US Army faces worst recruiting numbers since end of draft era, offers medals & promotions for referrals

mRNA mandate and woke agenda prompts immense crisis.

The United States Army is facing its worst recruiting environment since 1973, when the conscription era ended and the current all-volunteer force was formed.

In an email sent out to service members on Monday, the Army’s recruiting office made it clear that the military is in atrocious shape, facing “the most challenging recruiting environment since the establishment of our All Volunteer Force In 1973.”

Additionally, the Pentagon is now offering “Army Recruiting Ribbons” and promotion points to service members who successfully recruit enlistees.

Last month, the Pentagon finally stood down on its disastrous mRNA mandate, which harmed readiness, injured countless service members, and became a primary driver for the recruiting crisis. Moreover, the Pentagon revealed that there were no plans to reinstate the 8,000+ service members who objected to and faced discharge over the unlawful mandate.

Exclusive: Pentagon stands down on vaccine mandate enforcement, but has no plans to reinstate over 8,000 wrongfully discharged service members

The full letter is published below (emphasizing key portions in bold):

Dear Soldiers, Civilians, Family Members, and Soldiers for Life:

When duty calls, our Army stands ready. Right now, your Army needs you! We face the most challenging recruiting environment since the establishment of our All-Volunteer Force in 1973, but our goal has not changed: to recruit America’s best and brightest volunteers. We call on you to ensure quality Soldiers serve on our team and continue the legacy of service so that we remain the best trained, best led, and best equipped Army in the world.

We ask all Soldiers to share their personal Army story in new ways to ensure we remain the first choice for Americans who want to serve their country. Your experience can help us address the misconceptions about our great Army in your communities and among your peers. The Army offers teamwork and purpose while achieving something that matters across 178 Military Occupational Specialties, offering over 1,800 certifications and highly transferable skills sets.

Army mission success depends on our ability to remain manned, ready, and able to fight and win! We have created a network of initiatives to help recruit and retain our Nation’s best talent, including two referral incentives driven by Soldier suggestions:

Army Recruiting Ribbon. All Soldiers will be eligible to earn the new Army Recruiting Ribbon for a valid referral of someone who both enlists and ships to Army Initial Military Training (IMT). This honor may be awarded up to four times, as indicated with a numerical device added to the ribbon. Soldiers in the grades of E-4 or E-5 receive 10 promotion points for each award of the ribbon, up to a total of 40 promotion points.

Early Promotion. Under the Soldier Referral Program (SRP) Pilot, Soldiers in the grades of E-1, E-2, and E-3 may receive one rank advancement for providing a valid referral of someone who both enlists and ships to Army IMT. Soldiers may receive only one advancement for participation in this initiative throughout their entire careers, initiated within 60 days of the referred Soldier shipping to IMT.

To be eligible, Soldiers must be in good standing and not pending legal action. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command is responsible for validating referral and departure of the trainee to IMT.

You are our greatest asset. We ask you to tell the Army story—to tell your story—and help other Americans understand the valuable opportunities our Army has to offer. We remain committed to maintaining our standards, investing in America’s youth, and recruiting the quality Soldiers our Army needs to fight and win our Nation’s wars.

   //SIGNED//

Michael A. Grinston

James C. McConville

Christine E. Wormuth

Sergeant Major of the Army

General, United States Army

Secretary of the Army

Chief of Staff