Trey Paul, FISM News 

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Some people are blaming vaccine mandates and a new “woke agenda” as officials confirm that the Army fell short of its recruitment goal by roughly 15,000 soldiers ⁠— or 25% ⁠— in fiscal year 2022.

The goal was to recruit 60,000 soldiers, but officials say the Army only brought in about 45,000 during the fiscal year that ended Friday.

“In the Army’s most challenging recruiting year since the start of the all-volunteer force, we will only achieve 75% of our fiscal year 22 recruiting goal,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. “The Army will maintain its readiness and meet all our national security requirements. If recruiting challenges persist, we will draw on the [National] Guard and [Army] Reserve to augment active-duty forces, and may need to trim our force structure.”

This news shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. In July, FISM News reported that the Army was facing recruitment shortages and that one official predicted to Congress that the service would be roughly 10,000 soldiers short this year, with the problem being even worse in the future.

“We’ve got unprecedented challenges with both a post-COVID-19 environment and labor market, but also competition with private companies that have changed their incentives over time,” said Army vice chief of staff, Gen. Joseph Martin.

Not everyone is buying that reasoning, including Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs, who offered his thoughts on Twitter regarding why men and women aren’t enlisting.

“Maybe we ought to stop imposing vaccine mandates, preferred pronouns, and woke education training on them,” Biggs wrote.

The U.S. Army has fallen 15,000 soldiers short of its recruitment goal this year.

Maybe we ought to stop imposing vaccine mandates, preferred pronouns, and woke education training on them.

Just a thought.

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) October 2, 2022

To date, the Army has discharged more than 1,700 soldiers for refusing to take a mandated COVID-19 vaccine.

This month, FISM News reported that 47 members of Congress petitioned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to “immediately revoke” the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination guidance issued to all military departments in August 2021 amid “grave concerns” of military readiness.

“During the worst recruiting year in our military’s history, over 100,000 servicemembers are now facing discharge over [Austin]’s vaccine mandate,” said Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), one of the top influences behind the letter. “If [the Department of Defense] cares to protect military readiness, they must withdraw or begin rapidly granting exemptions from this disastrous order.”

The U.S. military has also started introducing what many call “woke” education and rules in recent years, which some believe is also behind the recruitment struggles. One example comes from the United States Air Force Academy, which is reportedly preventing cadets from using gender-specific terms such as “mom” and “dad.”

All other branches of the military reportedly met their recruiting goals but are falling behind compared to years past.

Speaking on conditions of anonymity, officials noted that the Marine Corps usually goes into each fiscal year with at least 50% of its recruiting goal locked in. This year, they say only a little more than 30% is locked in.

As for the Air Force and Navy, officials say only about 10% of their goals are locked in as they start the new fiscal year. They say the Air Force usually has about 25%.

“Using Air Force lexicon, I would say we’re doing a dead stick landing as we come into the end of fiscal ’22, and we’re going to need to turn around on the first of October and do an afterburner takeoff,” Maj. Gen. Edward Thomas, head of the Air Force Recruiting Service, said at a conference last week. “We’re going to be starting 2023 in a tougher position than we started 2022.”

Right now, there are about 1 million soldiers serving in the Army. Leaders have promised not to lower standards to make up for the recruiting shortfall.

“We remain committed to maintaining our standards, investing in America’s youth, and emphasizing quality over quantity,” Gen. James McConville, chief of staff of the Army, told the AP.

However, FISM News reported in June that the Army had dropped its requirement that recruits have a high school diploma or GED before signing up.