At a time when threats to the U.S. from around the world are growing by the day, the biggest one may be from within. The U.S. military continues to face recruitment struggles, plunging public confidence, and a loss of morale by those currently serving. The latest survey of military families paints a stark picture, revealing only 32% of military families say they would now recommend military service. That number is down from 55% in 2016. The biggest issues listed among active duty military members are pay, poor housing options, and lack of childcare or education options for children.
The reasons behind this decline in military morale are varied, but experts agree it is a serious issue that threatens our national security every day it is allowed to get worse. "This is a multi-generational, bipartisan problem," says Johnny "Joey" Jones, retired Marine bomb tech, in a recent military roundtable discussion on Fox News. "If you ask me, it goes back to a country that is so spoiled, that it has rested on its laurels."
Jones also notes that there's a reason the Marines were the only major service branch to still hit their recruiting goals last year. "(The head of the Marine Corps) told Congress the Marine Corps exists to fight and win our nation's battles, with the same fierce, competitive spirit to win no matter the challenge...that is the mentality that will bring men and women to the military," he says. "They need to feel challenged."
Others agree that our military and civilian leadership has lost sight of what the military is supposed to be about. "Instead of focusing on lethality, and making sure that we have the mightiest military on the face of the planet, we have an administration that is entirely focused on ideology," says Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who is also a military veteran.
Former Deputy National Security Advisor KT McFarland believes our current leaders would be wise to follow the strategy used by her one-time boss, President Ronald Reagan, who rebuilt the military after a decade of plunging morale following the Vietnam War. "He increased their pay, he increased defense spending in all the major areas, he had technology advancements," she says. "But most of all, he made people really proud to wear the uniform again."