Why is the military struggling to recruit soliders?

(NewsNation) — The United States Army undershot its recruitment goals during the last fiscal year by 15,000 people, but efforts could be further hampered this year as recruiters face new challenges.

This fiscal year, the Army could miss its goals by 20,000 soldiers amid declining interest among young people, safety concerns, and school closures that cut military officials off from their normal recruitment tactics. The shrinking manpower represents a possible 7% decline over the course of two years, according to numbers reported by the Military Times.

It’s not just the Army, either. The Air Force announced earlier this year it might not meet its recruitment goals, and across the board, Americans’ confidence in the military has been declining for several years, according to a Gallup survey.

The percentage of Americans who had a “great deal of confidence in the military hovered between 72% and 74% from about 2014 to 2020. By 2022, that number fell to 64%, though still representing a majority.

Recruitment struggles vary from a general disinterest in joining the military to the prevalence of young people who are unqualified to join.