Consider This from NPR - The Challenge of Filling the Army's Ranks

Episode Date: October 5, 2023

In the 1980s the U.S. Army launched a recruiting drive around the slogan, "Be all you can be." They've relaunched the slogan now as the push is on to make up for a drop off in recruitment. The Army is having a hard time convincing potential recruits that the military is the best place to reach their full potential. Last year, the Army was 15,000 soldiers short of its recruiting goal. Army surveys have found that many potential recruits don't want to join because they fear getting wounded or killed, even though the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are over. And the tight labor market means recruits have lots of other job opportunities. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth about the struggle to staff up the largest branch of the U.S. military. NPR's Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman provides additional reporting for this episode.Email us at [e-mail] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This message comes from Indiana University. Indiana University is committed to moving the world forward, working to tackle some of society's biggest challenges. Nine campuses, one purpose. Creating tomorrow, today. More at iu.edu. NPR-Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman has done a lot of Army embeds over his career in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, but none quite like his recent assignment amid the corn dogs and cheese curds at the Minnesota State Fair. That is where he met Staff Sergeant Joshua Spearman. Hey, you know what's good? Eating all the fair snacks, come work it off. I'm so serious, do the deadlift challenge. No pull-ups? Nothing?

Spearman is on the front lines of an ongoing struggle to fill the Army's ranks. Last year, the Army was 15,000 soldiers short of its recruiting goal. At the state fair, Spearman was set up in a small grass lot with a few pop-up canopy tents, some weights for deadlifts, a Humvee with its door open. All of it designed to lure in would-be recruits, like Andrew Magnuson, a college student at the fair. It's not for me. I know that much. I don't know. I don't like fighting. Another army sergeant, Robert Pederon, makes a pitch to Magnuson's friends. So have you guys ever thought about the army?

Not particularly. When someone says army, what's the first thing that pops in your head? War. War. It can be a tough sell. Does that sound like something you guys would like to get a little bit more information about? I might pass for now, but we might be back around. We'll see.

Okay. What about you? I'll probably pass. Army surveys have found that lots of potential recruits do not want to join because they fear getting wounded or killed, even though the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are over. And that's just one challenge facing the Army. The tight labor market means recruits have lots of other job opportunities.

Then there was the pandemic, which kept recruiters out of high schools, which are historically a prime scouting location. Consider this. To meet its recruitment goals, the Pentagon is changing its approach. We'll speak to the Secretary of the Army about the struggle to staff up. From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly. It is Thursday, October 5th. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things in other currencies. Send, spend, or receive money internationally, and always get the real-time mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees.

Download the WISE app today or visit wise.com. T's and C's apply. This message comes from Indiana University. Indiana University drives discovery, innovation, and creative endeavors to solve some of society's greatest challenges. Groundbreaking investments in neuroscience, climate change, Alzheimer's research, and cybersecurity mean IU sets new standards to move the world forward, unlocking cures and solutions that lead to a better future for all. More at iu.edu forward. On the TED Radio Hour, clinical psychologists John and Julie Gottman are marriage experts. And after studying thousands of couples, they have found couples who were successful had a really different way of talking to one another when there was a disagreement or

a conflict. How to be brave in our relationships. That's on the TED Radio Hour podcast from NPR. It's Consider This from NPR. The Army has got a new marketing campaign, but the slogan may already be familiar. Be all you can be. Be all you can be. Be all you can be. Be all you can be. Be all you can be. Be all you can be. Be all you can be. The return of that iconic ad campaign is part of the Army's effort to attack its recruitment problem. As we mentioned, last year was particularly bad, but the Army has not actually met its annual recruitment goal for nearly a decade. And so, this week, the Pentagon announced it is changing strategy. I sat down with the Secretary of the Army, Christine Wormuth, to talk about it. Secretary, welcome. Thank you. It's great to be here.

I think I had that tune stuck in my head during most of the 1980s. Let's just start with the thrust of what you have just announced. As I understand it, this is a widening of the net. So the Army still wants to go after people just out of high school, but you're also looking to get people who may have a little college under their belt, maybe bring in more immigrants. Just walk us through the thinking. Yeah, that's exactly right, Mary Louise. We, right now, 50% of our new recruits are high school graduates. But when you look at the actual labor market, only 15% to 20% of the labor market are people with just high school degrees. So there's a much bigger pool that we need to be fishing in, if you will. So a lot of the changes we're going to make are aimed at helping our recruiters be able to talk to people who have gone beyond high

school. Okay. And before we get to more of what that solution might look like, to focus on the challenge, why has it been so hard for the Army to fill its ranks? Why has it been such a struggle? I saw last year the Army was 15,000 soldiers short. First of all, the percentage of young Americans who are eligible to serve, you know, who are physically fit enough, who are mentally prepared to join the military, that pool has been shrinking over time. And now it's really only about 23% of people between 18 and 24 meet our standards. And then also... And just to be clear, that's people who maybe are overweight, out of shape, or have some kind of criminal record or other disqualifying...

Exactly. Criminal record or maybe have had, you know, issues with depression or other things like that. And then also the percentage of young Americans who are interested in joining the military has been declining over time. You know, there was a big surge, obviously, when the country was attacked on 9-11 more than 20 years ago. You know, and I think when you look at Generation Z, you see a lot of, there's declining trust in institutions, there's some skepticism. And so we've got to overcome all of that and help young people see, you know, all of the possibilities that are available in the United States Army. So let's get into some of the challenges your recruiters may be facing. Our Pentagon correspondent, Tom Bowman, and our producer, Lauren Hodges, were just out at

the Minnesota State Fair, where your recruiters were out in force, they heard from young people who said, I'm scared of getting killed or wounded. They heard from college students who said, look, I'm in college already. Why would I leave? And if I were to, why wouldn't I go through ROTC, have the Army pay for my college, and then graduate an officer instead of a private? What do you say to those? Well, of course, I think it's normal that young people would have concerns about being injured or getting killed. We're not going to try to deceive people that, of course, part of joining the Army is being willing to put your life on the line for the country.

But what comes with that is all of the opportunities, you know, the education that we offer, the benefits, part of being something so much bigger than yourself and having a larger sense of purpose. That's not for everyone, but I think obviously there are thousands of Americans who find that a compelling value proposition. And in terms of the other issues about schooling and things like that, we offer educational benefits for both enlisted soldiers as well as officers. So, you know, I know some folks who are warrant officers right now who are pursuing a master's degree and the Army is paying for that. I want to let you listen to another person they met. This is a possible recruit named Harmony Cook. She says when she

talks about joining the military, her friends get worried. They say like, I'm going to be treated more differently from the guys or like the guys are going to be intimidating and everything and that I might not be able to stand a chance. Speak for a moment, Secretary Wormuth, to just the challenges of recruiting women who they make up about 16 percent of the Army right now. Is that right? I think it's closer to 18 to 19 percent. I know it's been edging up. It has been working incredibly hard on building cohesive teams, talking to our soldiers about what right looks like, as we put it. You know, what kinds of behaviors are acceptable and not acceptable.

And it's critical that our soldiers treat each other, man or woman, with respect. And it is critical that we offer a safe workplace. So that's something we've really been working on. We've also been working very hard to make sure that when we have cases of sexual harassment or sexual assault, we can respond promptly and effectively. So I think that's something we have to talk about with young women. But again, you know, in the main, when you look at our retention, for example, we have historically high levels of retention. And so women who are coming into the Army, most of them want to stay in the Army. Americans' confidence in the military, not just the Army, but the military overall, stands at its lowest point in the past 26 years.

That is per a recent Gallup poll. I have a couple questions. One is, why do you think that is? I think, Mary Louise, it's a few things. I mean, again, I think if you look at polling, Americans' trust in institutions has been declining steadily. Other than small businesses, the United States military is the most respected institution. So Americans still, I think, have a huge amount of trust in the military. But I do think that we're suffering under the same dynamics as many other places. And I think Americans look and see a fair amount of dysfunction in our government. Obviously, I think the legacy of Iraq and Afghanistan is a factor for people.

So, you know, I think there are a number of different reasons. Given all that, does somebody have to be totally bought in, on board, and persuaded to enlist? Or do you welcome critics to Army ranks? I absolutely welcome critics. I mean, I believe in the product, if you will. I remember I went and talked to the Whitney Young High School in Chicago, and, you know, really sharp young people. They asked me a lot of hard questions. Give me one. I'm a person of color. Everyone knows that the Army is racist, you know, we're not racist, but I welcome the chance to answer those kinds of questions. Because I believe that the United States Army is an incredible institution that gives people incredible

opportunities that does, you know, the most important thing, which is defend this country. And I really, you know, believe that it offers an opportunity for every American who's interested. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, thank you. Thank you. The engine behind Consider This is All Things Considered, our afternoon news show. It is a mix of the deep dives you get here, along with more stories you're going to want to hear. Visit npr.org slash allthingsconsidered to stream it live every afternoon. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Mary Louise Kelly. Support for NPR and the following message come from

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