The military is in crisis and very little is being done to change that. Joe Biden’s culture war on our armed forces is fought on many fronts. It includes pursuing Left-leaning social engineering projects at the cost of readiness and capability. Our armed services are experiencing unprecedented lows in recruitment and a lack of American confidence. We are not the world’s most powerful military power and will soon lose all of our wars if things don’t change.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, a former president, and five-star general, once stated that “Morale” is the most important factor in winning wars. This concept is something Joe Biden and General Mark Milley, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, seem to be unable to grasp. Instead, our military’s morale has been systematically undermined by the military leadership of our republic. This is a familiar story to many of us who have served under Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. It is also familiar to those who served under President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s armed forces.
Who would want to serve in a military where political agendas are more important than patriotism and success? Who would want to serve in a military that doesn’t recognize or embrace the traditional meritocracy and strength of the once-greatest military force on the planet? Not many. The U.S. military is facing serious recruitment problems, which must be addressed immediately. 2022 is the most difficult year for recruiting since 1973 when the “all-volunteer army” was established. The Army announced that it will need to reduce its strength by 12,000 troops to meet its goals. It is currently at 23 percent of its goal after only five months. Air Force’s top recruiter declared that “warning lights” are being flashed for 2022 goals. The Marine Corps, which usually has no problem exceeding its goals, is also falling behind in personnel. According to a recent Department of Defense survey, only 11% of young adults aged 16-21 answered “definitely” or “probably” when asked about their plans to serve in the military. And this is rapidly changing. Senator Thom Tillis (Republican – NC), summarized it as follows: “To put things bluntly, I worry we are now at the beginning of a long-term threat to the all-volunteer fort with a small but declining number of Americans who are eligible or interested in military service.”
It is partly to blame for the failure to withdraw from Afghanistan and the insistence on implementing command directives that have nothing whatsoever to do with fighting or winning wars. Americans are losing faith in their military, a historically revered institution. The Reagan Institute reports that the level of confidence in the military has fallen to 45 percent. This is the largest decline and lowest level since the survey began. Sixty-two percent of respondents disapproved of the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Eisenhower’s advice was spot-on, but the current leadership isn’t getting it. Our military institutions’ success and morale are dependent on our morale. People don’t want their lives or families to be sacrificed for a government that doesn’t value them.
It has terrible timing. These threats to U.S. security aren’t diminishing; they’re increasing exponentially. Vladimir Putin marches against NATO and Ukraine; China, just after introducing the COVID pandemic to the world and shipping American-killing Fentanyl onto its shores, is now threatening Taiwan; Kim Jong Un launches missiles as he seeks nuclear strike capabilities; and not only is there terrorist activity in Afghanistan, with the support from the ayatollahs of Iran, but terrorists are also streaming across our open borders to the south.
Since counterculture leftists, Students for Democrat Society, and similar-minded radicals have demonized the military during Vietnam, the Democrats elected four presidents: Jimmy Carter (Bill Clinton), Barack Obama, and now Joe Biden. Based on my military experience, I can say that these four commanders-in-chief are the worst this country has ever faced and survived. Their failures in national defense are unquestionable. These include the fall of Desert One and the Shah of Iran, as well as the failures to engage in the war against terror when Osama Bin Laden first declared it. The gutting of President George W. Bush’s policies, and the disastrously unsuccessful withdrawal from Afghanistan. These four Democrat presidents preferred to be called “citizens” of the world rather than taking on leadership positions as citizens-leaders of America. Our military has been the victim of their mistakes.
The United States will only be able to win militarily if it has new leadership. Leadership that can separate itself from the whimperings of woke policies, and reinstates the patriotic call for service, is possible. The damage has been done but we can recover. Make it happen this November and November of 2024. Our future as a republic depends on it.
Here is a video from Fox News showcasing how Biden’s woke military struggling to recruit:
