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Fewer active-duty military families encourage young people to enlist
Federal News Network ^ | Marcy 19, 2024 | Anastasia Obis

Posted on 05/18/2024 6:25:22 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

While the majority of new recruits report having someone in the family who served, military families are becoming increasingly reluctant to recommend service to their loved ones.

Blue Star Families has been tracking active-duty families’ likelihood of recommending service to a young family member or someone in their network since 2016. Only 32% of families said they would recommend their sons and daughters to go into the military, down from 55% in 2016.

On the other end of the spectrum, only 15% of families said they would not recommend service to their loved ones in 2016. That number more than doubled to 31% in 2023.

“One of the major takeaways this year is that we continue to see a declining likelihood to recommend military service among our military families,” Jessica Strong, the senior director of applied research, told Federal News Network. “We know the majority of new recruits have some ties to the military. They have a parent, or a grandparent, or relative who served, so they come from families who have a tradition of military service. We know that military families are the answer to that recruiting crisis.”

More than 7,000 active-duty service members, military spouses, veterans, veteran spouses, National Guard and reserve families responded to the survey which was conducted online from May 24 to July 17.

Most survey respondents live and work at military installations across the United States, including Fort Liberty in North Carolina, Fort Cavazos in Texas and Fort Huachuca in Arizona. But they also live in communities that don’t have a military installation or large military presence. And some of them are stationed overseas at bases in Japan, South Korea, Germany and Italy, as well as embassies across the world.

(Excerpt) Read more at federalnewsnetwork.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
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1 posted on 05/18/2024 6:25:22 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: All

I know a military family (both spouses in) and they tell their sons do NOT enlist in these times.


2 posted on 05/18/2024 6:27:57 PM PDT by BipolarBob (Why aren't eleven and twelve pronounced like one teen and two teen?)
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To: MinorityRepublican

I’m retired Zoomie, my son is a former Marine.
We both tell young folks to stay the hell away from the military.


3 posted on 05/18/2024 6:30:34 PM PDT by ASOC (This space for rent)
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To: MinorityRepublican

My youngest son enlisted in the Navy and is training to be air traffic control, but he did so knowing what he would be getting into.


4 posted on 05/18/2024 6:31:32 PM PDT by ducttape45 (Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.")
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To: BipolarBob

As a retired military veteran I didn’t recommend service for my son which ended a long family service to the country which hurt. However, what I see on the military installations today and read in the different periodicals I can no longer say the military is a great place to begin a career. Wokeness has taken over along with once was military standards. The ones I see would be unfit during my time.


5 posted on 05/18/2024 6:34:11 PM PDT by grcuster
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To: BipolarBob
As a veteran here, I would never recommend the military to anyone now.

The military has been corrupted and infected with the DEI virus.

The problems the military has now with recruitment will only get worse—with the resulting loss of military capability.

6 posted on 05/18/2024 6:34:16 PM PDT by volare737 (Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

I remember a few years ago there was a joke going around about when he came in the military being queer was forbidden, then it became don’t ask, and lately it’s acceptable. But the guy’s getting out before being gay becomes mandatory. Which seems to be where we’re headed.


7 posted on 05/18/2024 6:35:04 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage? (Drain the Swamp. Build the Wall.)
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To: ducttape45
My youngest son enlisted in the Navy and is training to be air traffic control, but he did so knowing what he would be getting into.

It's different now. You can still join the military because it will provide you with a valuable skill.

None of that patriotic BS.

8 posted on 05/18/2024 6:35:05 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: volare737
The problems the military has now with recruitment will only get worse—with the resulting loss of military capability.

We might be okay if we adapt to drone warfare.

9 posted on 05/18/2024 6:36:17 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

As a retired military I advise potential recruits to carefully consider that their commanding officer may be a guy wearing a dress with a husband and that their chief of staff could be a traitor like Mark Milley.


10 posted on 05/18/2024 6:43:31 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (We used to be a Republic, we are now a Fascist Klepto-Thugocracy.)
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To: RetiredTexasVet

11 posted on 05/18/2024 6:45:27 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

You may want to serve as your fathers and grandfathers did, but all the meaningful decisions are going to be made by the deviants.


12 posted on 05/18/2024 6:46:27 PM PDT by Retain Mike ( Sat Cong)
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To: Retain Mike
You may want to serve as your fathers and grandfathers did, but all the meaningful decisions are going to be made by the deviants.

We fought in a lot of stupid wars in the past.

I would not hesitate to fight in WWII, that war was absolutely necessary.

But WWI was stupid. That was Europe's mess. Wilson made a huge mistake to get America involved.

13 posted on 05/18/2024 6:50:33 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

I am a retired USAF officer and my daughter may well be the last of a long line when she got out as a USAF Capt when thing started going to crap during Obama’s term.


14 posted on 05/18/2024 6:53:55 PM PDT by bosco24
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To: MinorityRepublican

Even without the Woke Charlie Foxtrot it’s not a good time to enlist. I joined in 1972 and every promotion I ever got right up through E8 I was competing with Combat Veterans, appearing before boards sat on by Combat Vets. You have to really work to beat out peers with Combat experience. As soon as I returned from Desert Storm I was selected to attend the Sgt Major Academy.


15 posted on 05/18/2024 6:56:11 PM PDT by Feckless (The US Gubbmint / This Tagline CENSORED by FR \ IrOnic, ain't it?)
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To: MinorityRepublican

If your son is a fag tranny or just weird it’s a great time to get a bonus


16 posted on 05/18/2024 6:56:24 PM PDT by NWFree (Sigma male 🤪)
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To: MinorityRepublican

The basic problem with joining the military has always been that service is subject to political decisions. But then I am with Washington, and I would not have it any other way. Hopefully people would have the choices of resigning or never enlisting.


17 posted on 05/18/2024 7:12:36 PM PDT by Retain Mike ( Sat Cong)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

USMC vet here, I told my son and daughter to stay FAR FAR away from military service (ended a 6 generation tradition in my family) unless they wanted to serve with and be ordered by AFFIRMATIVE ACTION HIRES, FAGS, LESBIENS, FREAKS, and WEIDOS.

Neither will serve under UNCLE FAGGOT!


18 posted on 05/18/2024 7:19:02 PM PDT by 5th MEB (1)
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To: 5th MEB

Pleased that you have the proper political correctness and understand the proper pronouns.

Semper Fi


19 posted on 05/18/2024 7:22:27 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage? (Drain the Swamp. Build the Wall.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

I wasn’t asked questioned for this poll, but I approve the overall gist of it. It’s exactly what I’ve done, steer both my boys away from the service.


20 posted on 05/18/2024 7:36:04 PM PDT by voicereason (When a bartender can join Congress and become a millionaire...there’s a problem.)
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