The Army needs to attract recruits from a broader range of communities, Army Secretary Mark T. Esper believes.
The service needs to engage in a recruiting effort that would “draw from across America, from all the diversity we have and what they can bring to the table,” Esper told an audience at a forum held by the Atlantic Council, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. The Association of the U.S. Army covered Esper’s speech, and published a related report on its web page.
Esper offered several ideas he believes would help the service meet its goal of drawing recruits from a wider pool:
* Junior officers and non-commissioned officers would be well served by returning and reaching out to young people in their hometowns.
* The Army should demonstrate that it could provide good job opportunities, quality of life and pay.
* The service also needs to recognize that it competes with the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. All are seeking to attract recruits between ages 17 and 24 — 71 percent of whom are ineligible for military service for any of a variety of reasons.
Esper expressed concern that the Army is becoming a “family business,” made up of recruits whose parents served before them.
“We are becoming increasingly isolated from the larger public” as a result, Esper said. “I like to say to young folks, if you sign up with us we’ll teach you skills … leadership … how to manage your time, offer you a great career, a good quality of life and that the Army is a great place to serve. We need to go out and make that pitch.”
