Cultural Change, Tuition-Free College, and Comprehensive Health Care: Emerging Challenges to National Defense?

Since the inception of the all-volunteer military in 1973, recruiting has been an essential task in maintaining U.S. military staffing. Although recruiting efforts including social media campaigns, television advertisements, and visits by recruiters to schools have kept staffing on pace with requirements, overall interest in joining the military is decreasing, potentially because of military and societal values becoming less aligned. Despite increasing recruitment budgets,1 the number of enlisted applicants has dropped steadily, from 800,103 in 1981 to just 247,785 in 2017 a 69 percent decrease while new accessions dropped from 304,506 in 1981 to 159,583 in 2017 - a 48 percent decrease. The number of applicants has decreased faster than military staffing needs, resulting in the military's accepting 64 percent of those who apply today, versus 38 percent in the past. This higher acceptance rate potentially indicates that the military is less able to be selective in whom it allows to enlist. Maintaining a robust and ready military is critical for the United States to be able to provide constant protection to its people and interests while maintaining military superiority over its rivals and navigating global threats.