Why they enlist: An expanded view of military service

As military recruitment numbers flag, what motivates young people to enlist? The reasons are more varied and personal than civilians might think.

Years ago, when I was walking to the bus stop on my way to work, a young man in military fatigues trotted past me. I remember being surprised by my reaction. A pang of sadness came over me as I thought about this young person, no older than I, volunteering to kill others and potentially die himself. It was a choice I could not fathom.

As I grew older, I came to realize how simplistic my early view of service was. For one thing, the military offers a wide range of opportunities, and enlistees are far more likely to be fixing an engine, preparing meals, or crafting computer code than engaging in combat. I’ve since met current and former service members, both in my personal life and as a reporter, who have helped me expand my view of what being a part of the armed forces can mean. Some, of course, lament their time in the ranks. But many look back on their service with both pride and gratitude. They relished the camaraderie, dedication, and the sense of higher purpose. And they say the discipline and teamwork they learned during military training helped them later in life.

But an even broader understanding of the desire to serve became clear to me as I read this recent cover story by Anna Mulrine Grobe, the Monitor’s global security reporter. In her story, we meet several aspiring recruits who can’t wait to enlist. Their reasons are varied: A young woman from Vietnam who was adopted by an American family says, “This country saved me. I want to be a part of it.” Another aims “to better myself, help my family, in particular my grandmother.”

For these would-be soldiers, serving in the military isn’t a burden; it’s a dream – one they are willing to fight for. 

Initially, none of the recruits we meet qualified to serve. Some failed their written or physical exam multiple times before being accepted into a new kind of training program at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. This pre-boot-camp boot camp takes potential recruits and readies them for the rigors of actual Army training.

Critics see this as a lowering of the bar for entry, evidence that “woke” politics have infiltrated the ranks. But for the recruiters, it is simply an additional rung on the ladder to service, one that makes their job easier at a time when enlistment is down. In 2022, only 9% of 16-to-24-year-olds reported that they were likely to enlist in the next several years, according to a market research poll conducted by the Department of Defense.

For those who support these would-be recruits, the results speak for themselves; 95% of participants in this training program go on to complete boot camp under the standard requirements. “They are future soldiers,” says Capt. Natalie Rodgers, a military intelligence specialist who now helps prepare future enlistees for boot camp. “We are helping them reach their goals.”