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

Stop committing military members to war's we are not committed to WINNING. Stop lying about the college program and EXPECT ALL MEMBERS TO LEARN AND PERFORM THEIR RESPECTIVE MOS/AFSC EQUALLY

Stop testing for Canabis use and clear the records of everyone they ran off for using Canabis related infractions and let them rejoin if they want. I would swear back in tomorrow (been out three years and got lucky when I left and got a solid mgmt gig for a large distribution company after separating on marijuana use charge, no drug test, with RE4 reenlistment code) if I could. The military at large, but USCG specifically, can’t continue to train and release motivated individuals simply for using Canabis. Recruiting is all fine and good but how bout you don’t chase people away over trivial things.

Do a count of how many comments on here start with the sentiment “get the woke shit out”. It’s almost 200 out of a little over 400 comments at this point. Why everyone is pretending that isn’t a huge contributor to this problem, is beyond me. I’m 47. I haven’t been in the military since 1999. I still find myself around men half my age of good fitness and character through various athletic pursuits- rock climbing, martial arts, weight and resistance training, etc. I talk to these young men because I like them, and because they are different from the predominant social culture of their generation. They’re more direct, more social, more generous, have families, more interesting and less predictable, and more relatable to the previous generation. Yes, I am aware that is bias. The funny thing is, this clearly discernible difference - it’s across several demographic lines- race, religious affiliation, or lack thereof, varying degrees of education and occupational choice, and even class- though most, I would say are middle to lower-middle income. They all say the same things as these NCOs in this very comment section are saying. They’re saying they feel unwanted in society because everywhere they look- Netflix, Disney, all social media, corporate America (even church was cited by some of them), as the typical places that they are accused of or have it insinuated that they are guilty of; toxic masculinity, sexism, cis-heteronormativity (one of my personal favorite activist drivel words) simply for being what they are: white straight. conservative, or some amalgam thereof. Men are withdrawing from college pursuit, the digital dating scene (which some might argue is the ONLY contemporary dating scene) and society in general. We see the data https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/30/whats-the-matter-with-men https://ifstudies.org/blog/young-men-and-society-we-will-only-get-out-what-we-put-in
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/young-men-college-decline-gender-gap-higher-education/620066/
We see the journalism on the topic, I hear young men say these things, we see young men IN THIS VERY FORUM saying these things. Why don’t we believe them? Why can’t we admit, with all this evidence supporting it, that we need tough, aggressive, masculine, smart, agile, strong young men to sometimes do UNSPEAKABLE things in defense of this country. Some of it is corrupt, but that’s not their fault. Any real warfighter knows one thing first and foremost: WAR SERVES POLICY- not the other way around. This fact of the necessity of the “bad” type of man is intrinsically and diametrically opposed to the progressive sociopolitical agenda that has permeated every facet of American life- particularly over the last three years- because that movement has been particularly effective in making a connotation that is now highly acceptable socially, between the historically masculine man, and amorality and self serving privilege. And everyone is like “wow, this recruiting slump is a real mystery!” Do you have any idea how dumb that sounds? Why do you refuse to listen to young men, review the data and studies conducted on this subject and try to develop policies that will at least slow the trend? It’s not that hard to figure out, people. You increase pay and quality of life, you make retirement what it once was, you make an effort to make the point mission readiness and decorum like it USED TO BE and reject everything else. You’ll only attract the best, most willing to sacrifice, the type of character that others will follow. Hint: it’s the opposite of this embarrassing nonsense: https://youtu.be/U9DibTD66TA

Or you know, you could just double down on needing to adapt to a generation as a whole when the majority of them don’t want to be there- instead of trying to attract the minority that are far more suited to be there and would be far more effective. But you know, whatever. Things seem to be going swimmingly with some of the logic I see in this thread. Good luck with that.

Fire all the feckless woke leadership a d start over.

Commander-in-Chief surrender to the Taliban $80 Billion in Military Equipment and weapons shows the USA in a very bad light! The diversity agenda hurts morale, and he mandated shot destroyed morale with discharges other than honorable! Weakness is what America is showing to the world.

I have mentioned this several times right here in Rally Point,but it seems that my opinions have fallen in deaf ears.I have stated several times,that the service image is the most important point when recruiting concerns is the issue.The most effective and economic tool to project the best organization image, is the use of the right dress uniform for the public as well to the soldier wearing it.I can remember myself,as a boy, during the '50s,'60s and '70s,how much I use to admired soldiers every time they were on pass coming home in their Class B's or A's, and the pride they reflected been dress that way.
We have to stop the use of the fatigues or combat uniforms indiscriminately to all sort of military activities the way it has been done for the last 20 or 30 years,and begin to use the dress uniforms as a daily uniform,out of the field environments,and for all indoor work and formal ceremonies and activites,including traveling on orders in and out of the country.This action will mark a great difference on the recruiting efforts been done today.

When blatant politics play a part in everything, why would a kid die for people that don’t care for them? When mostly kids that were signing up were black and brown people. Poor white kids were signing also, but not in the numbers as inner city kids. Now when the military commercials are playing in black and brown neighborhoods, the channel gets switched real quick! Let’s call it like we see it. One white, one black recruiter walking into the high school’s campus are reading “desperation”. On top of all of this, kids struggling with ADHD, can’t be tied down to a contract that requires them to be on a Post/Camp/Base only to go AWOL because this is not what they signed up for.

I'm afraid that the only way this turns around is an existential crisis. From my perspective the current trend in our society is until a situation has a direct effect on a person they are not bothered.

Hire individuals from HS and/or colleges who are majoring in Communications. Let them compete to create the best commercials, with cool VFXs and original music. Some cash prizes would be offered.
Keep politics out of it. Let the statement be emphasized that military service is NOT for everyone. But it can be an excellent career for those who can fit in. My uncle made it to full bird Colonel, and had a wonderful retirement He never had to fire a shot, either. He was in the Adjutant General's Corps.

I don't think the recruiters always go to the right places. My sons row for their HS and I always saw recruiters at the big regattas. The only part of the military the kids at these events want would be to go to one of the academies. They say "is this for Annapolis?" The recruiter says no, for enlisting, and the kids keep walking.

To be clear, I'd have no qualms with my sons enlisting if they wanted to, but most of the folks at rowing regattas don't feel the same way. Why waste recruiters time/budget targeting a demographic that is very unlikely to enlist?

As for the overall problem, I think greater college benefits would go a long way. College is expensive - here are some ways to help. It's why I joined, but the military benefits haven't kept up with the increased cost of education.

Lastly, it would be nice to have a POTUS - from either party - who had served. I mean, without naming names, we had a POTUS who went to military school but didn't join the military. Regardless of what you think of that POTUS, that doesn't send the greatest message about serving.