Introduction
Although there has been a massive decline in the recruitment of young Americans into the military over the years, it is important to note that fixing the recruitment limiting loopholes is the way forward to address the recruitment crisis. This essay therefore seeks to propose some practical novel approaches that can be employed by the military to address her recruitment crisis.
Proposal
As we strategize to ensure there is a steady supply of freshmen to solve the recruitment crisis in the U.S. military, there is a need to remember that very few citizens have the financial buoyancy to acquire knowledge. To address this knowledge divide and bridge the recruitment gap, young Americans need to be enlightened about opportunities in the military. Those who are convinced to pursue a career in the military should be offered fully funded scholarships to study courses of their choice in tertiary institutions. According to the terms and conditions of these scholarships, each beneficiary will serve the country through the military for at least 15 years after completing his or her studies and receive a salary for their service. This will ease Americans from the burden of student loans and translate into a greater recruitment pool.
Secondly, new records by the International Organization for Migration revealed that 6600 Africans have died over the years while attempting to cross the Sahara Desert to Europe. With the unemployment rate in Africa at 12% in 2023, many educated migrants are often tempted to embark upon illegal migration in search of a better life. To this end, I encourage the U.S. military to think outside the box and extend its scouting nets to Africa in order to cushion the recruitment crisis. A Nigerian migrant by the name of Victor Agunbiade currently serving in the U.S. Navy is a testament to the contributions migrants can make towards the development of their adopted countries. To avoid fracturing bilateral relations, the U.S. should sign a memorandum with the countries of origin of the recruits that will enable them to receive remittances. This will be a triple-barrelled arsenal to reduce unemployment, discourage illegal migration, and address the current recruitment crisis.
In Nigeria, each graduate below the age of 30 is expected to serve the country voluntarily for a year before embarking upon professional work. This measure fosters patriotism among young Nigerians. The U.S. military too can adopt this to spark the fire of patriotism among its citizens to serve the country’s military.
Periodic essays, poetry, and art competitions should be organized for Americans in the institutions of learning to stimulate military interest. This will geometrically increase the pool of recruits.
Military recruiters should adopt a national and local advertising approach that will ensure that recruiters pay regular visits to schools and youth-led organizations to bridge the recruitment knowledge gap.
The military should as a matter of urgency, create military museums, libraries, and recreational parks where young Americans can go on excursion visits to interact with military artifacts and war exhibits. This can stimulate interest in the military at a tender age and translate into a positive recruitment response.
Through experience, I have noticed that when recruitment is done on a rolling basis, it is easier for organizations to meet their recruitment goals without stress. Adopting this will curb the current recruitment crisis in the military.
Through the provision of scholarship opportunities for children of military personnel, and care for their spouses, it will be easier to attract freshmen into the military while retaining the services of in-service personnel.
While I was at the University studying, I noticed that many students undertake projects that are capable of transforming society but due to our non-challant attitude, many of these laudable projects are allowed to waste without funding. To this end, the U.S. military should make funds readily available for wider research in our institutions of learning. This will serve as bait to woo young researchers into the military.
In addition, according to GSMA real-time intelligence data, 5.27 billion people have a mobile device in the world. This means that about 67.03% of the world’s population has a mobile device. Statista predicts that by 2023, the number of mobile device users will increase to 7.33 billion. Leveraging the use of digital technology can help in creating widespread awareness about military recruitment. This can be done using social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Software engineers should be encouraged to create applications like games and military encyclopedias capable of intimating youths about the military. Random text messages and phone calls should also be made to young Americans to identify and follow up with youths interested in the military to avoid a decision limbo.
“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young ”-Maya Angelon. Stakeholders, educationists, and creative writers tasked with the responsibility of creating literary works should endeavor to discuss matters related to the nuclear sector. Youth storybooks, novels, and poems woven around the subject matter can arouse the hearts of young Americans in the future.
Each year, thousands of young Americans graduate from Universities scattered across the country. The military should make her presence felt during these events (graduations, convocations) to woo college graduates into the recruitment nets.
Recruiters should make deals with manufacturing companies that will enable the military's logo to be displayed on the packaging materials of their products. With the public having a high-integrity image among the public, will help these companies push their sales while extending the military into the subconscious mind of young American consumers.
Due to the strict standards of the U.S. military, many young Americans are denied the opportunity to be enlisted in the military due to their failure to meet necessary requirements. Applicants who do not meet all the requirements for enlistment can be given waivers to discourage them from pursuing other endeavors or growing cold towards the military.
In many recruitment processes globally, round-pegged recruiters are assigned to occupy square-pegged positions. This mismatch often impedes the recruitment process as uninformed recruiters in local offices frustrate the recruitment process. The military should endeavor to assign the role of recruitment to qualified personnel with the required skills and talent.
Furthermore, a recent study by the University of Arkansas in collaboration with the Manchester Business School in London found that consumers (ages 18-24) take on an active role in developing their identities and appearances based on celebrities. Since celebrity endorsements resonate more strongly with Generation Z (ages 15-20) and Millennial (ages 21-34) audiences, leveraging upon the use of global icons from the music, sport, and entertainment industries can help stimulate interest among youths to solve the recruitment crisis.
The recruitment process in the United States over the years has maintained a national presence with local representation. The military should ensure her presence is felt in the rural areas to create a sense of belonging to disadvantaged Americans.
Research has shown that referred candidates are more successful than their un-referred peers during recruitment processes. To this end, the military should adopt this measure to ensure seamlessness during the recruitment process. These referrals too should be handsomely rewarded for their efforts to maintain the recruitment cycle rhythm.
Military clubs should be created in every school around the country to make her presence felt. Embarking on such a laudable feat can draw the military closer to the common person and stimulate interest.
Finally, the organization of public awareness campaigns should not be relegated to the background. This could be in the form of conferences, workshops, film exhibitions, or festivals where Americans can be enlightened. Doing this will reduce ignorance about opportunities in the military.
CONCLUSION
“The youths of a Nation are the trustees of posterity”-Benjamin Disraeli. Efforts should therefore be made to adopt the recommendations highlighted in this research paper in order to increase awareness about the U.S. military, and steadily attract and retain force men to solve the recruitment crisis.
REFERENCES
Chalmers, David (1997). The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press .pp. 225 ISBN 978-0195105537
https://zoovu.com/blog/impact-of-celebrity-endorsement-on-consume-buying-behaviour
htpps://www.bank.mycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1286939/unemployment-rate-in-africa-by-country
https://www.voanews.com/a/thousands-of-african-migrants-die-crossing-the-sahara-desert/4712720