Pointing to a 2018 study that found 71% of young Americans unqualified for military service, a group of retired military leaders has sent a letter to the Pentagon warning that actions need to be taken to address this "significant threat" to recruitment.
The group "Mission Readiness" is made up of retired generals and admirals and is asking the Pentagon to set up an interagency committee to look into what it sees as the crisis, The Washington Times reports.
"These factors largely fall outside of the Department of Defense's purview but have an immense impact on the ability of the military to recruit new servicemembers as well as a significant monetary impact on the Department" of Defense, retired Air Force Gen. William M. Fraser and retired Coast Guard Adm. James M. Loy wrote in a letter to the Pentagon.
"Without coordinated actions, these trends pose a significant threat to the future of the all volunteer force," they said.
"Mission Readiness is seeking an interagency advisory committee composed of members of departments such as Justice, Education and Agriculture to address the issue in hopes of getting more younger Americans capable of military service.
The February 2018 study by the Heritage Foundation found that 71% of young adults between 17 and 24 were unfit for military service either because of obesity, drug abuse, poor education or a crime record.
"We believe this is a critical step to the sustainability of the all-volunteer force and critical for our future strength and national security," Fraser and Loy wrote.
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