Army Secretary Says It Could Take Years to Recover From Recruiting Shortfalls

U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth says that resolving the military branch’s recruiting problems remains one of her top priorities, although the recovery from recent enlistee shortfalls may stretch into 2024 or beyond.
“It took us more than a year to get into the situation that we’re in, in terms of the recruiting landscape, and I think it’s going to take more than a year to turn it around,” Wormuth said during a Feb. 23 panel discussion hosted by the Project for Media and National Security at George Washington University in Washington.
The Army missed its fiscal year 2022 recruiting goal by about 15,000 recruits, representing a 25 percent miss on the service’s 60,000 enlistee goal for the year. The Army has predicted the 2023 fiscal year will be another challenge for the service, leaving them with a further shortfall of 20,000 soldiers. This year, the Army’s recruiting goal is 65,000 new soldiers….}