[This article has been published in Restoring America to highlight how the military’s recruiting struggles affect the readiness of our forces and our national security.]

Since the transition to an all-volunteer force in 1973, there have been years when the military services missed their recruiting goals. These include 1999, 2005, and 2018 when either the economy was booming or casualties in a conflict were perceived high. But according to military personnel officials at a Senate hearing last week, 2022 is shaping up to be “arguably the most challenging recruiting year” since 1973.