The U.S. military is struggling to recruit and it’s not just quality, it’s quantity as well. The all volunteer force is at risk. Falling recruiting rates can be compensated for by higher retention rates for a time, but eventually the lack of new talent will be felt across the force. Allison Abbe is in the studio to discuss a recent article in which she points out policies that have created the insular military communities that may be raising retention but harming recruiting. Allison joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to explain her thoughts on the three policies that might be doing more harm than good, and how they could be changed for the better.
Are we improving retention perhaps, by providing all of these services and benefits on military installations, while at the same time we may be hindering recruiting in the long run because those military families are not interacting in the civilian community as much as we might hope.
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Allison Abbe is professor of organizational studies at the U.S. Army War College and teaches courses in strategic leadership, inclusive leadership, and defense management. She previously served in defense and intelligence organizations as a research psychologist and program manager. She holds a PhD in social and personality psychology from the University of California, Riverside.
Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE.
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense.
Photo Description: Times Square Recruiting Station
Photo Credit: James D’Ambrosio, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters
With regard to recruiting, are we skirting the real — societal — issue here? This being, that:
a. As the United States government generally — and indeed the U.S. military specifically — has worked and is working exceptionally hard at achieving such things as diversity, equity and inclusion (this being thought of, by the U.S. government and by the U.S. military, as something of a national security priority),
b. Many Americans, today, have and are working equally hard at declaring such things as diversity, equity and inclusion a national security threat.
From that such perspective, approximately half of the country may see the U.S. military as being (a) diametrically opposed to their values, goals, objectives and beliefs and, accordingly, as (b) their natural enemies.
(In circumstances such as these, half the country’s youth may not wish to join the “opposing force?.”)
Addendum: What I describe above, might this, also, be consider from the perspective of “self-sabotage?”
Addendum 2: What I describe above, might this not also be properly considered under the heading of “civil-military relations?”
Our own ‘leaders’ in the PENTAGON, not Biden, our “81 Million”= occult (33) installed pedo-in-chief have done more damage to our military than China could ever achieve on their own. (Policies, ‘vaccinations’, morale, etc.)
What better way to eliminate the last country standing in the way of the communist world ODOR!
I can see why many young men and women avoid serving in our armed forces since it went woke. If you are a white male or white female, then you potentially see a crooked set of rules to live under. If you are not the correct race, nationality, sex or gender (however defined) you could see unequal treatment for discipline, promotion or plum assignments. Further, there as the National Association of Scholars research has shown there is no science in Critical Race Theory. It is all political advocacy.
A psychologist should know the basic facts about intrinsic honesty in different nations and the average IQ in different nations. To enroll legal immigrants, we want them be both honest and to have the intelligence to be able to operate our systems and weapons.
As we have seen, civilian political leaders ignore science in devising policies for our armed forces. The US Marine Corps test showed that all male units performed better that units of men and women. Yet, the Secretary of the Navy opened up the combat arms to women.
Also, we have solid data that women have disproportionate health risks in a combat role. What is the sense of opening it up to women when many will immediately suffer health problems that take them out of combat. That plus women purposefully getting pregnant to avoid combat or overseas assignments will strike the males as an unfair set of circumstances.
The US Army worked hard to devise gender neutral fitness tests. Yet women fail more than men do. So why is the goal to have the same ratio of males to females in all branches of service?
People in civilian life see the unfairness in the current Woke military and say that is not for me. Is this hard to understand?
Those without college degrees can serve. However, some may be discharged due to injuries, wounds or sickness. In those circumstances, some may not be a good fit for college. However, their health issues may preclude them from doing manual labor. That is a risk that some may decide to avoid serving in our armed forces.
The Rise of Wokeness in the Military by Thomas Spoehr
Director, Center for National Defense at the Heritage Foundation
https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/the-rise-of-wokeness-in-the-military/
ntrinsic honesty and the prevalence of rule violations across societies
Simon Gächter 1 2 3 , Jonathan F Schulz 1 4
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26958830/
Countries by IQ – Average IQ by Country 2022
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/average-iq-by-country
Marine Corps Study: All-Male Combat Units Performed Better Than Mixed Units
September 10, 201512:00 PM ET
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/09/10/439190586/marine-corps-study-finds-all-male-combat-units-faster-than-mixed-units
Men and Women Seeing Different Failure Rates on Army’s Gender-Neutral Fitness Test
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/10/15/men-and-women-seeing-different-failure-rates-armys-gender-neutral-fitness-test.html
Women in combat roles face these “disproportionate medical risks”
https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2017/07/26/women-combat-roles-facing-disproportionate-medical-risks-n247525
The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality by Kathryn Paige Harden
Question:
If we followed our author, Allison Abbe’s, recommendations above — recommendations which would, if followed, provide that U.S. military personnel would become more active within, and thus become more seen by, local civilian communities,
Then would not the “face” of the military, (a) thus becoming much more seen by the local civilian communities, (b) AGGRAVATE the problem that I identify in my initial comment above? To wit: that:
a. The military has in the past, and still today, is working exceptionally hard at achieving such things as diversity, equity and inclusion. (The “face” of the military — now becoming more prominent in civilian community via author Abbe’s recommendations — proving this?) And that, accordingly,
b. The military IS NOT a vocation — that those who see such things as diversity, equity and inclusion as a national security (or, more correctly, a group security?) threat — wish to embrace.
Re Tyranny and why the All Volunteer Force May be DEAD!
The forced Emergency Use Authorization Only Covid Shot Mandate and it’s documented deleterious effects on the health of Marines (and all other Service members) is a significant factor. The “shot” does not prevent or stop reoccurrence of the latest variant and Paxlovid does not successfully treat it. Sec Def Austin is on shot 4 or 5 w 2 or more cases of Covid and probable Paxlovid Treatment Failure. The current variant is so weak most cases are asymptomatic among recruit aged citizens and most of the Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard. The rampant hazing of Service members of all grades and ranks who are labeled as “vaccine refusers” is a reason not to join. The word is out concerning these abuses throughout the citizenry. This useless vaccine mandate must be eliminated. Natural Immunity must be recognized. Therapies and preventive protocols such a ZSTAC must be emphasized The “equity” dictates of the Biden apparatchiks, the forced recruiting of gender dysphorics (with the order that different sex service members must shower together) along with the Soviet Style Imbedding of Radical Racist Political Officers into service and combatant commands, has destroyed morale and discipline. An egregious example of this politicization was the use of Marines as props for a Leni Riefenstahl/Nuerenberg like attack by President Biden on more than half of the citizenry when he called them “Semi Fascist”! Does anyone think this improved recruiting? In fact many Veterans advise against joining. Many retired 4 Star Generals believe the US Army recruiting failure is so severe that a Draft must be instituted. Why would anyone join the current Armed Forces Clown Show? Our Southern Border is unsecured thousands of criminals, Terrorist, spies and saboteurs have been welcomed into the Homeland. It is only a matter of time before we will be attacked possible as severely as 9/11. The Afghanistan Bugout Debacle is another example of why recruiting is almost impossible. Would you want your son, daughter or grandson or granddaughter’s life to be sacrificed at another Abbey Gate because failed leaders blindly followed the dictates of an probable illegal order and verifiable strategic, operational and tactical failure abandoning tens of thousands of Americans and Allie’s to the enemy along w hundreds of billions of arms, ammunition, war equipment and bases to the enemy. Geopolitical Futures recently described the Scaleable World War we have entered. Winter is coming, the Europeans are clueless, the Current executive branch plans on gifting hundreds of billions of dollars to Our Sworn Enemy Iran. Many of Our so called elites undermined and colluded to give us this current nightmare. 720 Retired Generals and Admirals “Politicized their Rank” and published their political support of Candidate BIDEN, 51 Former Senior Intelligence Officials (Many Retired 4 Star Officers) blatantly lied about the Hunter Biden Laptop prior to the election. Some continue these lies at this very moment). These Officers have sacrificed their honor and integrity. Do any of them have regrets? RJ INGOLD, Colonel USMC Retired.
Regarding reinstating the draft; As a former USAF E4 circa 1979-83. I would embrace a prison sentence before I would serve chairman Biden and his NWO cabal.
The Commander In Chief is neither worthy nor competent to be a pimple on a Corporal’s ass!
Great conservation! Thanks for thinking about what may seem obvious and harmless in a new, potentially constructive way. Connecting the military with civilians is right and proper. Those that advocate insulation risk the public support we must have to be a institution that is entrusted with the lawful, moral, and ethical use of collective violence against our enemies, both foreign and domestic. Without this support, we may become an enemy of each other. If the parents of potential young men and women we seek, don’t observe the military doing the things they do and in that setting get to know service members, then they can grow socially dissonant. A potential effect the discouragement of sons and daughters from service. I certainly applaud your intellectual courage to help readers reconsider the obvious in the circumstances of our time.
The moderator and the guest of this podcast indicate that the positive retention within the Army is offsetting the recruiting shortfall, but they assert that this effect is temporary at best. Interestingly, both the moderator and the guest of the podcast make no mention of the approximately 40,000 to 60,000 Soldiers in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve who are refusing to take the COVID 19 vaccination. The Department of Defense has directed that these Soldiers will not be paid (which will likely affect retention). This is approximately the size of two Army Divisions who are essentially refusing orders and are facing administrative actions which may include discharge in the near-term future.
Yet retention in the Army is good – right?
Please do better in presenting the facts.
Army cuts pay from over 60K unvaccinated National Guard, reserves (nypost.com)
Thousands of Army National Guard soldiers who haven’t gotten COVID-19 vaccine could be forced out | Fox News