How military recruitment could be all it can be

Last year, the United States marked a half-century since the advent of an all-volunteer military in 1973 — but unhappily, in one crucial respect. Of the five services, only one, the Marine Corps, met its 2023 recruiting goal. For the largest branch, the Army, it was the second such shortfall in as many years. For reasons such as the obesity epidemic and the post-pandemic mental health crisis, only about 23 percent of all Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 meet the Army’s physical, moral and educational standards.