Recruiting the all-volunteer force requires a whole of nation approach

Last week the all-volunteer force celebrated its 50th anniversary, and the Department of Defense continued its “full court press,” calling upon the newest generation of Americans to serve in our military.

At the end of last year, senior leadership from across DOD took bold steps, not only acknowledging widespread recruiting shortages, but publicly appealing to young people to consider a path to a better future that starts in the armed forces.

On the heels of an opinion piece by the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board last October, the service secretaries from the Army, Navy, and Air Force wrote their own OpEd in the same publication just 10 days later.

But did their passionate plea reach its intended audience? To get the attention of a generation that relies heavily on mobile devices and social media for information, DOD opted for an 800 word op-ed in a business-focused, international daily newspaper rather than mediums like YouTube, Instagram, and Tik Tok where young people spend four or more hours each day. 

Yet flag and general officers continue to weigh in repeatedly on “old school” mediums less traveled by teenagers than Reader’s Digest. One such example occurred when the Commanding General of U.S. Army Training Command, General Gary Brito, rang in the new year on CNBC “Squawk Box” on a Tuesday morning when most high schoolers were in classrooms. 

If teenagers did stumble across the service secretaries’ op-ed or General Brito’s call to service, did their messages resonate? An op-ed entitled “Uncle Sam wants you for a military job that matters” is unlikely to pique much interest, given a vast majority of young people may not recognize or “see themselves” in a patriotic caricature dressed in red, white, and blue. 

This leads to a third, and perhaps most important question: Is our military equipped to address the underlying issues that have become major obstacles to recruiting the next generation of warfighters?

The reality that fewer young people want or are able to serve isn’t new. Pentagon officials have seen this train wreck coming for the better part of a decade. Three years ago the New York Times pointed to systemic issues that threatened the viability of our all-volunteer force and called out several DOD recruiting policies and practices. 

There are a few reasons for these growing challenges. First, propensity to serve amongst young people is at an all-time low of 9 percent. Second, Americans as a whole are less confident in the U.S. military with confidence ratings dropping from 70 percent in 2018 to just 48 percent in 2022. Lastly, fewer currently serving families and Veterans are willing to recommend military service to young people including their own kids — down from 75 percent in 2019 to 63 percent in 2021. 

The latter statistic is particularly alarming, given 80 percent of young people who join the military today have a family member and nearly 30 percent have a parent who served. These trends are crippling an all-volunteer force that is forecasted to fall thousands short of its recruiting mission this year. 

While the Pentagon seems open to partnering with think tanks and academia to analyze the problem, the private sector is rarely offered a seat at the table. Although some military leaders may perceive corporations as “competitors” in the labor market, they could play a big part in solving DOD’s recruiting woes. 

The question is “how”?

First, DOD could execute highly effective digital marketing campaigns working in close collaboration with the private sector to target Gen Z-ers with the right messages on the right channels. The campaign could engage with the public in a positive way, allowing Veterans and their families to share stories of success, growth, and service — rather than the narrative we see all too often of the “broken” Veteran.

Second, the administration and Congress could welcome for-profit companies, alongside DOD and nonprofit leaders to collaborate, share ideas, and recommend viable solutions. All too often, companies are left out of the conversation because of a misperceived conflict of interest. 

Finally, DOD could partner with the private sector to launch a coordinated, high touch, high impact, grassroots campaign focused on getting Veterans in front of young people. This can be done at no cost to DOD… and it’s already happening. 

The fact is: each year thousands of Veterans in Fortune 500 companies engage in hundreds of volunteer activities organized by nonprofits. These events provide tangible opportunities for Veterans to coach, mentor and serve alongside young people in settings where they can intentionally share how military service led to bigger and better things upon separation. 

If all three are done with a “whole of nation” approach and in the true spirit of public-private collaboration, we can demonstrate to young people that service members, Veterans, and their families are successful and thriving as a result of their service — not in spite of it.

The truth is: a vast majority of Veterans aren’t “broken.” We are strong, resilient, and successful leaders in the workplace and in society. We served, and we are thriving. 

Kevin Schmiegel is a 20-year retired Marine Veteran and CEO of a social impact consulting firm called ZeroMils. He previously founded Hiring Our Heroes and led two other national military-focused nonprofits.