The U.S. Army is struggling on many fronts, but one of the most obvious is that, for the second year in a row, the Army has failed to meet its recruiting goals.
U.S. Army army soldiers take part in a live exercise as part of the U.S.–Philippines joint military exercise "Balikatan" at Fort Magsaysay in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, on April 13, 2023. Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images
The U.S. Army is struggling on many fronts, but one of the most obvious is that, for the second year in a row, the Army has failed to meet its recruiting goals. The result is that in 2023, total full-time Army personnel stood at 452,000, a 7 percent decrease from 2021 and the smallest Army since 1940, before the United States entered World War II.
Mike Fredenburg
Author
Mike Fredenburg writes on military technology and defense matters with an emphasis on defense reform. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and master's degree in production operations management.
