The Marketing Failure Behind the U.S. Military’s Troop Shortage

The U.S. military is facing its worst recruiting challenge since the end of the Vietnam War.

A chief recruit division commander directs a recruit division at Recruit Training Command. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher M. O’Grady) Public Domain.

We’re a mere month away from the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30 and the U.S. Army has only achieved about 65 percent of its recruiting goal of 60,000 soldiers.

This recruiting paucity will short the Army by nearly 40,000 soldiers over the next two years due to turnover — soldiers retiring or leaving the Army under normal circumstances.

This would be the equivalent of the Army losing four full divisions on the battlefield.

But the Army isn’t the only branch struggling.

The U.S. Navy is in a similar situation and the reserve components are in worse shape.

The Air Force acknowledged that they will be meeting their recruiting goal this year, but just so. According to Stripes, Col. Jason Scott, vice commander of Air Force Recruiting Service said, “we’re going to make (the) goal of 26,151 recruits, but we’re going to land on fumes.”

Even the prestigious military academies like West Point and the Air Force Academy are feeling the squeeze.

West Point recorded a 10 percent decrease in applicants while the Air Force Academy saw a stunning 28-point decline.