Sep 11, 2024 - News

Since 9/11, U.S. military recruitment plummets

Cuneyt Dil

A service member salutes the U.S. flag at the Pentagon — A U.S. service member salutes at the Pentagon. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

After the 9/11 attacks, military enrollment jumped in the U.S. — but that has plummeted to record-low numbers today.

Why it matters: This year, the active-duty force is the smallest since 1940, and many service members are leaving due to uncertainty about spouses finding employment.

By the numbers: Half of active-duty members cited employment for their significant other as a top issue, per a survey of over 9,000 military families conducted by Blue Star Families.

About 3.7% of families in the DMV area are military families, per the census.

Liz O'Brien, a military spouse who's lived in the D.C. area since 2014, tells Axios she struggled finding employment while her family jumped across seven places in nine years.

As vice president of Hiring Our Heroes, she helps connect spouses with job opportunities.
"When our military families have access to dual income … it places on par with our civilian counterparts," says O'Brien.

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Since 9/11, U.S. military recruitment plummets

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