The Left doesn’t trust the military (they are still antiwar), and now the Right doesn’t trust it. A perfect storm.
You’re correct and in addition to the reasons you stated, young people today who might enlist are probably looking a recent history of 2 wars lasting nearly 20 years and how casually the USA walked away from both in a disorganized and embarrassing way.
They saw how casually the Biden, Milley and many others in the government and military leadership reacted to the debacle in Afghanistan and said, I don’t want any part of that.
No one wants to serve in Milley’s military. Who would want to join up and study wokeness; pronouns.