“They think they’re going to be physically or emotionally broken after serving,” said one senior U.S.

The survey sheds light on how both Americans’ view of the military and the growing civilian-military divide may also be factors in slumping recruitment, and how public attitudes could cause recruiting struggles for years to come. James McConville testified before Congress that only 23% of Americans ages 17-24 are qualified to serve without a waiver to join, down from 29% in recent years.Īn internal Defense Department survey obtained by NBC News found that only 9% of those young Americans eligible to serve in the military had any inclination to do so, the lowest number since 2007. The pool of those eligible to join the military continues to shrink, with more young men and women than ever disqualified for obesity, drug use or criminal records.

Spoehr said he does not believe a revival of the draft is imminent, but “2022 is the year we question the sustainability of the all-volunteer force.” left Vietnam and the draft officially ended. He said the military has not had such a hard time signing recruits since 1973, the year the U.S.

Thomas Spoehr of the Heritage Foundation, a think tank. “This is the start of a long drought for military recruiting,” said Ret.

Us military doesn't want tanks