Koshgarian, Pugh: Two views on military service

Lindsay Koshgarian: Young people aren’t joining the military — blame sky-high military spending

As we observe Veterans Day, the military is concerned about a growing recruitment crisis. Survey after survey reveals young people aren’t inspired by military service. 

Ironically, decades of sky-high military spending — and the endless war it enabled — may have much to do with that. And reversing that trend is critical to making Americans safer.

An 18-year-old today will have lived their entire life watching one failed, disastrous war after another. Born in 2006, they would have been an infant when George W. Bush surged troops in Iraq in 2007, years after the infamous “Mission Accomplished” banner. They would have been in about second grade when ISIS took over much of that country. 

They could have been eligible to join the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) just as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan after 20 years, having only made conditions worse.

That same young person would have spent formative years in isolation because of a global pandemic, during which billionaires made record wealth gains and used their wealth to buy elections. They would see a country where public schools are underfunded and where neglected infrastructure means lead in drinking water and dams that can’t stand up to newly destructive storms.

This reflects the conscious decisions of the government they’re being asked to fight for. In 2024, the U.S. military budget is approaching $1 trillion, more than half of which goes to for-profit military contractors. Year after year, that’s money that hasn’t gone into education, healthcare, housing, climate or other needs desperately facing young people — and all of us — today.

Young people don’t want to sign up for this. 

Americans under 30 are the only age group where a majority think the military has a negative effect on the country. Younger Americans are also likelier to say the military doesn’t make the world safer. And fewer than one in five of us under 35 say they’re “extremely proud” to be American — compared to half of those 55 and over.

Notably, these Americans also think the U.S. is on the wrong side in the Middle East. Just one in five younger Americans tell pollsters they support how Israel is conducting its war in Gaza, even as the United States continues to sponsor Israel’s fight through a continuing stream of weapons. 

And for all that we’ve spent on the military, we’ve consistently failed to protect those who volunteer. With half the budget going to for-profit contractors with multimillionaire CEOs, the troops are often forced to rely on food stamps to get by.

Meanwhile, more veterans have died of suicide since 2001 than have died in wars. And our lawmakers have failed to adequately support veterans harmed by burn pits, traumatic brain injury, homelessness and other tragedies of military service. 

No wonder over half of all Americans now say they’d advise a loved one not to join the military.

If we want the best for our country and its young people, we can’t blindly ask them to join an institution they don’t believe in and fight in wars they don’t support for a country that doesn’t have their backs. 

Instead, we need to invest in a country worth fighting for. For what we’ve spent on wars and the military since 9/11, we could have easily decarbonized the entire U.S. electric grid, completely erased student debt, continued the pandemic-era Child Tax Credit (which cut child poverty in half) for another decade, and much more.

It’s not too late to press for those investments, which — unlike the trillions we’ve plowed into the Pentagon and unjust wars — would actually make this country safer. Just ask the young people we’re asking to defend it.

Editor’s note: Lindsay Koshgarian, a federal budgeting expert, directs the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Brandon Pugh: Battlefield requires individuals with STEM backgrounds

Only 1% of Americans serve in our nation’s military. It should be unsurprising that many don’t understand military service, the types of jobs it offers, the way of life and the long-term opportunities it provides.

One common misconception is that there is no future in the military for individuals with science- and technology-related backgrounds and interests. In reality, today’s battlefield looks far different from the one many of our parents and grandparents fought. Modern warfare spans from cyberspace to outer space. As a result, our military’s strength depends heavily on those with diverse backgrounds. 

Of course, combat roles such as infantry and artillery still exist, are critical to our military, and are a preferred path for many. You can also join the military and become an unmanned aerial vehicle operator, a scientist, a cybersecurity specialist or an engineer.

In the Army, there are more than 150 career options. This is for a branch that many assume only has select combat-focused opportunities. In my case, I now serve in the U.S. Army Reserve and teach individuals from all branches of the military about cyber law and policy.

As I convey to students and fellow practitioners, modern conflict continues to move into cyberspace and leverage technology. In fact, we have already seen adversaries pursue nefarious goals through cyber means and leverage artificial intelligence to make their traditional tactics more effective. 

The White House recognizes these risks and recently issued a new AI policy that aims to use advanced technologies for national security and to ensure the U.S. remains the international leader in AI development. This new memorandum, among other relatively recent measures, requires national security experts to use these capabilities offensively and defensively against adversaries and malicious actors.

Understanding these emerging threats, individuals in science and technology must see the military as a viable career option. This isn’t to say that service in science and technology career fields is more important than direct combat-related roles, but rather, it is either a complement to traditional military units or a standalone military capability against an adversary.

Our military leaders understand this and have worked to provide unique opportunities for those with technical and science interests to attract them to serve, although more work can always be done. Four stand out.

First, individuals with STEM education and experience can directly enter relevant jobs in the military with streamlined training requirements. Cyber careers are an excellent example of this, with a cyber direct commissioning program for individuals with existing experience to directly enter military service at advanced ranks that range from lieutenant to colonel. 

Second, for those interested but might have a job they don’t want to leave, there are opportunities for part-time service like the Reserve and National Guard. These opportunities have evolved to balance a civilian job better with a part-time military role. There is a growing cohort of those who work for technology companies full-time, bringing their expertise to the military on a part-time basis.

Third, individuals can strengthen their qualifications while serving, such as earning industry credentials at no cost. For cyber specifically, the military can present opportunities to hone skills against real threats even in fairly junior roles and be exposed to cyber capabilities that your peers might never see outside the military.

Fourth, there are opportunities for broader exposure to the military outside the leading role for those interested.

Military service is not for everyone. Not every person will qualify to serve, and not everyone is a fit for various reasons. However, serving opportunities should not be automatically ruled out because they don’t match career goals. Our military needs individuals with diverse backgrounds and interests, not to meet a recruiting goal but for our national security.

Editor’s note: Brandon Pugh is director of the cybersecurity and emerging threats team at the R Street Institute. He also serves in the U.S. Army Reserve. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.