The U.S. military is facing its most pressing recruiting challenges since the inception of the all-volunteer force almost 50 years ago. Only the Marine Corps met its manpower goals in fiscal 2022, and 2023 looks to be an equally tough year, Pentagon officials said.
The Defense Department has blamed its staffing woes on a number of factors, from stiff competition from the civilian sector to potential recruits who can’t pass the physical.
But some of the services aren’t helping themselves when it comes to recruiting and retaining troops with critical cyberwarfare skills that are sought in the civilian sector, according to a new report from the congressional watchdog Government Accountability Office (GAO).