Pentagon: US military smallest since WWII

The United States military is currently facing a severe recruiting issue, resulting in its smallest fighting force since World War II, as indicated by figures from the Department of Defense.

The figures included in the National Defense Authorization Act, which was approved by Congress last month, indicate a significant decrease in active duty troops. Over the past three years, there has been a decline of 64,000 individuals. According to sources, the current number is 1,284,500, which is the smallest the US military has been since 1940.

The Army, Navy, and Air Force collectively fell short of their recruitment goals this year by a total of 41,000 recruits, as stated by Pentagon Acting Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness Ashish Vazirani during his testimony to the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.

“That number understates the challenge before us as the services lowered end-strength goals in recent years, in part because of the difficult recruiting environment,” Vazirani explained.

The news validates the concerns expressed by those who warned during the epidemic that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed by the Biden administration would result in a severe recruiting issue.

In June 2022, Mike Johnson, who is now the House Speaker and represents Louisiana’s Republican Party, expressed concern on the negative impact that mandatory vaccinations could have on the United States military.

“The Biden Administration is destroying the readiness of our Armed Forces by creating an unnecessary recruiting and retention shortfall, and trying to make up the difference by lowering other crucial education and fitness standards,” tweeted Rep. Johnson. 

“All of this over an illness that is very, very, very, unlikely to have any significant effect on the young men and women of our military, and a vaccine that lacks long-term data on safety and efficacy for this cohort.” 

“There is simply no other way around it: Until [the Secretary of Defense] withdraws, delays, or modifies the vax mandate, or begins rapidly granting more exemptions, our military will have to continue lowering recruitment standards—degrading the readiness and professionalism of our Armed Forces,” he concluded. 

Johnson’s warning was remarkably insightful. According to a report in October, more than 7,950 US military soldiers who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine have yet to rejoin, contributing to the ongoing recruiting issue faced by the US military.

In 2021, all US service members were mandated to receive the experimental mRNA injections, leading to the discharge of over 8,000 soldiers who declined to comply. Despite the order being revoked in January of this year, CNN reports that the number of service personnel who have returned the military is only 43. The breakdown of personnel includes 19 Army members, 12 Marines, one Air Force member, and two Navy personnel.

Several soldiers were compelled to reimburse their signing incentives upon termination due to their refusal to vaccinate. An Army soldier who was terminated in May for refusing to receive the shots, while receiving a $7,000 signing bonus, is now obligated to reimburse the Biden administration a prorated amount of $4,000 for not fulfilling his six-year commitment. The soldier had no choice but to sell 60 of his vacation days in order to get the necessary funds.

The recruiting dilemma, which has been attributed in part to the vaccine requirement and in part to the infiltration of the military by individuals advocating for gender equality, led to the Army’s decision in October to establish a new professional area focused exclusively on recruitment. At present, noncommissioned officers are selected to fulfill the role of recruiters on a temporary basis, in addition to their primary military occupational specialty (MOS). The Army will henceforth employ soldiers whose permanent MOS is to actively recruit new members.

Additional approaches to enhance recruiting include the utilization of monetary incentives. In January, the Army made an announcement stating that it will provide a sign-on bonus of $1,500 to Army recruiters who surpass their quarterly quota. The Army is now providing several enlistment bonuses to new recruits.

The effectiveness of these measures remains uncertain. The Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) has reported a dramatic decline in the percentage of service members and veterans who would advocate joining the military. According to MFAN, this figure has plummeted from 74.5% in 2019 to 62.9% in 2021.

The Pentagon has indicated its intention to initiate a public relations effort aimed at engaging potential recruits.

“While the picture of the current recruiting environment is acutely difficult, the Defense Department and the military services are working together to resolve issues, improve processes, and expand awareness of the many opportunities military service offers,” Vazirani said. “We must reach today’s youth where they are with a message that resonates with them and motivates them to act.”