SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER:

Julie Bolejack

— 2 min read
SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER:

Here’s the real story—yes, the U.S. military did recently face its steepest recruitment challenge in over 50 years, but the narrative that everything flipped on November 5, 2024 because of Trump and Secretary Hegseth is way oversimplified.

📉 The Crisis Beforehand

  • In 2022 and 2023, recruitment dropped to its lowest levels since the post-Vietnam era  .
  • By late 2024, the Army had missed its goal by roughly 10,000–15,000 recruits  .

📈 The Turnaround

  • The military achieved a 12.5% increase in recruitment in FY2024 compared to FY2023, hitting about 225,000 recruits across all branches  .
  • The Army met and even exceeded its FY2024 goal well before year’s end, and early FY2025 numbers show continued strong performance  .

🧩 What Really Made the Difference

  1. Recruitment Reforms

The Department of Defense ramped up marketing efforts, offered enlistment bonuses, and introduced support programs like Future Soldier Prep  .

  1. Economic Factors

A shaky civilian job market and rising college costs made military service more attractive  .

  1. Structural Changes

Expanded waiver processes, medical processing staffing boosts, and relaxed medical standards helped tap a wider range of applicants.

🧭 The November 5, 2024 Claim

  • Enlisted Republicans, including Sen. Jim Banks and Sec. Hegseth, credited the November 2024 election with igniting a “Trump bump”—they say that political leadership improved morale  .
  • But unbiased data and military officials tell a different story: the upswing began much earlier—well before November—and was largely driven by institutional reforms and changing economic conditions .

✅ Bottom Line

  • ✅ It’s absolutely true the U.S. had a severe recruitment crisis—bested only by post-Vietnam lows.
  • ✅ Enrollment numbers rebounded impressively in 2024 and continued rising into 2025.
  • 🔄 However, attributing this reversal solely to Trump’s return and Hegseth’s leadership overlooks significant reforms and broader economic trends already in motion.

So, yes—it was real. But no, it’s not just a November 5 “leadership switch” that snapped everything into place. The upgrade was a combination of policy, prep programs, and outside forces—not just partisan pep talks.


I wrote this and posted it on Senator Jim Banks Facebook page.

Maybe someone will read it 🤷🏼‍♀️

FACTS MATTER!

Julie Bolejack, MBA



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