The Military's Self-Destructing Perception Bubble

American Thinker ^ | 5 Oct, 2022 | Bob Brostoski

[MtnClimber]

Today's military leaders fail to see what will have the worst impact on military recruiting for years to come.

During my last few years in the military before I retired in 2020, it was common to hear that "the military-civilian divide is a problem that is getting worse." Whenever I heard this, it was always in the context that this divide was America's problem. "The American public doesn't understand the military," or "their kids aren't fit to properly support the military." There never seemed to be any reflection from the military. But the military has a serious problem with recruiting now. Based on the latest reports, the U.S. Army will achieve only 75% of its recruiting goal for 2022.

As a veteran, I follow many military news sources, and over the past two years, the theme has always been the same when it comes to the conversation on military recruiting. The military's messaging is off, it doesn't provide enough benefits, the job market is too competitive, or it hasn't found the right social media tools to reach the young generation. What's commonly left out of many of these articles is politics and a "woke" military. When and if discussed, in many of these articles, which are usually written by typical media elites or military people who can't see out of the bubble, this is dismissed.

While I'm sure there is some validity to these reasons, the military fails to see what probably will have the worst impact on military recruiting for years to come: the trust of the American people, and more specifically the trust of American parents. Despite the experts in the federal government, who seem to believe that kids can be raised by proper tech manipulation and enough free stuff from the government,

[MtnClimber]

Get woke, go broke applies to the military too.

[cranked]

Not only is the military across all service branches having troubles recruiting, the Military Academy’s are likewise experiencing a significant reduction in applicants.

[marktwain]

To the Left, this is a feature, not a bug.

Destroying US military power is a common goal for the Left, Russia, China, and Iran.

[Brian Griffin]

There might be a civil war.

Unless you are close to retirement, do not join or reenlist.

If you hold conservative views, you are likely to be purged before 20 years of service.

[Travis McGee]

Nobody wants to fight for anti-White Woke Globo Homo Inc.

[Travis McGee]

[FLT-bird]

Its worse than just the 75% figure would indicate. They cut requirements and they dug deep into their pending lists to get to even 75%....which means they will fall even shorter next year and will once again lower the quality of recruits they are taking.

[Brian Griffin]

The Democrats are promising free college educations and universal health care.

There will be no need to join the military for health or education benefits.

[Brian Griffin]

Low quality men/women/its will flee like the Russian dregs in eastern Ukraine.

Being a POW is unpleasant.

[Nateman]

Joe Biden was selected by China because his sabotage could be blamed on incompetence due to his Alzheimer’s . The wokeness of recruiting is just the cover story for the sabotage there.

[T.B. Yoits]

The military doesn't have a perception bubble. The Leftists know exactly what they want to do and are clear on their efforts to do it. It's others outside the closed-circuit view that don't want to accept it.

Current and former military, as well as those who might have joined the military, can no longer deny the impact of the Left's agenda on the military.

They have to face the truth that the military is not what it once was.

[Pontiac]

In much of my off time, I volunteer as the service officer for a local VFW and frequently talk to veterans all the way back to WWII. If I can encapsulate their feelings of today's military policies, they are simply sad and disheartened. While the military leaders continue to live in their bubble, and let the greatest military in the world be managed and squandered by leftists from the DoD Office of Diversity Management and Twitter, all of these old veterans can only sit and shake their heads in disgust.

Interesting that the author is a member of the VFW and that the members there are disturbed by the the Leftward lurching of the US military.

In my experience the VFW was Leftward leaning while the American Legion was Rightward leaning.

I could be wrong it has been many years since I had any involvement to speak of with either organization.

I would appreciate any information or opinions from members of these organizations.

[Sirius Lee]

There will be no need to join the military for health or education benefits.

Considering the demoncrap's war on the VA, it's basically suicidal if you join the military and get wounded or sick.

[Cloverfarm]

We have a military age son ... we’ve told him not to go, he won’t fit in anymore. (Straight, white, conservative farm kid who likes mechanical stuff ...) It’s not your dad’s, uncle’s, grandpa’s military anymore.

[antidemoncrat]

For businesses, first you go “woke” then you go broke.
For the military, first you go “woke” then you surrender to whoever declares war on us ... like Mexico.

[MMusson]

The Military now discourages Patriotism and Masculinity.
We’re screwed.

[GOPJ]

They know what they’re doing... it’s part of the ‘take American Down’ plan.

[arthurus]

The left does not hate the the military so much as it fears the military. Every left wing regime has feared its regular military an has tried to diminish it or put guardians over it like Quds Force or the Russian internal army that was separate from the regular army, not to mention the commissars that were part of every unit and had the power to shoot any troop or officer at any time.

The Russian army did finally turn on the communists when the communists tried to stage a coup against the newly elected Duma.

[afsnco]

There’s simply no possible way I could ever serve in today’s military. It’s become a disgusting leftist petri dish. And of course they’ll never figure out the role their “wokeness” plays in their recruiting woes. The clot-shot mandates all by themselves would’ve convinced me to punch out. I’m sure many conservative young people feel the same. Add in the homosexual rapes in the barracks and the tranny madness it’s a complete mystery why the services are having recruiting problems /sarc.