In an UpFront Special, Marc Lamont Hill examines why the United States Armed Forces is failing to meet its recruitment targets.
The U.S. military is facing its biggest recruiting crisis in 50 years.
Military leaders say they struggle to meet their recruiting goals because most potential recruits simply don’t meet military eligibility criteria, while data shows that more than half of young people simply see no future in the armed forces.
Many attribute this to the fact that information about the military’s internal culture is now more readily available, including reports of racism and sexual harassment, and fears of a lack of adequate care and support for veterans, while others argue that the decline in the recruitment has more to do with how young people view the military and a shift in personal beliefs when it comes to war.
So what’s behind this decline? And are we witnessing a change in Americans’ relationship with their military?
On First, Marc Lamont Hill asks these questions of Monisha Rios, US Army veteran and Truth In Recruitment board member; Kaitlynn Considine, veteran of the US Marine Corps and founding member of Gamers for Peace; and Richard Brookshire, US Army veteran and co-founder of the Black Veterans Project.
