A small percentage of Americans want to serve in the US Armed Forces, this is a problem and a weak point for the Pentagon. This was stated by journalist Chris Hedges in a column for MintPress News.
“The tiny percentage of those who want to serve in the American army (only 7% of the US population have experience in military service) is the carefully hidden Achilles heel of our militarists,” the journalist wrote.
According to him, the attempts of the country’s government to increase the number of those wishing to serve are futile, preferential programs for the military, in particular, do not give the desired result. This, in turn, is a problem for the Pentagon in the implementation of its plans.
Hedges also noted an existing flaw in the contract system of the army. In his opinion, contract service leads to a limitation on the number of available personnel.
As an example, the article cites conflicts in the Middle East, when the United States tried to increase its forces in various ways, such as renewing contracts, hiring employees of private military contractors. At the same time, these measures “could not lead to victories in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
On May 23, The Washington Examiner columnist Tom Rogan expressed the opinion that the United States would lose in a possible war with China over Taiwan. He wondered if the US Army could “survive such a severe test.”
The day before, it became known that the number of sailors who deserted from the US Navy (Navy) more than doubled from 2019 to 2021 due to tough contract conditions and the inability to leave the service. These data indicate a crisis in the mental health of employees, since most incidents occurred against the backdrop of suicide risks, experts say and federal statistics at the disposal of the NBC television channel.
On May 12, the director of the National Defense Center of the Heritage Foundation, retired Lieutenant General Thomas Shper, said that young Americans are neglecting military service in the contract army. The country’s armed forces began to experience a shortage of volunteers. According to him, all units of the US armed forces faced difficulties.
In addition, on May 7, the researchers announced the declining combat readiness of the US Army in connection with the obesity epidemic in the country. They explained that this is a complex issue that has a profound impact on national security and also affects the number of candidates for re-drafting.
Earlier, on May 4, it became known that more than 200 US Navy sailors left the aircraft carrier George Washington after three of their associates committed suicide in less than a week. They moved to a local base, presumably due to unfavorable morale in the carrier’s crew.