What should we do to encourage the next generation to serve?

THANKS FOR SHARING

Good evening. Excellent post. Thank you for sharing this. Offer some type of enlistment bonus to undermanned billets.

Be an example. I know that is a broad statement to make and even harder to live up to or meet! As a USAF Recruiter in the mid to late 1960s, I had to convince the young men and women of the era to enlist or apply for Officer/Nurse status. There was an undeclared conflict (WAR) going on which dated to 1955, increased in 1961/62 and was officially recognized by President Johnson in 1964 and many men were receiving "Draft/Induction Notices". I had to fill a monthly quota and it was hard. I had served already in Republic of South Vietnam (February 1962 to February 1963) and knew what was ahead for many of my enlistees. I was on a guaranteed four-year recruiting tour (November 1965 to November 1969) and promised another four years if I desired. I had been named Top Recruiter of the Month and Quarter several times but felt conflicted with my duty and emotions. Early in the year of 1969 I broached the subject with my wife, and she accepted my stated desire to volunteer for an immediate assignment for return to Vietnam. My volunteer status was quickly accepted, and I was sent to Vietnam for a second tour May 1969 to May 1970. My Recruiting Commander in St. Louis, Missouri was not that happy, but thanked me for being an example for his other Recruiters to promote in their pursuit of filling quotas. Unfortunately for him, two more of his star recruiters quickly followed my lead and joined me in Vietnam. I wear my "VIETNAM VETERAN" Cap proudly and thank everyone who says, "Thank you for your service". There are a few World War II Cap wearers still around and the Korean Conflict era are dying off also, and the multiple conflicts, crisis, invasions around the world since, all deserve to wear caps as examples and be proud and thanked for their service. The political reasons thereof, for each of the above wars and conflicts, are not the persons' who answered the Call problem. A final note: Many Veteran Centers, etc., receive handwritten letters and notes from children from kindergarten to high school. Please try to respond to any of these letters you may see and thank them for their thoughtfulness. This may inculcate the young from an early age to recognize military service as an accepted practice and sometimes duty of the American Citizen.

We need to be more aggressive with advertising. We need to use Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. to get the message out. I don't know the last time I saw a military commercial. Disseminating information is easier than ever!

Show that we care for them and all the benefits they receive and show them the good and bad and that military members aren’t idiots!

Better pay, show them the benefits of serving.

From a strategic stand point 1. you should probably start with eliminating the pronoun nonsense your a soldier act like it we need a military not a bunch of Mr and Mrs my feelings are hurt because of something a drill Sargent or team leader said 2. Go back to the original apft we need soldier who are fit I've seen the new pt test and it's a joke 3. Start actually taking care of them after they have served in combat help them get the help and benefits they deserve and help set them up for success for after serves instead of making them fight for benefits that they have already deployed and fought for to receive 4. The military should be just that a military a brother and sister hood of people having each other's 6 this LGBTQ stuff is a civilian matter not a military accommodation you wanna be cool but while you are in uniform you dress accordingly to your sex at birth in regulation to hair cut and identification if you where born a boy you are a male soldier if you where born a girl you are a female soldier and last but not least 5. No one wants to join a military that is built around feelings the whole reason most of us joined was because it actually posed a challenge and taught us discipline and how to trust our fellow soldiers and made us feel like apart of a family. Alot of us deal with PTSD from deployment and look to our fellow vets for closure and conversation and more and more of them are loosing everything from taking ther own life's to loosing everything and on the brink of homelessness because either they are denied benefits or denied loans because they don't have the credit score needed or make the money to qualify the government does not care about its veterans and it shows extremely and until they actually show people and kids that hey if you serve you will be helped and taken care of first and foremost before any illegal emigrants

Publicize efforts and results of investigations into white supremacy and other hate groups within the ranks.

It's difficult to encourage the next generation to serve. Technology/social media has ruined this generation. Social skills are almost nonexistent. However, having them attend a gathering with some of your military friends may make a difference. Let them see the comradely, shared stories, love, support, pride for our country, etc. This might make a difference and change their point of view. They can see how awesome it has been to serve Our Country.

We need to point out all the things we are able to do because of those that serviced. When we are in the presence of a veteran we should thank them for there service and explain to the youth why we did it. As a veteran we should talk about our service and explain the importance of serving but also the benefits. Talking to my dad and uncles who all served caused my cousins and I to consider serving. And because my dad, my uncles, and cousins said they wished they had stayed in and retired; most of my cousins and I stayed in to retire. A decision I thank God for every day.