Military recruitment suffers from ‘wokeness,’ weakness and sickness

OPINION:

We live in the land of the free because of the brave. So many Americans seem to take that for granted. We must do more to ensure a fully functioning volunteer U.S. military. 

So far this year, the U.S. Army has only hit about 40% of its recruiting goals according to published reports last week. Recruitment goals were met by each branch of the military during the pandemic, but reserve numbers were down. The slow down in recruitment for active duty has now hit the Army and the Navy, while the other branches just hit their goals. 

Retention levels were high during the early stages of COVID-19 as there were significant levels of uncertainty. At the same time, recruitment efforts were hurt during the pandemic as schools and colleges were shut down. Now, many service members are leaving for jobs in a very competitive environment for employees. High departures and declining recruitment spells trouble on the horizon — unless changes are made going forward. 

Much to my surprise, about 75% of America’s 17- to 24-year-olds were ineligible for military service due to lack of education, obesity, other physical problems or criminal history, according to a report issued by the Mission: Readiness group. That is a huge problem as a vast percentage of the young people in Generation Z are not prepared to serve in the military. 

“Woke” policies, union bosses and education bureaucrats are largely to blame for this lack of preparation. Two years of shutdowns have been devastating to so many students. We are just starting to see the negative impact on educational attainment, as well as physical and mental health issues. Young people were the least likely to face serious harm from COVID-19, yet they faced some of the longest periods of isolation from closures. 

As if the shutdowns were not enough, schools seem to be more focused on bogus theories like critical race theory and the 1619 Project than teaching students the fundamentals like reading, writing, math, science and objective American and world history. Too many students are trapped in failing schools.

Children also need to spend less time on video games, YouTube and the rest of the internet and spend more time outside playing games or exploring parks and other places of interest. Being physically fit does not require one to be a sports star, but it does require activity beyond a computer, phone or television screen. 

We need to encourage our children to return to places of worship. It’s time to welcome them home. So many of the people having trouble dealing with the stress and loneliness during COVID-19 could have benefited from the support of a church or other place of worship. 

To help with recruitment for the military, we must take action in a number of areas. First, we can never allow a retreat like the one we saw in Afghanistan under the Biden administration. The hit to the morale of our troops and veterans sent a negative message to those who might have considered signing up to join one of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. 

Many of us rightfully believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine because of the clear sign of weakness shown by the bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan. This opens the door to other dictators thinking they can move without fear of retribution. We need to return to the time when the world viewed the United States as no better friend and no worse enemy. 

Overall, we must stop the “woke” agenda from spreading throughout the military. Our service men and women should be training to defeat the enemy by working together — regardless of race, sex, religion or other beliefs. Sadly, our enemies are laughing at the lack of focus on the real mission by many in positions of leadership. 

High schools and colleges that receive assistance from the government should be required to allow military recruiters on campus. While the shutdowns were devastating to recruitment efforts, many schools and colleges were already pushing away recruiters and ROTC programs. We need them back on campus.  

Our men and women in uniform need proper equipment and better compensation. When I was governor, I was proud that the improvements we made ranked Wisconsin as the best state in the nation for veterans. Similarly, America needs to properly train, equip, support and compensate our service members and their families. Not only is that the right thing to do, but it will also help with recruitment and retention.  

Former President Ronald Reagan led the way to rebuild our military in the 1980s. This led to one of the most peaceful times in American history. Former President Donald Trump took similar action during his time in office. We need leaders who truly understand that peace comes through strength. It starts with supporting our service members. 

• Scott Walker is the president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019.