I am reading your posts. My knowledge of the situation is very different (and in this case, superior to your own).
What you are saying is needless, pointless and pessimistic bullshit.
Why is recuitment down? Seems to me people have seen the military prosecute soldiers for doing their jobs. They've seen an apathetic and largely ungrateful nation, they've seen their heroics smothered by the media in favor of death counts and Abu Ghraib. You can't see it, but it's there, brother.