Parts of the US Army’s Current Problem

Introduction

The army is an essential aspect of the country’s life, which allows one to protect sovereignty and ensures security. The US Army is a branch of the US armed forces primarily responsible for ground military operations. In 2017, on the army’s payroll were 476,000 in the regular army, 343,000 in the National Guard, 1,018,000 military personnel in general, 330,000 civilian personnel, and 200,000 people in the military reserve of the armed forces. However, today there are some problems associated with a need for more recruits for several reasons.

Discussion

The first key reason is the lack of personnel who would be suitable for selection in the army according to physical indicators. Thus, today, only 23 percent of young people aged 16 to 21 meet the standards for selection in the army (Thomas, 2022). Young people do not take care of their physical form and health and lead a lifestyle that is not suitable for the army. Moreover, it is articulated by the problem of obesity, the rates of which are high in the country. This issue is a consequence of the next reason, namely the decline in popularity and desire among young people to join the army.

The loss of popularity of the army is due to several reasons that influence the opinion about the service and the desire of young people to join the army. For example, many parents worry about safety, relationships with co-workers, and their children’s mental health. Thus, parents are wondering if their children will have PTSD or physical injuries after serving in the military (Thomas, 2022). However, these opinions are clichés about the army, as there are many examples of successful service. Most people have the desire to continue serving in the army and do not have mental problems after the service. Moreover, many people connect their lives with the army and build a career, which may indicate the positive impact of the army on life.

These two reasons, namely, the wrong concept of the army and the inability to meet physical standards, can be solved by special training camps. There, due to physical programs, future cadets will improve their physical performance and become more self-confident. Moreover, future soldiers will change their attitude towards the army since they will live in the most approximate conditions. They will understand that in the army, they teach loyalty to a comrade, mutual assistance, and temper the spirit and physical condition. In addition, the opinion of parents about the army will change as they see that their children are in normal conditions and have improved their physical shape.

Speaking about the effect of not meeting the quota of soldiers by the state, one can single out several aspects. Primarily, it is worth noting that the lack of new recruits may have consequences for the defense aspect of the country. In other words, a shortage of cadets means a shortage of personnel in future defense departments, which can jeopardize the security of the country. In addition, it can have negative economic consequences as the state has to replace the shortage of staff through technical advantages or other means.

Conclusion

To conclude, today, there is a problem with the lack of personnel for the army due to several reasons. First, many young people do not meet the physical standards for selection into the military. In addition, the popularity of the army is declining due to the fact that parents worry about the mental and physical health of their children. However, these two reasons can be leveled by preparatory camps. Finally, the shortage of military personnel can negatively affect the country’s defense and economy.

Work Cited

Thomas, Ian. The U.S. Army is struggling to find the recruits its needs to win the fight over the future. CNBC, Web.