Overview

• The US army has seen a significant drop in the number of white recruits, falling from 44,042 in 2018 to 25,070 in 2023, a six per cent reduction in just one year.
• The proportion of white recruits fell from 56.4 per cent in 2018 to 44 per cent in 2023, while the proportions of black and Hispanic recruits increased.
• The army fell 10,000 short of its 65,000 enlistment target in 2023, with some attributing this shortfall to the decrease in white recruits.
• US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth has described the situation as 'serious', citing fears of death or injury and leaving home as barriers to enlistment.
• Some suggest the military's focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the politicization of the military under the Biden administration may be factors in the decline of white recruits.