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Military scrambles to recruit during coronavirus pandemic

Photo: Ryan M. Breeden/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

The U.S. military is struggling to find new recruits as the novel coronavirus has shut down most enlistment stations and forced scouts to get online instead, AP reports.

Why it matters: If stay-at-home orders and mandated social distancing across the country persist, the armed forces may fail to meet annual recruitment goals. That could result in pressure for existing troops to reenlist to maintain military readiness, AP writes.

  • Maj. Gen. Lenny Richoux, director for personnel for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the AP that the military is observing this new trend, and believes it could take “a very long time” to rebuild.

The state of play: Military recruiters are now turning to social media to find new recruits. Some agencies have been using online platforms for the past few years, while others are learning to adapt on the fly.

  • Getting on YouTube and Instagram has forced recruiters to take a softer approach and focus more broadly on service to the country, AP writes.
  • The inability to recruit in-person has specifically impacted the Marine Corps, per AP, a branch that has seen success with a sales pitch that keeps Marines linked to their recruiters as they venture off to boot camp.

Yes, but: Summer is around the corner and is often peak recruiting season. The military could also become a popular option for some Americans facing unemployment linked to the pandemic.

Go deeper: First U.S. service member dies from coronavirus

Go deeper

Jonathan Swan
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy
Off the Rails

Episode 4: Trump turns on Barr

Photo illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photos: Drew Angerer, Pool/Getty Images

Beginning on election night 2020 and continuing through his final days in office, Donald Trump unraveled and dragged America with him, to the point that his followers sacked the U.S. Capitol with two weeks left in his term. Axios takes you inside the collapse of a president with a special series.

Episode 4: Trump torches what is arguably the most consequential relationship in his Cabinet.

Attorney General Bill Barr stood behind a chair in the private dining room next to the Oval Office, looming over Donald Trump. The president sat at the head of the table. It was Dec. 1, nearly a month after the election, and Barr had some sharp advice to get off his chest. The president's theories about a stolen election, Barr told Trump, were "bullshit."

Go deeper (6 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
6 hours ago - Politics & Policy

In photos: Protests outside fortified capitols draw only small groups

Armed members of the far-right extremist group the Boogaloo Bois near the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing on Jan. 17. About 20 protesters showed up, AP notes. Photo: Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images

Small groups of protesters gathered outside fortified statehouses across the U.S. over the weekend ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration Wednesday.

The big picture: Some protests attracted armed members of far-right extremist groups but there were no reports of clashes, as had been feared. The National Guard and law enforcement outnumbered demonstrators, as security was heightened around the U.S. to avoid a repeat of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots, per AP.

See photos (<1 min. read)Arrow
Felix Salmon, author of Capital
9 hours ago - World

China's economy grows 6.5% in Q4 as country rebounds from coronavirus

A technician installs and checks service robots to be be used for food and medicine delivery in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China, on Sunday. Photo: Hu Xuejun/VCG via Getty Images

China's economy grew at a 6.5% pace in the final quarter of 2020, the national statistics bureau announced Monday local time, topping off a year in which it grew in three of four quarters and by 2.3% in total.

Why it matters: No other major economy managed positive growth in 2020. Although the COVID-19 pandemic was first detected in China, the country got the virus under control and became one of the main positive drivers of the global economy even as the rest of the world was largely under lockdown.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow