Maintaining Force Readiness in the New Era of Global Threats: Recruitment, Retention, Readiness

With the emergence of the Islamic State, a resurgent Russia, and an increasingly assertive China, the U.S. military must be ready to carry out the response to any contingency. Cyber hacks, the unprecedented ways in which ISIS uses the Internet for radicalization, identifying violent extremists before they strike, and being prepared to mitigate and respond to global threats will require more than materiel readiness.

Winning the unpredictable next war will require a diverse, highly qualified, educated, and trained professional force to out-think the adversaries and navigate complex problems under the pressures of modern combat. But the past few years have seen declining retention rates and recruiting challenges of military service members.