via WSJ (paywall)
As a grandfather and veteran, I thank Rep. Mike Gallagher and Prof. Kevin Wallsten for their op-ed “Why Doesn’t Gen Z Want to Be All It Can Be?” (Dec. 14). If the next generation is largely unwilling to serve in the armed forces, then the nation’s future is at best uncertain.
Here
Pay them their blood money and read the article. Well worth it I think.
My opinion.
I look at the talking points of Marine Corps leadership.
Why?
Because this new breed of Marine Corps leaders are quick to jump on whatever bandwagon is rolled out. They don't think. They simply leap. The only thing going that makes MANY think that they're adhering to past standards is that they're also quick to jump off that bandwagon once they realize how poorly received it is (in other words the Marine Corps tribes starts bucking and it dawns on them that this new thing might be fucked up).
All this brings me to the issue with Gen Z and the military in particular and society in general.
A group of spoiled and entitled youth, pushed along by the idiocy of our covid policy and the tactics used in that drama (I include the aftermath of police being told down in the aftermath with this...rioting and looting without consequence and no bail for major crimes in my thinking with this) have all combined to rip at the social fabric of our nation.
We are a house divided.
Not talking racially or religiously but on the basis of national pride/social responsibility.
On one side you have individuals that want to tear the whole thing down and don't even recognize the USA as a nation and on the other side you have traditionalist. Not in the "my country right or wrong" but in the idea that this republic is worth saving (if possible).
Back to the Marine Corps.
Leadership thought that they could appeal to the first group and practically dismissed the second. Even worse they told retirees, vets, the tribe in general that the Marine Corps could not look to the children of those that served anymore. It couldn't be a 'family business'.
Add the social and political drama to the mix, the drastic moves made by Berger that have assaulted the very idea of what a Marine and the Marine Corps does to the whole thing and finally the thinking that the military is bending the knee to an ideology that many don't recognize, don't accept and want NO part of and you have a recruiting crisis.
10% at best, of the nation is wildly crazy about the woke stuff. A big middle is watching this madness deciding what to think and a sizable minority is hating it with a passion.
That leaves a president, secdef and military pursuing an agenda that only 10% of population supports (a 10% that would never join the military in the first place and that's assuming they're qualified) and the people who's children have been the backbone of the military absolutely despise and you have a crisis of their own making.
But wait you say. The Marine Corps is meeting recruiting goals.
Naw.
Not really.
They're keeping people they have and the force is getting older. That will come with its own set of problems but that's another discussion.
TLDR.
Recruiting is fucked. If Biden and his crew is re-elected then the misery will continue. Trump will bring his own set of issues but recruiting will bounce back. From a reset of the military perspective a new president will be needed and a serious effort made to reconnect the military to the public will be needed.
