Far Fewer Military Families Recommend Uniformed Service: Survey
Substantially fewer military families would recommend uniformed service to others, a new survey by Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) finds.
Just 63% of surveyed service members and family members would recommend service to someone considering it. That’s a big drop from just two years earlier, when 75% said they’d encourage others to join. The results released on July 14 are from a far-ranging survey of more than 8,600 people conducted in late 2021.
The finding is an ill omen for military recruiters who are already struggling to meet their goals. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) says a whopping 71% of youth do not qualify for military service because of obesity, drugs, physical and mental health problems, misconduct and aptitude.
Meanwhile, USAREC likes to call the Army a “family business,” noting that 79% of recruits have a relative who served. Substantially lower enthusiasm among those who’ve served is certain to throw a wet blanket on recruiting efforts.
When researchers delved into the thinking of service members, veterans and family members who won’t recommend military service, five top rationales surfaced:
- Military service is hard on marriages, family relationships and relationships with children
- Military pay is too low, especially given the job’s difficulty and stress
- Some military leaders are bad,
Article from LewRockwell
