How would you solve the military recruiting challenges currently facing DOD?

The newly confirmed Secretary of Defense should see you post, Sarmajor.

Correction. As reads: see you - Should read: your post

~~ T H A N K Y O U ~~
My Exact Thoughts: ~~ "......All this makes it damn hard to find folks to recruit!
Answer get our Country to start growing balls again and raise Adults, not "Snowflakes"!...." AIN'T THAT The Fa-King TRUTH?
It's Gotten To The Point Where We're Know As "The United States Of AMERICA, Where The Women Are WOMEN And The MEN Are Too".

SGM Bill Frazer my thoughts are put corporal punishment back in schools. We never heard of ADHD back in my time. We got the paddle on our bottoms and we straightened up. Recruiters would come to our schools and we all sat and watched their videos. There were also waivers for non violent criminal charges. I was in delayed entry and got arrested for minor in possession of intoxicants, public intoxication and disturbing the peace. When I went to court the judge asked what my planes were after I got out of high school. I told him I was in the Army delayed entry program but I had just messed that up. The judge said he would give me probation for 2 months (I had 3 months before I was supposed to join) and expunge my record and sign a waiver for the recruiter. That and basic changed my life for the better.

I agree with a lot of this large post. When I was in the USAF (1970s) I always wore class B uniforms to work in my office. Fatigues were rarely worn when doing dirty work and never off base. It was illegal to wear most combat uniforms in public.

I won't give details on this point, but you may not be aware that at some of the bases you mentioned there are military people not in uniform. I had a special duty assignment for two years when I never wore a uniform. That was during the cold war when were working very hard to keep some secrets from the enemy.

Need to brag more about training opportunities.....

Man, I do love my NCOs! Especially the ones not afraid to offer a challenging opinion. Unfortunately, I think your points fall a bit short of the mark. You can't fix problems caused by cultural and political demoralization without risking political controversy.

According Carl von Clausewitz: “War is not merely a political act but a real political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse, a carrying out of the same by other means,...”

The very first point you make, SFC Casey O'Mally is deeply rooted in the political divide and a demoralized culture. If you believe we should bring back Marines fighting lava monsters instead of showcasing female social justice warriors raised by two mommies, then you've picked the side of "Toxic Masculinity" by default (not that your wrong, mind you), and are barreling straight for a political collision.

As to the second point, I don't believe that will have as much of an impact as you might think. Even if we assume you are correct on this point, we'd have to stop changing the uniforms every 6 - 9 months before it'd do much beyond confusing people. Even then, Service Members walking grocery aisles and pumping gas off base/post assumes that (a) regulations no longer exist that limit wearing the uniform in off-duty locations (i.e. the first McD's "Drive Thru" was set up at Fort Huachuca because Soldiers weren't allowed to go inside while in uniform); and (b) assumes that we have a military installation in every remote corner of the USA (granted, this is not necessarily a problem for the Reserve Component). And even if we do have Service Members donning their duds 24/7, there are a solid bloc of civilians who see that the same way a Jedi padawan sees a phalanx of Imperial Stormtroopers or a 1960s hippie at the airport lining up to spit on "Baby Killers" returning from Vietnam.

As to the third point, the lack of Recruiters in schools stems also from political demoralization that sees the United States as the sole source of all evil in the world from its very inception. School administrators, teachers, and parents steeped in Leftist ideologies don't want to see recruiters in the schools... and have banned them in some areas of the nation (mostly in "blue" regions); much less allow them to say anything nice or meaningful about our nation's Founding Charter and Bylaws. I don't disagree that Recruiters -- and Service Members, in general -- shouldn't engage positively in their local communities; however... (See pervious paragraph). At any rate, you've swerved into the realm of political controversy regardless of your stated intent.

Regarding your fourth point, issuing waivers for kids raised on psychotropic medications in the long term is borrowing trouble. But psychotropics and school shootings aside, the rise in psychiatric treatment -- especially among adolescent males -- stems from cultural demoralization. Take, for example, the movement that young, energetic boys should have their "toxic masculinity" medicated out of them in order to have them behave more like their more tame, female counterparts in the classroom. This is indicative of a demoralized culture that sees masculinity -- and men -- as a vestigial organ with no place or purpose in a "progressive" post-patriarchal society where "a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." Again, bang... you've collided with politics, even though you didn't want to.

Regarding 5a, we have already tried to fight a war with "civilianized" contract logistics (and lost). We've raised an entire generation of Soldiers and Senior Leaders who are used to three contracted hots, a CHU, and more bottled water than they can stand. They are now too spoiled and must adapt to a modern, conventional battlefield. I witnessed a Division-level Sustainment Symposium where the current generation of Logisticians lamented their inability to solve tactical logistics challenges my generation had long ago solved and managed as easily as breathing when the Soviet Union was still considered a threat. If you want deployable combat support and service support, then you have to have uniformed personnel in installation billets. For example. we have uniformed medical practitioners in stateside Medical Facilities to maintain their medical competencies needed in war. Most of these will deploy to staff CSHs, C Meds, and BASs when the balloon goes up. Perhaps we could contract gate guards, etc, to ma the fort while the force deploys, but that requires stable funding to maintain the contracts from a Congress that plays political games every 6 - 12 months with budget lines required of them under Article I, Section 8 to preserve pet projects that violate Amendment X... BANG! Politics!

With regard to changes in policy and legislative action... There you go again... smashing into politics...

As to accepting a smaller force structure, that may not not work when we are faced with innovative adversaries who can and will withstand crippling attrition, especially when we are "led" by a management class of professional bureaucrats who haven't won a war in the last 50 years. These same "bureaucrats" -- "experts" -- would rather risk violating Articles 88 and 94 of the UCMJ than imagine they should listen to (much less follow the orders of) a Constitutionally-elected leader (chosen by the People and the States) who won't accept their advice.

You're proposing remedies to treat symptoms of a fatal disease: cultural and political demoralization. Arguably, these may soothe the pain in the sort term, but it amounts to little more than rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic as the bow slips beneath the icy waters in the long term. And, you won't manage to implement a single one without a political struggle to one degree or another.

Consider yourself "ripped" :-)

Now... Here's your home work assignment...

https://youtu.be/yErKTVdETpw?si=LvG69dRSY1u54_sk

SFC (Join to see) I somewhat disagree. When I was in the Army late 70's early 80's we had the tan Khaki uniforms and the green dress uniforms. I did not like the green dress uniform but most all of us loved the Khaki uniform.

Well said! Short and to the point

I enlisted just before the end of the draft. It was a mixed bag of folks from all over the country. The Drill Sergeants had all fought together in Vietnam with the 11th ACR and knew what we needed to learn to survive in battle. Most of us were not in great shape, but the drills soon fixed that. Unfortunately, as SSgt Simonds noted, many of the current cadre are not suitable due to social changes that have made us fat and unable to weather living in the outdoors. We need a program to give drill sergeants the capabilities to deal with the enlisting folks who have gang tattoos, drug use and too much body fat.

I agree with you, CSM. We do need to focus our efforts on warfighting rather than policy changes that we don't agree with, or we do, but it is distracting our soldiers. Our soldiers are human just like us and watch/listen to different media platforms. We need our military leaders to make that clear with our political leaders that it is a distraction. I only say that because of world issues around the world that is currently overhauling our force structure.

SSgt Robert Simonds - Sorry, but I disagree with you main point. TV was not the problem. I was born in 1960, I grew up watching TV, I also played outside with friends and all that other stuff. Why, because my parents would not allow me to watch tv but so many hours a day. I came home from school, ALL my homework was to be done before any playtime was to commence. I have seen that with each generation, the parents have become more lenient and relaxed with their children. I think the problem started when all of sudden, children had to have "participation trophies". If you never actually lose, you never learn how to deal with the actual feelings when you really do lose somewhere down the line.

Asking for solutions please-
Ranting has little, if any positve up votes
Nothing to do with recruiting

Sir, you do realize that the military has historically been the "wokest" government organization since this country's conception, right? First to do a lot of things that didn't jive with the preconceived societal norms of the times usually. One of many examples: African Americans could serve when segregation was the norm.

Peacetime is kind of chickenshit, but its also an all volunteer military which kind of makes it an employer/employee relationship and with that comes certain legal protections that dictate some SOP. We still kickass overseas like professionals that weren't just drafted, quickly trained, and sent to the rice patties.

SPC Michael Tierney - It took you three days in Basic to realize how chicken shit the Army is? What took you so long?

SGT Chuck Freiman - I was the platoon guide and I liked the physical training aspect of the first few days. It was when I looked at the AFQT scores and I had to prepare the KP, night guard duty and daily duty rosters that i realized what a waste so much of it was. I did like being in charge. I was platoon guide in AIT too.

The Marine Corps also "modified" their mission numbers- and cut end strength.

unpopular opinion but absolutely spot on

Amen brother!

They won't. And if they say they will, it will be a lie. Let it burn and keep the rural white kids far, far away from these butchers.

CW5 (Join to see) - thanks a pant-load for the constructive criticism there Chet. You are cordially invited to ....you fill in the blank.

The military has always been the leader in Sociological Experimentation... so your first point is moot from the get-go... and if you dont believe me read a history book.

Well- we NEED good staffers. But they do need to be warriors.

How do we measure "warrior-ness"?

Real question.

CPT Leo Coleman we are in the military, not a social service organization, leadership of a professional warrior.

CPT Leo Coleman if you are not prepared to lead in battle your CPT is useless to your command.

CPT Leo Coleman I was not recruited because of the 80's propaganda campaigns, I join3d because the military offered the disciplined people I desired to be with.

CPT Leo Coleman - Check with Modi, Erdogan, Xi, Putin, Hitler, any Ayatollah, Bibi, Urban, Trump.

SPC Michael Tierney - Got it. You convinced me. Putting one's nation ahead of other nations is bad. We're on a good start finally. Thanks.

CPT Leo Coleman - Being stupid is bad.

SFC (Verify To See) - Winning isn't everything but losing is nothing.

Your grandchildren will curse you.

Myself only Brother and only child are Veterans. Daughter is Iraqi Veteran. All Army

My family has a lot of military service as well. Both as the military members and as the military families. SPC Randell Pendley thanks for your response and your service.

Once potential recruits see we’re back in business, the incentive for becoming fit and to avoid and/or stop any “recreational “ drug use will happen. There cannot be any slack. No waivers. And let’s get back to kick-arse 1970’s Ft. POLK, LA BCT. Any training less than unrestricted training will yield less than desired results.

Soldiers are better than you. Because basic training and drill sergeants (or "sargents" as we so often see....).

I recently spoke to a 3-star friend and he tells me that the marching orders on LGBTQIA and Transgendered issues had better be a non-issue if you want to keep your job. They know a.lot.of whats happening is tied to mental health issues, but SECDEF service chiefs and the JCS have all made it very clear.

SFC Kelly Fuerhoff Yes...here we are.

How many transgender people did you encounter while serving? Oh,I forgot, since you're a civilain, the answer is "none". I got three years on Active Duty and seven in the Reserves, and I never encountered a transgendered soldier. None at all.