New military recruits are sworn into their respective branches during a ceremony at the New York Jets "Salute to Service" pre-game activities at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Nov. 6, 2023. A a new Rand Corp. report released Dec. 14 found that a majority of Americans would discourage young people they know from joining the military. (Mark Getman/U.S. Army)
A majority of Americans say they would discourage young people they know from joining the military, according to a new study in which nearly half of respondents also think veterans are likely to physically harm themselves.
The findings, detailed in a Rand Corp. report released Thursday, aimed to shed light on factors in the military’s recent recruiting struggles.
However, when it comes to encouraging young people to seek a military career, much depends on whether that potential recruit is considering enlistment or joining the officer ranks, according to the study.
While 54.4% of people would discourage young people close to them from enlisting, 61.2% would encourage them to join through ROTC or a service academy, Rand said.
Although Democrats surveyed were less likely than Republicans to encourage enlistment, both groups were largely in favor of such pathways into the officer corps, the study found.
The negative sentiment toward enlistment exists even as most Americans hold generally positive views about those who have served in the military.
It’s one of an array of conflicting views among respondents about service in the armed forces.
Meanwhile, overall public confidence in the military is declining.
Factors such as the end of the war in Afghanistan, heightened politicization of the military and increased polarization of the public shape that outlook, Rand said.
The report did not delve into other issues at the forefront of the debate around the recruiting crisis, such as conservatives’ assertions that the military has become too “woke” and created a new stigma to counter.
Perceptions of veterans are largely positive, with clear majorities believing that people who had served in the military are more hardworking and reliable than the rest of society.
But those positive views don’t necessarily translate into a perception that the enlisted ranks are a good career course.
One reason could be the widespread belief that former service members are somehow damaged goods.
The survey found that 46% of respondents said they think it is likely or highly likely that veterans would do something violent toward themselves.
“Perceptions of veterans as potentially damaged physically or mentally by their service highlight that nearly 20 years of war have led to widespread familiarity with the wounds of war” such as post-traumatic stress disorder, Rand said.
Currently, the top two reasons cited by young people for not wanting to join the military are the possibility of physical harm or violent death, and the risk of PTSD, Rand said.
About 15% of post-9/11 veterans had PTSD in the past year and 29% had it at some point in their lives, Rand said, citing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs data.
“The challenge remains of maintaining the right balance in drawing attention to and raising awareness of the difficulties veterans experience without perpetuating negative stereotypes about them,” Rand said.
The report was based on surveys administered between February and June 2022. It did not cite a margin of error.
