Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
The U.S. military faces a critical challenge: Fewer young Americans are willing to serve, and fewer adults are encouraging them to do so.
Successive administrations have made meaningful progress in improving recruiting, but serious challenges remain. The solution isn't just recruiting harder; it's a whole of government approach—local and federal—to improve the lives of service members and rebuild the bridge between the military and broader society.
Katherine Kuzminski, along with military and society experts Gil Barndollar
and Dan Vallone, discuss how we got here, and what is necessary to increase the propensity to serve.
Learn more about CNAS at cnas.org
Follow CNAS on:
• Twitter: twitter.com/cnasdc
• Facebook: facebook.com/cnasdc
• Instagram: instagram.com/cnasdc
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/center-for-a-new-american-security
The U.S. military faces a critical challenge: Fewer young Americans are willing to serve, and fewer adults are encouraging them to do so.
Successive administrations have made meaningful progress in improving recruiting, but serious challenges remain. The solution isn't just recruiting harder; it's a whole of government approach—local and federal—to improve the lives of service members and rebuild the bridge between the military and broader society.
Katherine Kuzminski, along with military and society experts Gil Barndollar
and Dan Vallone, discuss how we got here, and what is necessary to increase the propensity to serve.
Learn more about CNAS at cnas.org
Follow CNAS on:
• Twitter: twitter.com/cnasdc
• Facebook: facebook.com/cnasdc
• Instagram: instagram.com/cnasdc
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/center-for-a-new-american-security
