The U.S. Army recruiters are having trouble meeting enlistment targets, but the Nevada Army National Guard is bucking the trend.

The active-duty Army was 25% short of its fiscal 2022 goal, leaving 15,000 vacant positions nationwide. However, Nevada’s Guard met 95% of its goal.

According to the guard, the organization “bucked national trends in recruiting and has proven itself to be an attractive option for employment within the Silver State.”

Capt. Marcus Emerson, a guard spokesperson, stated that recruiters in Nevada signed up 312 soldiers last fiscal year, just short of the goal for 328.

Emerson stated, “Even though you have the second-best state in the country in reaching its recruiting goal — behind only New York — we were still just 16 short.” “This type of shows the struggle they’ve had nationally.”

According to 1st Sergeant. Michelle Ochoa–Kulukulualani is responsible for recruiting for the Army National Guard Southern Nevada. She says that the lingering effects from the COVID-19 Pandemic, specifically the slow reopening schools, had an impact on recruiting.

Ochoa-Kulukulualani stated that “because the schools were just opening up after the pandemic,” a lot (recruiters), were a bit nervous to speak to people face-to-face because they were still learning. “And those who have completed high school and gone online (speaking to recruiters) is a tremendous, great struggle.”

According to a U.S. Department of Defense survey, the propensity of young people to join military service in the fall of 2021 was at its lowest level since 2007.

Some 9% of those polled between 16 and 21 years old said that they would most likely or definitely serve in the military.

This compares to the numbers for years prior to 2001, which have remained consistent in the range of 12 to 16%.

According to the poll, money was cited as the most important reason people considered joining the military.

The main reasons people didn’t consider joining the military included the risk of being injured or killed, psychological issues, the possibility of leaving loved ones, and the desire to have a different career.

According to the Reagan National Defense Survey, the decline in public trust in military might also be contributing to the problems with recruiting, as revealed by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

The 2021 survey revealed that 45% of Americans had little trust in the military for the first time. This is 25 points less than the previous three years.

The report stated that the most concerning aspect of recruitment for the all-volunteer military force is the fact that only a third (30%) of people under 30 are confident in the military. This is down 20 points from 2018.

Ochoa-Kulukulualani stated that recruiters see young people who have had family members or friends serve in the military. They don’t want to earn money but they want to serve honor.

She said, “So, these are the types of kids that we usually attract year to year.”

Ochoa-Kulukulualani stated that many young people are drawn to the idea of receiving military benefits and feeling like they have a family.

Emerson stated that benefits for veterans who qualify include a tuition waiver of 100% at Nevada public universities, colleges. This can be transferred to a spouse and/or child.

Ochoa-Kulukulualani stated that she hopes for another year of strong recruitment.

She said, “The first half year, we weren’t doing well at all (because it was the beginning when everything else was opening up).” Imagine if the doors were open from the beginning. … My recruiters could be on the streets.”