75% of American youth between the ages of 17 and 24 are unfit for service due to lack of education, obesity and criminal history.

"We live in a free country thanks to brave people. And many Americans don't seem to realize the importance of this. We need to do more to create a full military service in the United States," Scott Walker, president of the Young America Foundation and former governor of Wisconsin (2011-2019), told the Washington Times.

According to recently published reports, this year the country's army was only 40% manned. And although the planned number of recruits for each type of armed forces has been achieved, the reserve has been reduced, especially in the army and navy.

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty about the future has led many to extend their contracts for an additional period. However, school and college closures have had a significant impact on recruitment activity.

According to a report by the group “Mission: Readiness”, about 75% of 17-24-year-olds in the US are considered unfit for service due to low education, obesity, other physical problems and criminal records.

"Progressive politicians, union leaders and education officials are largely to blame for this. The two-year lockdown has had a devastating impact on students - a problem that is only now beginning to emerge - as well as on the physical and mental health of teenagers. Young people may not have been seriously affected by COVID-19, but the lockdown has caused some of the longest periods of isolation of their lives," says Walker. "Educational institutions have gone back to normal life and focused on far-fetched things like critical race theory and the 1619 Project instead of teaching kids basic things like reading, writing, math, science, and objective American and world history. Too many students have fallen into the trap of such troubled schools."

According to him, children should spend less time playing video games and surfing the Internet and more time outdoors: playing, visiting parks and exploring.

“We need to bring children back to their religious foundations; it is time for them to return to the fold of the church. Many of the people who had to fight stress and loneliness during the pandemic could benefit from the support of spiritual organizations," he added.

As for the staffing of the armed forces, according to the specialist, actions should be taken in a number of areas. First, desertion like the one in Afghanistan must never be allowed again. Deteriorating morale among soldiers and veterans is having a negative impact on the willingness of young men and women to enlist in the U.S. armed forces.

"Many rightly believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine precisely because of the weakness shown by the US government in withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. The result is a precedent for other dictators, prompting them to take action without fear of reprisal. We need to return to a time when the world saw the United States as neither its best friend nor its worst enemy,” Walker continued.

He insists on stopping the spread of the "new ethics" program in the army. "To defeat the enemy, our military must be trained and work together, regardless of race, gender, religion or other beliefs. Unfortunately, our enemies only enjoy the lack of diligence on the part of people in leadership positions," the politician said.

State-aided secondary schools and colleges should be required to allow recruiters on school grounds. During the quarantine period, many institutions deny them access, as well as representatives of the reserve officer training program. This must be returned.

"Our soldiers need proper equipment and adequate pay. When I was governor, I was proud that the improvements that we achieved, have made Wisconsin the best state in the country for veterans. America must properly train, equip, and pay its military personnel and support their families. It's not only the right thing to do, but it will help recruit and retain employees," Walker believes.

"In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan set about rebuilding our military, and as a result, America entered one of the most peaceful periods in its history. Donald Trump took similar actions when he was president. America needs leaders who truly understand that peace is achieved through strength. And it should start with support for the army," he concluded.

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