Why is the US Army struggling to recruit new soldiers?
The Inquiry
BBC
4.6 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 11 January 2024
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In 1973 America ended a draft that had been in effect since before it entered the second World War, and for the last fifty years the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have been an all-volunteer military.
But, recently, of the four major branches which make up the US armed services, only the Marines have achieved their target for new recruits. And the biggest force, the Army, has been struggling most of all. In the past two years its missed its recruiting target by several thousand.
In this edition of the Inquiry, Sandra Kanthal looks at the myriad reasons the American Army is failing to enlist enough new soldiers, and why this may affect what impact it can have on global security.
Guests: Nora Bensahel – Professor of the Practice at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University Mark Cancian - Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Peter Feaver – Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, Duke University and author of Thanks For Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military Beth Asch – Senior Economist, The Rand Corporation
Production Team: Presenter: Sandra Kanthal Producer: Sandra Kanthal Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: James Beard Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Image Credit: Bo Zaunders\Getty
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | I was one of many people that were victims who was used by somebody who was |
| 0:05.2 | psychotic. Let's tell this story. World of Secrets, season 2, The |
| 0:10.9 | Disciples. Listen now wherever you get your BBC |
| 0:14.3 | podcasts. You are listening to the inquiry on the BBC World Service with me |
| 0:18.9 | Sandra Canthal. Each week we bring you one question, four expert witnesses and an answer. |
| 0:31.0 | The 27th of January doesn't tend to leap out as one of the more memorable dates in US history, |
| 0:37.0 | but in 1973 it became a crucial dividing line for any American male approaching their 19th birthday. |
| 0:47.0 | On that day, the U.S. Secretary of Defense declared that henceforth the armed forces will depend exclusively on volunteers soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. |
| 1:00.0 | It took several more months for that declaration to take its full effect. |
| 1:05.0 | But on the 30th of June 1973, Dwight Elliot Stone, a 24-year-old plumber from California, |
| 1:12.0 | became the last person compelled to join the US military, |
| 1:15.9 | ending a draft that lasted a quarter of a century. |
| 1:20.2 | America's Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines have been all volunteer forces for more than 50 years now. |
| 1:28.0 | But recently, the number of those volunteers has been dwindling, especially in its largest branch, the Army. |
| 1:35.8 | It failed to achieve its target for new recruits by many thousands in both 2022 and |
| 1:41.8 | 2023. This has reduced it to in both |
| 1:43.7 | 22 and 23. This has reduced it to its smallest full-time force |
| 1:46.9 | since before America entered the Second World War. |
| 1:50.7 | So this week on the inquiry, why is the US Army struggling to recruit enough new soldiers? |
| 1:57.0 | Part 1, the 1% |
| 2:07.0 | The 1% It was 1%. It was an expected part of citizenship to defend the country when the country was at war. |
| 2:21.0 | That expectation has been severed by 50 years of the all volunteer force and particularly |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.