America faces cultural crisis as military size shrinks amid global tensions

In an opinion piece by The Hill, the shrinking size of the American military is framed as a cultural crisis. Caliber.Az presents the article.

Despite the wide range of topics covered in the recent presidential debate on June 27, the future of the American military was conspicuously absent. This omission is surprising given the contentious proposals in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, such as requiring women to enrol in selective service, potentially making them eligible for a draft. The Pentagon's recruitment shortfalls, coupled with rising global tensions, have given momentum to such proposals.

While the White House avoids labelling the situation as a new Cold War, prominent figures like Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, advocate for a substantial generational investment in defence. Although there is bipartisan agreement in Washington on the unprecedented dangers facing the nation, there is less consensus on how to address them.

The prevailing strategy involves increasing funding for research and development of advanced defence technologies and unmanned systems. These investments are seen as a way to bridge the gap between America's extensive global security obligations and the dwindling number of personnel available to meet them. However, the anticipated AI boom is losing investor confidence, and even successful technological advancements do not address who will operate these new systems.

Historically, the U.S. faced similar challenges during the Cold War when there was a demand for both combat-ready "warriors" and tech-savvy troops to handle advanced equipment, as noted in President Dwight Eisenhower's Basic National Security Policy in 1953. Today, the problem is even more acute. The current active-duty military force is the smallest since 1940 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt was seeking a third term. This decline is more pronounced when considering the percentage of the population: in 1955, 2% of the population served actively, compared to just 0.4% today.

Some argue that the Defense Department struggles to compete with private sector compensation. However, the demographic disparities—such as gender, race, and occupation—suggest that economic factors alone do not explain the recruitment challenges. Since 2013, the number of male recruits in the Army has dropped by 38%, while the number of female recruits has slightly increased. Despite the integration of women into combat roles, men still predominantly occupy these positions, particularly in special operations, where they constitute 88%. The Army missed its infantry recruiting target by over 50% in 2022, highlighting the strain on frontline troops.

The decline in white recruits is also notable, falling from 44,000 in 2018 to 25,000 in 2023, while other racial demographics remained stable. Given that the military is predominantly male and white, this trend raises concerns about the readiness of frontline units facing modern warfare challenges like those seen in Ukraine.

Various factors contribute to the recruitment crisis, including unpopular wars in the Middle East, controversies over "wokeness" in the Pentagon, the undervaluation of human labour due to technological advancements, and poor management of military housing and family burdens. These issues cut across demographics and are not solely responsible for the decline.

Historical "crises of masculinity" have been documented, but today's crisis coincides with escalating national security threats. European countries like Latvia, Sweden, and potentially Germany are considering or have reinstated conscription in response to security needs. In contrast, the U.S. remains hesitant. President Biden has not commented on the issue, and Donald Trump has dismissed rumours of a national service requirement.

Nevertheless, changing recruitment demographics might eventually compel Congress to consider national service, restructure the armed forces, or reduce military support overseas. Congressional subcommittees must investigate the roots of this crisis to find the most viable solutions, as postponing action is no longer an option.