[Bill]

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2...-difficulties/

The recruiting difficulties come as the Army has begun discharging soldiers not complying with the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate. More than 4,000 requested a religious exemption, but only two were granted, according to recent Army statistics. An additional 2,735 soldiers have refused.

The difficulties are also despite the Army last year launching animated recruitment advertisements that highlighted women, minorities, immigrants, and the LGBT community, as previously reported by Breitbart News.

Spoehr called the Army’s recruiting difficulties “a perfect storm, all hitting in 2022.”

First, he said fewer and fewer individuals even qualify to enlist. He said:

The biggest disqualifying factors are obesity, fitness and mental health issues. This should not come as a surprise. Obesity in America, including among youth, continues to increase. More and more youth are being treated for mental health issues and being prescribed psychotropic drugs for treatment. Current numbers coming out of the Pentagon are that the percentage of individuals qualified to enlist without a waiver has dropped from 29% in 2016 to less than 25% in 2022.

Second, he said fewer and fewer individuals are interested in joining the military, also in part thanks to the Biden administration’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal:

There are economic reasons for this, many companies are now offering more generous compensation packages that include college tuition to graduating high school seniors. There are lots of jobs available now. And over time American society has placed less and less value on the idea of public service. The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan has also caused some to question our military and their competence.

Finally, he cited the perception that the military is becoming “woke.”

“There is a sense among the American public that the military is becoming increasingly political and that topics such as race and gender equity, critical race theory, and wokeism in general are commanding more attention, at the cost of readiness,” he said.

Public polls have backed up that assessment. Earlier this year, a Gallup poll showed that the public view of military leaders has dropped, and a Ronald Reagan Institute poll last year showed that high confidence in the military has dropped.

Spoehr added: “I should note that it is my assessment that for the first time ever, it may turn out that none of the military services will make their recruiting goals for 2022. The Air Force in particular is sounding the alarm.”