According to a Monday Gallup poll, fewer Americans are confident in their military than at any time since 1997. The armed forces are currently dealing with a historic recruitment crisis as public confidence in the military has decreased by ten points over the last two years.
A June poll found that, compared to 64% the previous year, 60% of respondents had "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the military. Since it last fell to 60% in 1997, when it was at 58%, public support for the military has never been lower.
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After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, support for US services increased dramatically, and when President George W. Bush invaded Iraq in 2003, the military received 82% support from the public. While the post-9/11 patriotism surge subsided as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq dragged on, approval remained stable until 2020, when it started to slowly decline year after year.
Republicans have historically been more likely than Democrats to support the military, but their confidence has dropped from 91% in 2020 to 68% now.
Since Biden took office in 2021, Republican politicians and pundits have been among the Pentagon's harshest critics. They have criticized the military for its vaccine mandates and its embrace of "woke" politics, as seen in its provision of "sex reassignment" surgery to transgender troops, teaching of "critical race theory," and efforts to eliminate gendered language in the barracks.
Tens of billions of dollars' worth of US equipment fell into the hands of the Taliban as a result of Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, which also drew harsh criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
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The military is having trouble filling its ranks as public support declines. After the army had its worst year for recruitment since the repeal of the draft in 1973, leaders from the army, navy, and air force said in March that they all anticipated falling short of their recruitment goals this year.
According to a Pentagon study released in March, 80% of the 17 to 24 year olds who are typically recruited by military recruiters are physically unfit for service because of obesity, drug use, or poor mental health. Additionally, according to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth's comments to CNBC News in October, only 9% of people in this age group are actually interested in joining.
A June poll found that, compared to 64% the previous year, 60% of respondents had "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the military. Since it last fell to 60% in 1997, when it was at 58%, public support for the military has never been lower.
HELP US CONTINUE TO BRING YOU THE BEST NEWS, OPINIONS
After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, support for US services increased dramatically, and when President George W. Bush invaded Iraq in 2003, the military received 82% support from the public. While the post-9/11 patriotism surge subsided as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq dragged on, approval remained stable until 2020, when it started to slowly decline year after year.
Republicans have historically been more likely than Democrats to support the military, but their confidence has dropped from 91% in 2020 to 68% now.
Since Biden took office in 2021, Republican politicians and pundits have been among the Pentagon's harshest critics. They have criticized the military for its vaccine mandates and its embrace of "woke" politics, as seen in its provision of "sex reassignment" surgery to transgender troops, teaching of "critical race theory," and efforts to eliminate gendered language in the barracks.
Tens of billions of dollars' worth of US equipment fell into the hands of the Taliban as a result of Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, which also drew harsh criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM WAYNEDUPREE.COM
The military is having trouble filling its ranks as public support declines. After the army had its worst year for recruitment since the repeal of the draft in 1973, leaders from the army, navy, and air force said in March that they all anticipated falling short of their recruitment goals this year.
According to a Pentagon study released in March, 80% of the 17 to 24 year olds who are typically recruited by military recruiters are physically unfit for service because of obesity, drug use, or poor mental health. Additionally, according to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth's comments to CNBC News in October, only 9% of people in this age group are actually interested in joining.
