Over the last several years in an effort to become more politically correct, the US military has gone increasingly “WOKE.” Woke is a social term we hear more and more and I’ll talk about what it means just below.
My point today is the fact that the US military has grown increasingly woke in recent years, and now it finds itself smack-dab in the middle of a serious recruiting crisis. You might ask, “How are those two things connected? They are and I’ll tell you how as we go along.
Last year, the Army missed its recruiting goal by 25%, and it’s on-track to do the same this year. The Navy also badly missed its recruiting goal last year and is projected to fall by more than 25% this year. The Air Force also missed its recruiting goals last year but not by as much as the Army and Navy.
The good news is, the Marines are doing the best. The Corps met its recruiting goal last year and expects to do so again this year. A big reason is because the Marines have not gone woke and continue traditions which have made the Corps great for decades.
The plunging recruiting numbers for the Army, Navy and Air Force would always be alarming under any circumstances. But with relations deteriorating with China and the looming possibility of war in the South Pacific (and elsewhere) makes fixing this an urgent priority.
Numerous other factors influence recruiting. The economy matters. It’s harder to get people to join the armed services when other jobs are readily available. As of the end of May, there were nearly 10 million unfilled jobs in the US.
Yet while the number of unfilled jobs remains near a record high, more and more young adults are choosing not to enter the labor force. The labor force participation rate for men aged 25 to 34 fell by 5 percentage points from 2001 to 2021.
Labor market consultants are not exactly sure why. But those aren’t the most alarming trends. This is, according to many demographers.
“Influencers are not telling them to go into the military,” Adm. Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told The Wall Street Journal. “Moms and dads, uncles, coaches and pastors don’t see it as a good choice.” This is a huge change!
That’s a serious problem because in the past nearly 4 in 5 Army recruits had a relative who served.
In many ways, this doesn’t make sense. Two decades of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are over, which means recruits are less likely to deploy and risk danger. The Army is offering bonuses of up to $50,000.
So, something else critically important has changed. And what might that be? How about this?
The military embraced woke dogma. A quick definition: “Woke” began as a term of the left. It described people who had woken up to the supposed reality of systemic racism or sexism in this country. For instance, Critical Race Theory contends that group membership determines outcomes. Someone who believes or acts on that is woke.
For instance, the military has embraced “transgender” propaganda. You can pick your career field and your gender. The Department of Defense recently promoted an article about a military officer “living authentically” by deciding he was a woman. (“authentically”… really?)
Transgender soldiers can also receive exemptions from fitness standards. The military has embraced “diversity, equity and inclusion,” too. One Army general called diversity “a key American strategic asset.”
Despite what you may think of these policies, they and many like them reflect left-wing ideology. Military recruits are disproportionately from red states such as Florida, South Carolina and Alabama. Veterans tend to be more Republican, too. They’re not the ones talking down military service.
These woke messages are counterproductive recruiting tools. For most 18-year-old guys, authentic living these days is rotting their brains on video games and pornography.
One of the greatest appeals of military service is the chance to be part of something greater than yourself by sacrificing your individual desires. Emphasizing this helps the Marines fare best in recruiting.
The diversity push is also nonsense. The military discriminates routinely. If you’re too overweight, old, dumb or disabled, you aren’t allowed to join. That’s a big reason why 77% of young adults aren’t qualified for service.
On another note, diversity over competence is dangerous. When an enemy soldier is trying to kill you, racial diversity doesn’t make his bullets and bombs less deadly. Ironically, having objective standards in pursuit of a higher purpose is a great way to foster racial and cultural unity. When your life depends on your fellow soldiers, their skin color and background become trivial.
The bottom line is: By going woke, the US military is losing recruits and diminishing readiness.
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.