What can be done to attract more of our young people to a career in our military?

Sgt Joe LaBranche — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 09:53:53 -0500

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Feb 1 at 2016 9:56 AM

SSG Audwin Scott — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 09:56:11 -0500

Well let's look at what may be keeping them away. Definitely cutting down on deployments would help. Many are not trying to deploy even though that's what the military is for.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 1 at 2016 10:06 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 10:06:05 -0500

I don't think there's anything we can do, except give more $$$$.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 1 at 2016 10:23 AM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 10:23:57 -0500

A consistent and good retirement policy that doesn't keep changing or getting worse, and More money.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 1 at 2016 10:34 AM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 10:34:38 -0500

One big thing we can do is help young service members who are transitioning out of the military.
Millennials and younger generations are looking at careers much different than older generations. They don't want to sit in the same job with the same company for 20 - 30 years, grab a pension and retire. They want diverse experiences and career flexibility much more than job security. Therefore, the military needs to emphasis that the military is a great place to start a career, learn valuable leadership and professional skills, and then pivot or stay in if desired.

There is already evidence that entering the military as a young officer, staying in for 4-8 years, and transitioning into corporate America is a good career path if negotiated properly. However, this is much more debatable for young enlisted service members. A young person should be able to come in the military for 4 years, transition out and go to college with his/her GI Bill, and then compete for good jobs with the rest of the 26-30 year olds, but this isn't always the case. Corporate America values officers and senior leaders but have a much more difficult time understanding the role of an enlisted service member. To attract more young people we need to help young service members transition or stay in and then encourage them to share their story with other young people.

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Feb 1 at 2016 11:42 AM

LTC Yinon Weiss — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 11:42:07 -0500

Talent is like an arms race, but one that our military doesn't put enough emphasis on. We should be spending more in resources to ensure we have the best people possible in the military than we spend on a new aircraft for example. Certainly the quality of personnel in an organization is more important than any one piece of technology.

Companies are continuously investing in trying to bring in the best talent. They change systems, they adapt, and they put a lot emphasis and research into it. It doesn't come easy to anybody. The military needs to get in the same mindset that fighting for the best talent is a key thing that any organization must do. This goes for both recruitment and for retention.

For example, recognize the skill sets that those coming in have, and acknowledge that not all people are able to contribute equally initially. If somebody is a brilliant computer programmer, he doesn't need to come in to the military with the same base pay as an E-1 (or E-4 with college degree). If somebody speaks a key foreign language, put them in a position that they can use it. In general, recognize that talent is important, and that one size fits all solutions are an antiquated model. The work force of the future is about flexibility and alignment of talent. The military needs to adapt its human resources system to remain competitive if it wants to attract the best talent.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Feb 1 at 2016 4:28 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 16:28:48 -0500

Many can't come in due to a GED or lack of one, tats, and obesity. This shrinks the pool.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Feb 1 at 2016 5:04 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 17:04:43 -0500

Tangentially related...

Response by PO1 Matthew Murdock made Feb 1 at 2016 5:25 PM

PO1 Matthew Murdock — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 17:25:40 -0500

The question is not what we can do to attract. The question is what can we do to prepare kids for getting in the military. I have a recruiter buddy and he says people are coming in but they can't pass the rest or the drug screening.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 1 at 2016 9:39 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 21:39:46 -0500

Teaching actual leadership to our leaders, combined with a top-down cleaning of the US Army.

Response by MSgt Michael Smith made Feb 2 at 2016 11:49 AM

MSgt Michael Smith — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 11:49:43 -0500

I know it isn't the most honorable of reasons to join, but I joined because of one thing -the recruiter told me I could pay for my college education with the GI bill AND that I could get tuition assistance while I was in the military. I joined for those reasons, and then after a few years, I decided it was a pretty awesome job serving your country. My point is that service and honor aren't necessarily motivators for 18 year olds, but that doesn't mean that they won't make highly effective, dedicated military members. Honor and service will come in their own time.

Response by PFC Jonathon Luken made Feb 2 at 2016 5:41 PM

PFC Jonathon Luken — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 17:41:07 -0500

Increase pay rates. Considering the pay of an E3 is around 2k a month if you only figure for 40 hours a week it works to be around 12$ an hour. That is federal poverty level. If you do anything over 40 you are in poverty. Figuring in the housing that is provided works to be about another 2-3 hundred a month that doesnt offset the low wages by much. Healthcare is provided but that is also because the job can be exceedingly demanding.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 3 at 2016 10:22 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:22:52 -0500

As a millennial, I can state that I value diverse experience and personal growth above what our grandfathers considered "careers." Sitting in the same desk for 20+ years isn't appealing and does little to grow our resume in an already competitive economy with rising prices for basic living essentials is high on our list of "wants." The Army simply doesn't offer that, especially when it comes to doing the job you signed up to do. I'm in the Cyber component of the Army and I have battle buddies that I went to AIT with to become a cyber soldier, yet they are doing the job of a 42A in a training or orderly room, thus wasting their enthusiasm and their hard-earned job skills. I understand that this is the "way of the Army," but to a younger generation, it appears as a scam (for a lack of better words) and drives them away. Unless you have a young person with an extreme love of country, familial tradition in service, or whatever, you simply won't recruit the young service members you need.

Response by SSG Leo Bell made May 23 at 2016 8:07 PM

SSG Leo Bell — Mon, 23 May 2016 20:07:05 -0400

Good question. I see most of the children around here in Va where I live, they do not have the disaplend to be in the military. You see them wanting to play games, hang around with there friends, drink and party all the time, and the few who lets to do drugs. I have nothing against them I just don't see them as able to be in n the military and capable of defending this nation and giving there all. I'm a manager and I have problems getting the young generation to come to work, much less doing there jobs.

Response by PO1 Sean Reynolds made May 31 at 2016 1:51 PM

PO1 Sean Reynolds — Tue, 31 May 2016 13:51:30 -0400

Talk to them one on one, tell them stories of deployment and what it's like to be part of a no shit extended family. Building bonds that outlast most friendships

Response by SP5 Peter Hawkins made Dec 27 at 2016 1:22 PM

SP5 Peter Hawkins — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 13:22:45 -0500

Teenagers spend a lot of time in school, which is where they begin to think seriously about becoming adults. Many of them are aimless, and they're not getting much guidance from the adult world. A little push from an adult they respect can make a big difference.
There are so few ex-military in schools these days. When I was in high school, almost all our male teachers had been in the service during WWII or Korea. But for years I was the only staff member in my high schools who had served. When I thought kids were good prospects, I would strongly encourage them to look well at the opportunities in the military.
Most teachers nowadays have no clue about military life. Our armed services would be smart to think about creating pathways and incentives for exiting personnel to transition from active duty to teaching. And schools could always use more teachers with the natural authority that comes from leading!

Response by SrA Edward Wilcox made May 20 at 2017 12:50 PM

SrA Edward Wilcox — Sat, 20 May 2017 12:50:20 -0400

Tell them they are banned from any job other than fast food unless they serve at least three years in the military.