Army infantry recruits with the 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment crawl under barbed wire as part of the confidence course on Fort Benning, Georgia, March 29. The course is a series of obstacles meant to build teamwork and confidence as the recruits continue through basic training. (Army photo by Christopher Hurd). The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
By: FEDweek StaffGen. James McConville, the Army chief of staff, is concerned about the service’s recruiting shortfall but remains confident that efforts to mitigate the problem ultimately will work.
“I’ll be straight up, recruiting is a challenge right now,” McConville told an audience during an online event sponsored by the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA).
Looming large as an issue, McConville said, is the fact that many young people who want to serve cannot meet the Army’s academic or physical standards. Future Soldier Preparatory courses at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Fort Moore, Georgia, are helping these potential recruits become fit enough to serve, he said. Of the roughly 10,000 young people who have taken part in the course at either post, he added, 95 percent have been successful and went on to take part in initial training.
Members 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:
https://www.fedweek.com/armed-forces-news/lawmakers-seek-outside-assessment-of-low-troop-levels/
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