Command Sgt. Major Samuel McCord, 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Command Sgt. Major, receives newly assigned Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers during a battle handoff ceremony at Fort Stewart Sunday. Photo by Capt. William Carraway, Georgia National Guard. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
By: FEDweek StaffMembers of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee are focusing on Army and Marine Corps active-duty strength levels they say are too low. The Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) reported that the lawmakers’ concern stems from the fact that troop levels are at their lowest in more than 60 years.
“In particular, the committee is concerned that the Army end strength request [for fiscal year 2024] is significantly below the optimal level of 540,000 to 550,000, as stated by senior Army leadership in congressional testimony two years ago,” the panel stated in a report, as part of its version of the pending defense bill.
While the National Defense Strategy that was developed by then-Defense Secretary James N. Mattis in 2018 called for an active-duty force of 485,000 soldiers and 178,000 Marines, AUSA reported that the pending budget for next year calls for only 452,000 soldiers and 172,300 Marines.
The lawmakers want the Defense Department to produce a report outlining each service’s specific troop-level needs, and to explain why the nation’s young people are averse to military service, AUSA reported.
The AUSA story also noted that while Army officials agree that the numbers do not meet service expectations, there are internal concerns about padding the ranks with “unqualified recruits.” It also alluded to service efforts to improve recruiting, as well as academic and fitness scores of potential recruits.
The panel wants the services to place the survey in the hands of independent organizations, AUSA reported, free from any potential influence from within the Pentagon or individual services.
The inability of DoD to maintain sufficient end strength is due to recruitment failures, the panel stated. Internal surveys put the blame on external factors, but the panel said that does not fully explain “reluctance” on the part of youth to serve. It cited public polling, including a survey by the Military Family Advisory Network showing an 11.6 percent drop from 2019 to 2021 in the number of military and veteran respondents who would recommend military life; as well as another poll by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute reflecting a decline in confidence with the US military from 70 to 48 percent from 2018 – 2022.
“The survey should, at a minimum, identify … demographics by age, race, sex, and state, and assess any changes in propensity for military service within this group. The survey should attempt to determine the reasons for changes, if any, using polling and other data,” the lawmakers said. “The survey should also attempt to identify the percentage in this demographic who have or had, immediate family members that served in the military, such as parents or siblings.”
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