Setting aside the shifting foreign policy preferences of Millennials and Gen Z for a second, recruitment is down in part because the military is seen as a decaying institution incapable of protecting its own people and those it's charged with overseeing.
Earlier this year, Congress forced the Pentagon to hand over sexual assault investigations because commands have been prone to covering up crimes that happen within their ranks.
The sexual assault issue is a microcosm of larger problems, representing an institutional force that has largely refused changed. The issue has been ongoing for decades with little resolution.
The Air Force in particular has dealt with repeated sexual assault scandals over the last 20 years. The general response had been to remove individual offenders but maintain the status quo.
The issue isn't exclusive to the Air Force, however, and influences perceptions of the military both here and abroad.
Residents of Okinawa, Japan have been protesting our military presence there for decades for obvious reasons. Marines stationed there are supposed to be moved to Guam beginning in 2024 for this very reason.
And the problem isn't getting better. Generally speaking, assaults continue to increase year over year.
This and a constellation of other issues (undiagnosed mental illnesses related to combat, traumatic brain injuries, etc.) contributed to a rise in suicides among active-duty military and veterans since the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism.
Raising the question: why would anyone want to enlist? The military has been dragged kicking and screaming into creating a sexual assault program designed to protect *its own people*. Why would anyone have faith in an institution like that?
Also forgot to mention this attitude has influenced how the military deals with occupation, with it often aiding in sexual assault in other countries through indifference.
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
Quick correction: I forgot it's 2024. "Earlier this year" should be "last year." The changes were a part of an order attached to the 2022 NDAA and signed into law in July 2023.
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