U.S. soldiers are facing a quality-of-life crisis as the Pentagon continues to struggle with recruitment, according to senior noncommissioned officers across the military.
“There has been a crack in our relationship of trust with the American people,” Chief Petty Officer Assistant Chief of Staff Navy Leadership James Honea said at a Congressional hearing on Wednesday. “We have to take better care” of service members, Honea said, adding that he doesn't want the military to “reach a breaking point” where more people decide to leave the military.
Officers and lawmakers highlighted poorly maintained barracks, food insecurity, sexual violence, and limited access to health care and child care as major issues facing U.S. soldiers today. Financial problems are particularly acute among military families, who often struggle to find jobs for their civilian spouses and adequate food and medical care for their children.
“The time has come for our actions to match our words when it comes to putting families above all else,” said Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas).
The hearing provides insight into why the military is struggling to recruit soldiers even as Pentagon bigwigs prepare for a possible war with China in the coming years. Only 32% of active-duty military families would recommend military service to others, a 23-point decrease from 2016, according to a newly released Blue Star Families survey.
The reasons for this vary, but a few numbers stand out. By 2023, one in six active-duty military families will report food insecurity, rising to one in four enlisted families. Additionally, military families report longer wait times for medical care than civilians, and 8% of active duty soldiers said they had seriously considered suicide in the past year. , compared to 5% of all U.S. adults. Blue Star Family Investigation.
Housing is another area where recruitment and retention can be problematic. Despite record military spending, some enlisted soldiers live in poorly maintained barracks with mold, brown tap water and serious safety problems, according to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office. live in The report also cited $137 billion in unpaid barracks maintenance costs, prompting condemnation from members of Congress.
“This is unacceptable,” tweeted Rep. Sarah Jacobs (D-Calif.). “Our service members and their families have already made tremendous sacrifices to keep us safe, but the least we can do is ensure they have quality housing. ”
The barracks issue is “indefensible,” said Master Sergeant Carlos Ruiz, the Marine Corps' top noncommissioned officer. Lewis told Congress that the Marine Corps is working to add air conditioning to all hot-weather bases, adding that it has renovated 30 barracks in the past five years. Leaders across the military have said they want to hire full-time managers and repair personnel to get living facilities back on track.
Notably, the Biden administration's budget proposal for next year includes funding to help improve quality of life issues, including expanding food assistance programs, suicide and sexual assault prevention efforts, and a 4.5% pay raise for soldiers. That means it's included. However, the request falls short when it comes to funding for barracks renovations and on-base facility improvements.
Given the funding shortfall, the Marine Corps went to the White House asking Congress for an additional $642 million to repair barracks and improve the “quality of life” for service members. The request was made through the controversial but Congressionally mandated “wish list” policy, under which all military and combatant commands receive additional funding from the president's budget. You must tell your MP what items you want.
Watchdog groups have long argued that such wish lists are a backdoor way to force Congress to increase overall funding for the Pentagon. “Too often, governments include low-priority items in the base budget, then say, 'Hey, we really need this,' and put higher-priority items on the unfunded priority list. ” Dan Glazier of the Government Oversight Project told RS. last year.
But this game of hidden balls could be even more complicated this time around, given that next year's spending will be limited by the budget cap imposed as part of the 2023 debt ceiling increase deal. President Joe Biden's military budget request is tailored to stay within next year's $895 billion cap, leaving little room to fund other proposals.
Generals lamented that so-called urgent needs, such as funding expanded military operations in the Middle East to contain the war in Gaza, tend to take precedence over desires for a better quality of life for frontline service members. . “I don't think these things should compete with each other,” Honea said.
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