By Li Jiabao
李嘉宝
“For the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 in 2022, the US Army only completed 75% of its recruiting goal. The outlook for 2023 appears even worse. What does this mean?” The Wall Street Journal recently published an article highlighting the recruitment difficulties currently faced by the US. Statistics indicate that for the fiscal year 2022, the US Army had planned to enlist 60,000 individuals, but only 45,000 had been recruited into the military. Among young Americans eligible for military service, only 9% are willing to join the army – a new low since 2007.
“2022年，美国陆军只完成了征兵计划的75%。今年的情况看来更糟。这说明什么？”美国《华尔街日报》日前刊文，直指当下美国面临的征兵难问题。统计数据显示，2022财年，美国陆军计划招募6万人，只有4.5万人应征入伍，其中符合服兵役资格的美国年轻人中，仅9%愿意参军，创下了自2007年以来的新低。
In recent years, there have been frequent reports of difficulties in recruitment in the US. The US military has had to lower its standards and raise bonuses, but it has not been able to reverse the sharp decline in the appeal of military camps to young Americans. Why are the American privates portrayed as heroes in Hollywood movies no longer being received well?
最近几年，有关美国征兵困难的消息屡见不鲜。美国军方不得不在征兵时放低条件、提高奖金，但这依然无法改变军营对美国年轻人吸引力骤减的趋势。在好莱坞电影中常常以“英雄”形象出现的“美国大兵”，为何“不香了”？
The health situation of the public is worrisome, there is a shortage of qualified personnel, and the military lacks vitality. In 2022, over 106,000 people in the US died from opioid overdose, the highest level on record; over the past 20 years, the obesity rate in the US has risen by about 40%… A series of serious public health crises have led to unprecedented recruitment difficulties in the US.
A Pentagon report shows that over 70% of the 34 million Americans born after 1997 are ineligible for military service, due to reasons such as obesity and a history of drug use. After the outbreak of COVID-19, the failure of the US government to control the pandemic caused the tragedy of over one million deaths, seriously threatening the lives and health of the people, and even interrupting the recruitment of soldiers.
民众健康状况堪忧，合格兵源匮乏，军队缺乏生命力。2022年，全美超过10.6万人死于阿片类药物过量，是有记录以来的最高水平；过去20年，美国人肥胖率上升约40%……一系列严峻的公共健康危机，使美国遭遇前所未有的“征兵荒”。五角大楼的一份数据显示，生于1997年之后的3400万名美国人中，超过70%的人没有服兵役资格，原因就包括肥胖、存在吸毒史等。新冠疫情发生后，美国政府抗疫失败，酿成超百万人死亡的悲剧，使民众的生命健康受到重大威胁，征兵工作甚至一度出现中断。
Improving welfare benefits is difficult, political polarization is accelerating and penetrating, and the military lacks attractiveness. According to the New York Post, the US continues to experience high inflation levels, causing suffering for the American people and making the lives of American soldiers difficult. The non-profit organization Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) surveyed approximately 8,500 military families and found that over one-third of active-duty military personnel rated their access to healthcare as negative or very negative. Meanwhile, as political polarization spreads to the military, the two parties struggle on many issues, making it difficult to promote reforms in the recruitment system, and the military is increasingly controlled by military-industrial interest groups. “The military has not become a treasure trove of integrity, morality, and courage, but has become more politicized than those humble political animals,” wrote a veteran to the media.
福利待遇改善困难，政治极化加快渗透，军队缺乏吸引力。据《纽约邮报》此前报道，美国通胀水平持续高企，令美国民众苦不堪言，也让美国士兵生活拮据。美国非营利组织“军人家庭咨询网络”在调查了约8500个军人家庭后发现，超过1/3的现役军人将他们获得医疗保健的待遇评为负面或非常负面。与此同时，随着政治极化向军队蔓延，两党在诸多议题上缠斗不休，募兵制度改革难以推进，军队日益被军工利益集团所绑架。一位老兵在给媒体的信中写道：“军队没有成为容纳诚信、道德和勇气的宝库，而是变得比那些卑躬屈膝的政治动物更加政治化。”
Internal scandals have been rampant, tarnishing the international image of the military and reducing its appeal. In recent years, there have been frequent scandals within the US military, including sexual assault, racial discrimination, corporal punishment and abuse, as well as incidents of suicide and murder. According to a report released by the Pentagon in September 2022, army sexual assault cases increased by 25.6% in the fiscal year 2021, while the US military saw a 70% increase in suicide rates between 2008 and 2020. These various issues have led to public skepticism towards the military and reluctance to join its ranks. Furthermore, following the end of the Cold War, the US has engaged in multiple overseas wars and conflicts, fueling strong anti-war sentiment within the country. The indiscriminate killing and mistreatment of prisoners by US soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria have exposed the hypocrisy of the US rhetoric regarding “freedom”, “democracy” and “counter-terrorism”. As the US continues to be embroiled in wars and humanitarian crises, its military image has suffered greatly, leading young Americans to be unwilling to pay the cost of the roaring war machine with their lives.
内部丑闻层出不穷，国际形象一落千丈，军队缺乏感召力。近年来，美军内部频频发生性侵、种族歧视、体罚、虐待等丑闻，自杀、谋杀事件接连发生。五角大楼2022年9月发布的一份报告显示，陆军性侵案在2021财年增加了25.6%。2008年至2020年的13年间，美国军人自杀率上升了70%。种种乱象，令美国民众对军队、军人形象产生质疑，对参军产生抵触心理。此外，冷战结束后，美国多次发动海外战争，频繁介入地区冲突，在美国国内引发强烈反战情绪。美军士兵在伊拉克、阿富汗、叙利亚等战场上滥杀无辜、虐待战俘的行径，让更多人看清，美国高举的“自由”“民主”“反恐”旗号何其虚伪。当美国一次次深陷战争泥潭，一次次制造人道主义惨剧，军队的形象大打折扣，美国年轻人也不愿意用生命为嗡嗡作响的“战争机器”埋单。
Public health issues, economic and livelihood predicaments, political fragmentation, governance disorders, and waging wars arbitrarily... The recruitment crisis reflects a multitude of US crises. This is not solely a military issue but a predicament facing the entirety of the US.
公共健康问题、经济民生困境、政治撕裂、治理失序、穷兵黩武……“征兵危机”折射出一系列“美国危机”。这不是军队的问题，而是整个美国的问题。
