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

I was a Navy Recruiter just after the All Volunteer Force became reality. What helped me most to make my numbers was the sales training the school provided. They actually had professional trainers teach us how to sell, I was taught the basics of sales, how to initiate a conversation, how to identify the prospective recruits hot points, how to satisfy what was important to the prospective recruit, and how to close him. I know that sounds bad to some people but recruiting (sales) is a profession. Get back to that! Speaking in public; We were drilled on how to make a speech. In the field I routinely went to service organization meetings (all the military ones and civilian ones like the Lions, Rotary, Elks, Moose, etc) as the guest speaker at lunch, dinner, etc. Just the ability to ask these members to help us meet new prospects worked. Many were veterans as I would believe they are now. Advertising; Get the best advertising firm in the USA to put together a plan that hits the target age group's interest. The best slogan that worked back in my day was - It's not just a Job, it's an Adventure. I'm sure that came from a professional advertising person and not some guy in the Pentagon. The advertising needs to be saturated on all mediums. I personally had a TV commercial running on the local TV station that they produced and ran it often. The Navy provided the photographer, script writer, and film crew. I worked with the TV station crew to provide the voiceover. We delivered a 30 second spot that featured me as a family man that chose to serve his country as his career. One comment on here mentioned access to schools and colleges. YES! That access is essential. Many enlisted recruits came from my ability to go on high school campus routinely. Officer aviation candidates came from the local University. Another mention was to participate in no recruiting activities. I personally coached youth football in town and did the other service branch recruiters that had played in their youth. We participated in the younger generation activities. The Marine Corps Recruiter and I would run long distance with the high school track team. We needed to stay in shape and it gave us great exposure on campus. We didn't pitch our respective branch, We just ran with them. Our clothes stated Navy and Marine Corps but that was it. One thing I initiated in our town was the Thursday night cruise night participation. I'm a hotrodder, been so since 16. I'd take my hot rod and the Navy logo'd van to a parking lot on the strip. As I cruised with the other cruisers my partners in the office manned the van with soft drinks, snacks, etc. It was a way to "hang out" with the young recruit age guys and gals in town. These are just some of the examples of what all 4 branches did routinely at our recruiting station. I wasn't alone here. All the recruiters did these things. There is absolutely no reason why these techniques, modernized to today's youth wouldn't work. Qualification for physical, mental, and legal deficiencies are an issue today but they were back then too. The 1970s had their education deficiencies, drug use issues, crime issues, and troubled kids just like today. As in sales, its a numbers game. Prospects to qualified candidates to closed recruits percentages would probably be about the same in my opinion.

Many things can make it better. Will any of them actually be done, maybe not, but here we go.
The standards to join and become affiliated are too high. To meet the requirements without a waiver you almost have to be a kryptonian. When I say that I mean if you have a mole that doesn't quite look right you get sent home without a contract. If you have ever had a surgery most recruiters don't even try to get you in. Recruiters are looking for someone they can put in right now, not maybe 2 months later with a waiver if at all. This is a problem. When I went recruiting I couldn't find anyone that didn't have something, and I ended up getting taken off the bag and transferred to the shipyard. In the mean time while I waited I processed the waivers whether they were medical or legal in nature and accessions went up three-fold for my division. I was persistent and got many people affiliated that would have otherwise slipped through the cracks.
The other problem with leadership in recruiting is they are looking to cut as many recruiters as they can. Have you ever heard of an "NC Hug" (Navy Counselor)? It's a hug with one arm and a knife in the back with the other hand. If you have any issues whatsoever the recruiting leadership comes after your rank and your paycheck as if its a recession and they get to keep the difference. Recruiters are miserable, the leadership makes them miserable, and as a result, it is physically displayed by the people that are supposed to be convincing 17-39 year olds that thus is a good choice for them to he making. It's hard to sell someone on that when you yourself don't even believe it in the moment.
All I wanted to do was hop in my truck and drive away, obviously I didn't. One of my shipmates developed epilepsy due to the stress he received on recruiting duty from the Chain of Command. It was rough. Long story short leadership needs a face lift, big time.
People talk, it's easier to talk and share experiences than ever before. If you find out how unglamorous you are treated by your boss in recruiting would you actually pick it willingly? Never!
A lot of people are obese and don't even get a shot. I say give them a shot, lower the standard to join but keep the standard to graduate, and keep them in basic until they meet the current standards. It makes sense right? Sure it's pricey but so is offering $150k for affiliating as opposed to spending an extra month or 2 at camp cupcake for fat kids.
Advertising is an issue, stop showing what kind of people are in the military and show them what kind of things they can do, maybe some development into a sailor or soldier, the bonds and friendships they can forge along the way. None of the latest commercials have really been inspiring.
Politics suck. Leave the politics put of the military. Civilian politics only cause division and push people away. I'm not going to sugarcoat it but there have been a lot of decisions lately in the last few years that have been made that have caused recruiting, and retention to take many steps backward. It's not the not services fault. The controlling leaders decisions have simply pushed away anyone that is remotely interested, made many people want out, or forced many others out.
All of this is true and unadulterated facts that sadly have taken place. If anyone wants to truly make things better, public apologies will have to be made, lots of crow will have to be eaten. It will be a while before the government can ever begin to earn the trust of the children and parents that would be willing to offer themselves up to the services.

Its a new generation and the military as a whole has not shifted accordingly. My first thought would be find military influencers from each branch of the military, both enlisted and officers. Show the highlights of military training and how it will translate into civilian jobs at the end of their tour, adventures, show the ports and duty stations of the world, etc. When I joined in 1982, i saw the world as my playground. In actuality I saw parts or the world that otherwise I would probably have never made it to.

There was a time when the recruiter didn't have to convince you to join. You did that yourself and went to the recruiter to tell them you wanted to join. We were influenced by our father. He had been a photo technician for the atomic bomb group and we grew up with a huge photo album. When dad was discharged, he was given a card that stated he was a member of the atomic bomb group and would forever be welcome at any Air Force base. He used that card twice during a 1961 family vacation at Roswell (his last base) and Lowry (where he went to photo school). Little did my brother and I know that in 6 years we would be wearing those uniforms. When dad put on his uniform, his aunts and cousins were under German occupation.

All three of dad's grandsons also put on the uniform - two Army and one Navy. They still wear them as reservists. Nobody was recruited. All have done it on their own.

We need a climate where today's youth want to do it on their own. Last week, a 19 year old soldier that wanted to do it on his own and died in basic training was brought home to Pella, Iowa. The streets were lined with hundreds waiving flags as the procession went by. The soldier's funeral director strongly supports veterans and the military. The same funeral director was also the one that ordered my father's burial vault with an Air Force seal, unknown to us that he had done it

There is hope for the future.

Downsize the branches of the Forces IE under Article One Section of the Constitution the Congress is allowed to have an Army and Navy. The Corps of Marines is part of the Navy. The Air Force and Space Force are NOT part of the Army..

Started recruiting for the ARNG in Michigan in 1975. Have been a field recruiter worked in the recruiting command, been a MEPS counselor and an area supervisor, and a retention NCO in my 25 years in recruiting. The issue is the pool that we are trying to get our recruits from is not only getting smaller but has been getting smaller for years! I sat in a class with 5 PHDs that studied demographics and they more or less said that the pool of qualified male applicants(QMA) has shrunk and will continue to shrink in the near future. I have watched recruiters struggle to make missions that were not attainable or maintainable in the long run! I have seen young applicants come that were not able to pass the physical when they could pass the test and then balk when they couldn't get the MOS they wanted and leave for training when they want.
The answer is the services must either commit the ultimate deal breaker and bring back some sort of draft or set their goals lower and realize they will have to make do with what the demographics can provide them. I know that that's not what they want to hear but the truth and the facts are what they are. I have watched recruiting go from the fat times in the 70-80's to the lean times in the 90 and on and I can't see it getting better.

Bring back civilian recruiters. Army recruiters who have retired or separated from the military honorably. Used to be L-3, MPRI handled the Army civilian recruiting. The number sky rocketed during those years back in the 2010's. Also bring back recruit referrals that paid $2k per soldier that shipped to Basic and graduation AIT...

Ditch the present social justice agenda and focus on mission. The people who we want to join the military are those that want to challenge themselves and be part of a cause bigger than themselves. However, the current social justice agenda has incorporated Marxist ideology into the highest echelons of leadership where it is most visible and it has resulted in the hemorrhaging of personnel and reduced recruitment.

Keep it simple, I present this ad campaign for your perusal....
The Army (Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, Draco/Grey Empire, et al.,)
will help you ° Find what you can achieve.
° Find your sense of Duty,
° Your moral compass,
° Find Fellowship,
° Find Greatness, find yourself.
Find out more at your local recruiter, TODAY.
Or visit AwwwwYeeeaahhh.mil
You're welcome.
Oh! Remember to add the effects laden backgrounds, etc.,

Today's kids cannot even score high enough to pass the asvab . First we need to see why today's kids are not getting the proper education so they can pass a basic test.