Voluntary Enlistment
Maintaining Interest in Military Service
The Department of Defense (DoD) is the largest employer in the United States. The current size of the enlisted military force is 1.2 million, and approximately 200,000 new recruits are needed each year to maintain this level. Since the end of the draft in 1973, the supply and demand for recruits has fluctuated based on mission requirements, budgetary constraints, and economic conditions. In recent times, recruiting has been made more difficult by a healthy economy, the growing number of youth who aspire to a college education, and a steadily downward trend in interest in military service. Even with the instability…
