Name: Army announces 'sweeping changes' to get recruiting back on track
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Army announces 'sweeping changes' to get recruiting back on track

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34568c8bae0bc3439f9c06a73eea0ec3bbce854bab60ebfa8e30d47c71d2cfcc6829c17a90be664cby CORY SMITH | The National DeskWed, October 4th 2023, 10:25 PM UTC11VIEW ALL PHOTOSFILE - About 130 soldiers wait to board a chartered plane during their deployment to Europe, March 11, 2022, at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File)The Army has announced "sweeping changes" to its recruiting efforts after falling short of its recruiting goals for the second straight year.The Army sat at 75% of its target through August with just one month to go in the fiscal year.That’s after the Army only hit 75% of its recruiting goal the year before, which resulted in a deficit of 15,000 new soldiers.Top Army officials said this week that they are transforming their recruiting operations.“The competition for talented Americans is fierce, and it is fundamentally different than it was 50 or even 20 years ago,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said in a news release. “Understanding that reality is key to designing new practices that will make us a more attractive and compelling career choice for young Americans.”She and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said their planned changes stem from a detailed study of Army recruiting over the past 25 years.They’re seeking competitiveness in the modern labor market.They said they’ll expand their focus beyond recent high school graduates, which currently make up over half of their recruits.But those folks only make up 15% to 20% of the prospect pool, they said.They need to attract more Americans who are already in college or the job market, they said.They’ll look for ways to better adapt to the labor market.Marketing and recruiting operations will be consolidated.And they’ll create an increasingly permanent and specialized talent acquisition force.“Recruiting is one of the most important missions in the Army, and these changes reflect that importance,” George said.The Army isn’t alone in its recruiting struggles.The Navy and Air Force are also on track to fall short this fiscal year.And they’re drawing from a shallow pool of potential recruits.George told lawmakers earlier this year that only 23% of young Americans are qualified to serve.Interested recruits could be disqualified based on physical or mental health issues, including obesity, drug use, misconduct or aptitude.And young Americans are losing their connection to military service.The Army Recruiting Command says half of youth admit they know little to nothing about military service.Nearly 80% of recruits have a relative who served, but only 1% of the population currently serves.There’s a “warrior class” in America, said Darrell Owens, director of government relations at the veterans advocacy group America's Warrior Partnership.“Even if they try to change (recruiting operations), the Army has to realize this is still a family business,” said Owens, who is also an Army Reserve officer.The gap between the military and the civilian pool of young recruits is growing, he said.And to turn the ship around, the Army and other agencies, including Veterans Affairs, must answer “really hard questions about life after service,” he said.Jobs and health care access for veterans are “major issues that need to be addressed,” Owens said.If soldiers aren’t taken care of after they finish their service, the recruiting pipeline on the other end will feel the ripple effects, he said.And that’s uniquely true of military service given its strong generation-to-generation connective tissue.“Who's going to want to join the military when (a lack of support is) on the back end waiting for you?” Owens said.Despite recruitment challenges, the Army has done well with its retention goals.“Our Army remains a great place to be, and I think our high retention rates speak to that,” George, the top general, told lawmakers in the spring. “The trouble is many Americans don’t realize it or believe it.”Indeed, all branches have met their retention goals this year.“It was a great choice for me,” Owens said of joining the Army Reserves over a decade ago.“I still think the military is a rewarding career for a lot of individuals,” he said. “And it’s still one of the best decisions I made.”But the Army’s messaging needs to reflect that, he said.Telling recruits that they can be part of something bigger than themselves is great. It’s an important message, he said.But the Army needs to show recruits how enlisting can improve their lives, including their post-service careers.Those “success stories ... have to be told,” Owens said.“It's going to be a challenge, but it's a rewarding challenge if you're up for it,” he said.Loading ...

34568c8bae0bc3439f9c06a73eea0ec3bbce854bab60ebfa8e30d47c71d2cfcc6829c17a90be664cby CORY SMITH | The National DeskWed, October 4th 2023, 10:25 PM UTC11VIEW ALL PHOTOSFILE - About 130 soldiers wait to board a chartered plane during their deployment to Europe, March 11, 2022, at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File)The Army has announced "sweeping changes" to its recruiting efforts after falling short of its recruiting goals for the second straight year.The Army sat at 75% of its target through August with just one month to go in the fiscal year.That’s after...

Army announces 'sweeping changes' to get recruiting back on track

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