Who Serves? Recruiting in the Marketplace

Özet

In the early Fall of 2018, the U.S. Army announced an expected shortfall in recruiting the necessary men and women to meet end-strength requirements. The American economy is
strong enough that military service is not as attractive and recruiting men & women in that environment is more challenging. On top of the economy, health and moral issues have disqualified
a larger portion of the marketplace audience. This research examines the realities of military recruiting for servicemembers in such a marketplace, but offers, for consideration
and further research, the impact of other factors historically contributing to who is recruited from the marketplace and who serves. As both popular and government observations and
data concede, fitness levels, membership in traditional organizations, outdoor activity and youth engaged in part-time employment have dropped, and these indicators do not bode
well for who will volunteer or be convinced to join.
Keywords: Conscription, fitness, marketplace, patriotism, recruiting, service