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LANSING, Mich. — The U.S. military says recruiting has declined — and thousands of service members are missing their goals.
I recently took a trip to the Michigan National Guard headquarters to find out why people aren’t enlisting and what the military is doing to improve those numbers.
“My grandfather served,” Air National Guard firefighter Josh Cornett told me. “I knew it was something I would do at some point.”
Army National Guard Cadet Leila Denning will be commissioned as an officer in the Medical Service Corps after graduating from MSU in April.
“Actually, for most of my life, I knew I wanted to join the military, just like my dad,” Denning explained.
Both loved service life and were closely connected with their families.
The two chose different paths to enlist—Denning rose through MSU’s Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), while Cornett joined later in life.
However, their interest in joining the military is becoming an exception among their peers.
Col. Ravi Vague serves as commander of the Michigan Army National Guard, which has seen recruitment declines over the past few decades.
“This is not just a Michigan challenge,” Wager said. “This is a national challenge.”
Currently, the Michigan Army National Guard is 10% short of its service goal.
According to the “U.S. Military News” report, the U.S. military will not meet its recruitment target by approximately 41,000 recruits in 2023.
but why?
The answer probably comes down to perception.
“My mother was in the Navy, and she told me about her experience as a woman in the Navy in the 1960s,” Varger recalled. “But it wasn’t a good thing.”
A recent Pew Research poll found that adults under 30 have a negative view of the military.
Colonel Wagg thought they needed more female enlistees.
“Our demographics are not where they need to be,” Wager said. “If we get to where we need to be, the Michigan Army National Guard will be like the community, which is about 20 percent right now.”
But unlike Cornett, Denning and Wager, recruiting women who don’t have a connection to the uniform can be a real challenge.
The Michigan National Guard needs mechanics and network protection and communications experts, while the Air National Guard needs to fill aircraft weapons and maintenance positions. Recruiters are not typically marketed towards women.
“How do I find her and put her in the Michigan Army National Guard and see what good she can get out of it?” Wager wondered aloud during our visit.
The answer may lie in what Denning and Cornett tell us.
“You’re going to get great benefits,” Josh said.
“No matter which way you join, you get pretty good educational benefits.”
The U.S. military services offer signing bonuses and long-term benefits such as financial assistance, affordable housing, paid leave, and retirement pay plans.
By promoting these benefits, increasing understanding and access to them, and building a culture that welcomes women, the military can find ways to turn around recruitment numbers.
For now, only time and changing public perceptions of service life will tell.
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