A new study revealed that more and more Young Americans are now seeing the U.S. military negatively. This research comes after the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Army failed to achieve their recruitment goals in 2023 and 2022.
In the report published by the Pew Research Center, it revealed that over 50% of young adults in the United States have negative views regarding the U.S. military. Will this problem further affect the recruitment challenges faced by the U.S. military? Here are other details you need to know.
[STUDY] Over 50% of Young Americans See US Military Negatively![[STUDY] Over 50% of Young Americans See US Military Negatively; Will This Affect Recruitment?](https://1075914428.rsc.cdn77.org/data/images/full/286652/study-over-50-of-young-americans-see-us-military-negatively-will-this-affect-recruitment.jpg?w=820 "[STUDY] Over 50% of Young Americans See US Military Negatively; Will This Affect Recruitment?")
Members of the military participate in the annual Veterans Day Parade on November 11, 2023 in New York City. Hundreds of people lined 5th Avenue to watch the biggest Veterans Day parade in the United States.
The Pew Research Center's new study revealed that Americans who see the U.S. military positively are still higher than those who have negative views of it.
This is the result after the American think tank conducted polls based on the age of Americans, their ethnicities, as well as their political leanings. But, if you check the results for younger Americans, those who have negative opinions regarding the U.S. military are higher than those who don't.
According to Business Insider's latest report, 53% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 years old see the U.S. military negatively.
Meanwhile, 43% of this age group have positive opinions about the military. But, older age groups mostly have positive views. Here are the results of Pew's new study:
- Americans 30-49 years old: 57% (positive views) | 41 % (negative opinions)
- Americans 50-64 years old: 70% (positive views) | 26% (negative opinions)
- Americans 65 years old and above: 71% (positive views) | 25% (negative opinions)
Read Also: New Study Claims American 'Nones' are Increasing-Overtaking Catholics as 2nd Largest Religious Group
Will This Affect US Military Recruitment?![[STUDY] Over 50% of Young Americans See US Military Negatively; Will This Affect Recruitment?](https://1075914428.rsc.cdn77.org/data/images/full/286651/study-over-50-of-young-americans-see-us-military-negatively-will-this-affect-recruitment.jpg?w=820 "[STUDY] Over 50% of Young Americans See US Military Negatively; Will This Affect Recruitment?")
A soldier of the US army wears the country's flag on his uniform during the 'Dynamic Front 23, the US Army led NATO and Partner integrated annual artillery exercise in Europe, in Grafenwoehr, near Eschenbach, southern Germany, on March 28, 2023.
Unfortunately, yes. Younger Americans having negative views can definitely affect the recruitment efforts of the U.S. military since the Navy, Air Force, and Army are looking for young blood who can join them to defend their beloved country.
This was already noticeable when the U.S. Army only recruited 55,000 active-duty soldiers in 2023, which is 10,000 fewer compared to what it achieved in 2022.
Aside from their negative opinions, there are also other factors that discourage young Americans from joining the military. These include the lack of awareness and the strong labor market demands.
This means that they can just find a job in the labor market that can offer yearly salaries comparable to those received by American troops.
Another problem is the rising individualism among Americans, which we recently reported. You can read the story below to learn more about the negative effects of individualism on American patriotism.
Related Article: America's Declining Patriotism: Experts Now Blaming Individualism for Fewer Patriotic Americans
