"The US Army is back! Growing future lethal warriors prepared to fight and win our nations wars!"... that's the latest message from Trump's Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
We have long documented the steady decline in recruiting among all national military branches over the last several years during the Biden administration. Just last year we observed the theme of recruiting decline as follows, also confirmed in a seeming myriad of mainstream media headlines: The US Army faces the most challenging recruiting environment in decades, if not ever, as America's Generation Z doesn't want to fight foreign wars driven by neocon warmongering politicians in Washington, the military-industrial complex, NATO, and mega-corporations.
But when Trump was elected with an overwhelming amount of the American voting public giving a clear mandate, there was a shift in this mentality. At least this is what the numbers show, according to a fresh statement by the US Army on its official X account, also shared by Hegseth...
.@USAREC had their most productive December in 15 years by enlisting 346 Soldiers daily into the World's greatest #USArmy!
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) February 4, 2025
Our Recruiters have one of the toughest jobs - inspiring the next generation of #Soldiers to serve.
Congratulations and keep up the great work! #BAYCB pic.twitter.com/nEpuP9akZM
The statement announces US Army recruiting's biggest enlistment numbers in December, a month after the election, suggesting Trump's election has injected new and clear motivation for the nation's young to join up.
Nearly 350 new recruits for the Army may not seem like a lot, but it's an immense process involving background and fitness checks, as well as a lengthy visit to "MEPS" - and the oath is finally taken paving the way to be shipped to boot camp. Often it takes months for a recruiter to get a single individual to sign on the dotted line.
Complicating the US armed forces' prior recruitment woes was a steady dose of "woke" ideology being pumped out from Biden's Department of Defense. To review a few past reports:
US Army Struggling To Recruit White Soldiers And The Reason Is Obvious
Fewer Americans Are Interested In Fighting Wars For The Regime
Indeed, Covid was another Biden disaster where many thousands of able-bodied and healthy troops were unnecessarily processed out. This decision has since been reversed, and these unfairly discharged troops are being invited back it.
The boost in confidence under the early Trump administration is likely also due to the Republican president vowing to wind down foreign adventurism abroad. For example, there are reported plans on the book to bring the troops home from Syria, and likely Iraq, as well as hopes that Trump can oversee peace in Ukraine.
The post "Global War on Terror" GWOT legacy is also dying, given Trump has this time around refused top national security positions to the same cadre of Bush-era necons (though some of these are still around no doubt). Young people today are wary of nation-building quagmires under the old regime change and "nation-building" playbook. Trump is promising to change that. Patriotism is back among the youth.
