Civilian-military disconnect

WASHINGTON – Americans are less connected to the military than ever before and Defense Department leaders - facing a potential future recruitment crisis – are starting to take notice. From DOD internal data, a “civilian-military divide is expanding,” said Amber Smith, deputy assistant for outreach at DOD. “That ultimately is a threat to the viability and sustainability of the all-volunteer force.” In the decades since America ended the draft, following the Vietnam War in 1974, the all-volunteer force has grown into a professional military fed in part by families whose sons and daughters follow their parents into service. The U.S. is nearing completion of a second decade of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and the number of young adults with parents who served has dropped over those decades from 40 percent (1995) to 15 percent today, Smith said. The rest of America, she said, is only learning about the military via Hollywood and the news, leading to misperceptions about military service. In February, DOD will launch a year-long PR campaign (under the hashtag #KnowMyMil) aimed at utilizing social media, sports franchises, and military outreach to help Americans get to know the military, Smith said. The increased operational tempo since 9/11 have placed enormous strain on service members and families, prompting DOD to look for ways to alleviate some of the stresses. The military also needs to be more adaptable and find ways to respond to custom needs of service members and families while still answering the security needs of the nation, said David Chu, an expert from the Institute for Defense Analyses. “It can no longer remain ‘one size fits all’, he said. (Source: Stars and Stripes 01/18/18)