As we honor the hundreds of thousands of young, brave Americans who have lost their lives in defense of the United States, one can’t help but wonder if today’s youth would answer the call to duty as eagerly as their parents and grandparents did during times of crisis.
We’ve been told today’s youth are soft. They’re snowflakes. They’re addicted to social media, couldn’t care less about freedom, and are incapable of the discipline and sacrifices demanded by military service.
While some of that is true, there are also several reasons to be highly optimistic that if they are needed, America’s young would rally to the cause.
Starting with the most basic and relevant statistic, military recruitment data, the numbers show a strong surge since President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election. This year, the U.S. Army has met its recruit and re-enlistment goals, well before the Sept. 30 deadline. The Space Force and Air Force are also receiving strong recruitment bumps. So is the Navy.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attributes the rise in recruitment to Trump ordering the military to get back to basics, cut the diversity, equity and inclusion nonsense, and refocus on combat readiness. When the military carries out its core mission and doesn’t waste time and resources on DEI training seminars, more recruits want to enlist. Go figure.