ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Pandemic-fueled learning loss, a shrinking pool of eligible young people and a generation that is less likely to have a personal connection to the military have combined to create an “unprecedented” recruiting season, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said. 

National Guard recruiters have described “just how difficult the current recruiting challenges are that they’re facing,” Gen. Daniel Hokanson said during a Sept. 20 media roundtable. “For many of them, it's unprecedented in their time as a recruiter.” 

The Association of the U.S. Army, joined by three other military associations, is urging key lawmakers to approve a timely defense budget to avoid unnecessary disruptions in modernization and people programs.

The Army must do a better job of connecting with America’s youth if it is going to overcome its recruiting challenges, the service’s top civilian leader said.

In addition to a good economy, a tight labor market and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Army faces a propensity challenge, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said. Only about 9% of young Americans are inclined to serve or interested in serving, she said.

The Army is hitting its stride when it comes to reaching its modernization goals, Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo said.

“I think we've got a tremendous amount of momentum headed into our modernization portfolio,” Camarillo said Sept. 7 during a conference hosted by Defense News. “Many of our programs … are working their way through the process to achieve these critical milestones and getting to the next phase … where we can field capabilities that are relevant to our soldiers.”

A new report from the congressional watchdog agency warns of the potential for widespread delays in the Defense Department’s ambitious effort to modernize weapons systems.

The overall assessment by the Government Accountability Office after reviewing the 63 most expensive acquisition programs cautions that defensewide efforts to reduce the time it takes to field new capabilities are not always a good thing. In many cases, program decisions were being made before obtaining enough information. 

A House subcommittee is poised to approve the 4.6% military raise requested by the Biden administration, but the panel also is prepared to call for a Defense Department study that would modernize basic pay levels to “more realistically and fairly compensate service members.”

Facing an increasingly difficult recruiting environment, the Army is opting for quality over growing the size of the force.

“I am concerned about end strength, but I believe quality is more important than quantity,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said May 12.

Testifying alongside Army Secretary Christine Wormuth before the House Armed Services Committee about the fiscal 2023 budget, McConville said the service is going to “take a pause” and “keep the quality up” as leaders look at ways to better reach America’s young men and women.

The Army’s 2023 budget represents a balancing act to have a “high-quality force” while also “maintaining momentum” on the transformation of new and improved capabilities, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said May 5.

Testifying alongside Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, Wormuth told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Army is in the midst of an effort to “significantly transform to meet emerging threats” while also fielding a ready, capable force.

The Army has prepared a $5.1 billion list of unfunded priorities it would appreciate Congress covering if extra defense dollars are available.  

Modernization and infrastructure are the two most expensive requests.   

The Biden administration proposes a $177.5 billion Army budget for fiscal 2023, a $2.8 billion increase over current spending.

The increase is part of a $773 billion defense budget that is 4% greater than the 2022 budget and 9.8% greater than the 2021 budget.

The budget request is a “positive thing for the Army” because it supports readiness while also paying for transformation of capabilities and force structure, said Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo.