Along major coastlines, an abandoned lighthouse stands. Although calm years pass without incident, it still stands ready for storms.
Rust gathers, paint peels, but she still has a firm foundation. When seas turn rough, her crews return, restore the beam, and ships again rely on her for safe passage.
Our military now finds itself in such a moment.
A Hollow Force Finds Its Voice Again
A quiet story emerged over the past several years regarding enlistment numbers: Fewer young Americans raised their right hands because recruitment goals slipped.
Service lost appeal, not because of danger, but from confusion of purpose. Men and women have always been willing to sacrifice to serve in others' places. But when direction from the commander-in-chief is scrambled as pudding and eggs dropped from Hunter's elevated ego, then they justifiably stay away.
Military recruitment numbers always rise and fall across generations. Peace brings more minor ranks, and war fills them. Yet recent declines broke from the historical rhythm.
Why?
Morale sagged, pride faded, and service felt treated as an afterthought rather than a calling.
When Biden was president, he presided over the worst recruitment crisis since our military became an all-volunteer force over 50 years ago.
In 2022, the Army set a goal to recruit 60,000 new soldiers but only managed 45,000. That’s 15,000 soldiers short. And the same thing happened again the following year, when the Army was again 15,000 soldiers short of its 65,000 recruitment goal. When you add up the recruitment losses under President Biden between 2021 and 2025, the Army shrank by 40,000 soldiers due to a lack of recruits. That’s as many as four divisions of troops.
The Navy fared no better. In 2023, it was 7,500 sailors short of its recruitment goal of 37,000. In 2024, it was nearly 5,000 short of its goal of over 40,000 new sailors. So, between 2021 and 2025, the Navy shrank by 16,000 sailors, which is about three aircraft carriers’ worth of sailors.
That’s how bad the recruitment crisis got during Joe Biden’s watch.
That pattern changed and in not a small way: Enlistment rebounded across multiple branches. It's not surprising that it happened because of who sits in the Oval Office; uniforms regained meaning as righteous purpose returned.
Leadership Shapes Willingness to Serve
Despite our Boomer criticisms, young Americans don't avoid hardship; they avoid hypocrisy. They'll endure long nights, strict discipline, and real danger when leaders respect the mission and the people carrying it out.
Clear priorities returned, cleaned of pudding stains. Readiness replaced messaging, training regained its seriousness, because standards again meant something. Service members and families noticed; recruits followed.
Our history offers the reminders. After Vietnam, it took many years to rebuild lost trust. After drawdowns following the Cold War, clarity refocused, and confidence was regained.
Each cycle proves a steady truth: people volunteer when leaders treat them as sacred rather than mere pawns.
A World Refusing to Stay Quiet
When global conditions change, choices become sharpened. A power vacuum invites aggression, while stability never holds without the strength to support it.
It's the usual suspects. China expands its naval reach and applies regional pressure. Russia grinds through the Ukrainian conflict while probing resolve beyond its borders. Iran still funds proxies and is trying to reestablish any missile capability. Venezuela rattles its neighbors while it aligns with hostile regimes, although the nation has entered the FO stage.
It's these multiple situations that demand a credible deterrence, which begins with people willing to serve, train, deploy, and stand watch after the headlines fade.
One-word contraction doesn't cut it. President Joe Biden's "Don't" landed like a lead zeppelin.
As much as material objects, such as ships, jets, and armor, matter, the men and women inside them are invaluable.
Service Still Speaks to Something Deep
Despite the vitriol from the left and the tripe from Hollywood, patriotism never vanished; it waited for permission to surface without apology.
How? Because of family tradition, gratitude for freedoms they hadn't earned yet, or looking for a purpose larger than themselves. All share the belief that service remains honorable.
- All military branches met or exceeded recruitment goals for fiscal year 2025, marking the strongest recruiting performance in 15 years.
- The Department of Defense reports fiscal 2026 is off to an equally strong start, with the Army reaching 102% of its first-quarter goal.
- Multiple factors contributed to success: civilian job market concerns, increased military pay and benefits, enhanced recruiting resources, and modernized outreach strategies
- The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provides additional recruiting support through bonuses, education benefits, and expanded recruiter workforce.
- This recruitment surge follows a challenging period in 2022-2023 when several branches fell short of their annual targets.
Military life demands complete sacrifice, but it also offers a sense of belonging. Units forge bonds that few outside the military will ever experience: shared hardships build a familial bond. Responsibility arrives early; as a result, leadership grows quickly.
When those truths are honored by leadership, then there's a natural flow in recruitment. Pride doesn't need marketing; it needs respect.
Readiness Remains a Moral Obligation
One of the best ways of ensuring peace is a strong military that deters conflict more often than it fights. Countries threatening America and her interests — especially after killing members of our military, such as in Syria.
Readiness prevents conflict by convincing potential adversaries that their aggression will result in being wiped from the face of the earth. When you're weak and trying to punch above your weight, you tend to make bad decisions.
Because of our restored enlistment numbers, our shield becomes even stronger when units fill out, training cycles normalize, and experience spreads across the ranks. Commanders can plan with confidence rather than resorting to Plan B because of shortages.
Readiness does more than protect borders; it protects space: Every recruit who steps forward lowers the odds of chaos abroad and tragedy at home.
Final Thoughts
Looking out from the lighthouse, we see storm clouds gather regardless of whether we're prepared or not. America's military stands renewed at the right time, staffed by men and women who still believe their service matters. The lighthouse beam shines brightly again, steady and bright, guiding our Republic through the dark clouds ahead.
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