TAMPA, Fla. — As graduation season approaches, local military recruiters join others across the nation in recognizing less American youth are enlisting. The Department of Defense reports many military recruiting goals are not being met in the midst of what military recruiters have called one of the toughest recruiting periods in more than 30 years.
Military recruiting chiefs cited some of the following reasons for the decline:
- Percentage of youth qualifying for service has decreased
- COVID-19 limited interaction between recruiters & recruits
- Lower unemployment rate
- Less experienced “influencers” to share
United States Army recruiter, Sergeant Allen Monzon, says local offices are feeling the challenge, too.
“A lot of the challenges we have is going to be just the qualification process,” said Monzon.
Monzon says he wants to make sure potential recruits have all the factual information they need to make an informed decision. He says Army recruits can select their career and reminds full medical coverage, tuition assistance and bonuses up to about $50,000 serve among the incentives.
Durant High School senior Jeydi Betancourt-Pinel will serve as a paralegal specialist in the Army after graduation. The 18-year-old is working toward becoming an attorney as she serves.
Monzon hopes more students explore what military life can offer them while they serve our country.