Military recruiting rebounds after several tough years, but challenges remain

Associated Press

FORT JACKSON, South Carolina (AP) — The Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force say they will all meet their recruiting goals by the end of this month and the Navy will come very close. The results represent a slight uptick in young people joining the military, following several very difficult years and a swath of new programs and enticements. The services had struggled to overcome severe restrictions on in-person recruiting mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the low unemployment rate and stiff competition from private companies able to pay more and provide similar or better benefits. But military leaders say they’ll still face tough challenges and must keep transforming their recruiting.