Relax, it's the Boston Globe spinning.
Start with the first false statement: "The armed forces, already struggling to meet recruiting goals..."
That's not a false statement. When you need to up the maximum enlistment age into the 40s, and offer tax free bonuses in the tens of thousands of dollars in order to break even, that's a struggle. Go talk to any Army recruiter and ask how much pressure he's under to make mission.
The fact that we're considering foreign mercenaries only shows that the generals understand that they can't keep lowering standards and raising bonuses forever.