2018, the Army reported it would miss its recruiting goals by 8% for the first time in thirteen years — missing their goal by 6,500 recruits (Myers, 2018).
Army Recruiting Essay
Army Recruiting Essay. United States Army Recruiting has gone through numerous challenges in war time. Even during the peace time, recruiting command engages on real time mission day after day, month after month. I can clearly say that the command was in war of accomplishing mission of providing strength of all volunteer Army well before the 911.
U.S. Army Has a Recruitment Problem. Here's How to Solve It
T he difficulty of recruiting the U.S. Army's next generation has become not only one of the biggest challenges for the future of the force, but also perhaps its biggest political football. When ...
Recruiting the All-Volunteer Force: New Approaches for a New Era
The Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard are the recruiting bellwether for all of the military services, accounting for nearly 50 percent of the annual DOD accession goal of 250,000 ...
Exclusive: The inside story of how the Army rethought recruiting
The Army's top civilian provided an inside account of why and how the service, facing a shortage of new recruits and potential structure cuts, rethought and reformed its recruiting and marketing ...
PDF Exploring the Causal Relationship between Factors Affecting US Army
Army recruiting needed to adopt the modern recruiting techniques championed by large corporations in a highly competitive, post-Vietnam world (Bailey, 2007). Moreover, competition increased because of the diversification of knowledge that yielded a greater variety of potential career paths that people could pursue over the Army.
U.S. Army Recruiting Command
Be All You Can Be - U.S. Army's new brand trailer sizzle reel. Bringing quality young men and women into the Army - people who will complete their tours of duty and make a contribution to the Nation's defense - is the objective of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command as it goes about the mission of providing the strength for America's Army.
PDF Virtual Recruiting Activities
To better achieve recruiting operational objectives, commanders may direct efforts to shape target audience's perceptions by providing timely, truthful and factual information. Virtual recruiting is one of several activities to accomplish this. Inform Targeted Recruiting Markets and Influencer Audiences. 1-15.
Civilian (WOFT) Applicants
All WOFT (Civilian) applicants must meet the following standard. USAREC G-3 Special Programs will process exceptions (waivers) to AR 135-100, AR 601-100, AR 611-110, and Army Directives. Request for waivers are not routinely granted. Requests for waivers must be fully documented and must be clearly in the best interest of the Army.
Virtual Recruiting
The Impact. The direct effect AMEDD recruiting has on Army readiness is undeniable. While attending the Annual Training Conference for the 1st and 2nd Medical Recruiting Battalions, Command Sgt. Maj. Tabitha Gavia, United States Army Recruiting Command, said, "Failure to accomplish our mission holds a negative impact on Army readiness that directly impacts national security.
Recruitment, counter-recruitment and critical military studies
The data-gathering proposition in the NCLBA, just as with the Pentagon's Joint Advertising Marketing and Research database (Ferner Citation 2006), is designed, at root, to streamline the solicitations of military recruiters.It focuses a military recruiting and retention budget, which reached $7.7 billion in 2008 (Vogel Citation 2009), effectively according to gender, age, ethnicity and ...
ROTC Scholarships
Apply for an ROTC scholarship in order for the Army to help you pay for college, all while gaining invaluable leadership skills. ... The above disclosure is voluntary. All information will be used strictly for recruiting purposes. The authority for the collection of this information is Title 10, United States Code, Sections 503, 505, 508, and ...
US Army Chief of Innovation, SL Dan Shrimpton Visits ICT
SL Dan Shrimpton, Chief of Innovation, US Army, visited ICT today to see presentations of our latest R&D, including projects featuring Natural Language Research, Mixed Reality and AI-Generated Character Experiments.
Allies Warn Former Fighter Pilots Not to Train Chinese Military Members
A new bulletin says China is trying to step up recruitment of Western-trained fighter pilots to improve its air combat capability. By Julian E. Barnes and Helene Cooper Julian Barnes covers the U ...
Inside the Ring: Chinese military covertly woos Western pilots
NEWS AND ANALYSIS: U.S. and allied intelligence services warned current and former military personnel this week that China's military is covertly recruiting fighter pilots to train flyers for ...