The Department of War (DOW) is receiving well-earned praise for reversing the military’s recruitment crisis. In FY2025, all the branches of the military met or exceeded their recruitment goals.
(The problem) is America’s retention crisis. Given the immensely complex tasks we demand of experienced enlisted service members and officers, the time and money it takes to replace the expertise required to perform these tasks, and how central this expertise is to modern warfighting, we cannot afford to keep hemorrhaging essential talent.
Despite spending nearly six billion dollars on recruiting and retention in recent years, including giving over 70,000 people retention bonuses, people are leaving the military at some of the highest rates of the last decade. For instance, 7% of Air Force officers and 11% of Airmen now leave the service each year, 350% and 550% above the national average, respectively.
Unsurprisingly, the more specialized and in-demand an officer’s skill-set is, the more likely the military is to lose them to the private sector. Four thousand troops left cyber jobs in 2024, despite DOW facing a 16% cyber position vacancy rate. While DOW does not publicly track how many AI experts it employs and loses each year, Georgetown University reports an intense shortage of uniformed personnel who understand both the mission and the emerging technology.
ban trangender soldiers
surprised pikachu when they lose a lot of cybersecurity talent
inb4 they double down and ban furries too
Entire avionics field would be emptied out over night.
Idk, now that we’re planning invasions on our home soil maybe some people look at it differently now.
Plus, it’s department of defense.
Apparently it’s unpopular to call it the DoW, and while I realize that Congress has yet to officially change it, I think it’s a much more appropriate, and accurate, name.
When was the last time the DoD was engaged in a defensive war?
So unless they plan on further changing it to the Department of War Crimes, I think DoW is as good as we can hope for a name that aligns with their actual purpose.
It’s actually department of war. It was changed to stop pretending.
The Department of War (Crimes).
The U.S. Department of Defense is now also referred to as the Department of War, following an executive order signed by President Trump in September 2025. However, the official statutory name remains the Department of Defense until Congress makes a formal change.
The Dummy-in-Chief desperately wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but changes the name from Dept of DEFENSE to Dept of WAR, and doesn’t understand how that might not send the right message to the Nobel committee.
He got the Peace Prize from FIFA. of course it would be FIFA.
Oh, yeah, FIFA is one of the most corrupt organizations in the world. They would gladly give Trump any bribe he requested, so a shiny trophy to buy his cooperation is a bargain.
That’s given, of course, that the laws mean anything anymore
dont be a bootlicker.
It’s not a bootlicker take to want to call a spade a spade. Quite the opposite, I would think
I have some dirty boots in my closet that could use a good licking
That’s not being a bootlicker. That’s stating the actual official policy of the DoW, disseminated to everyone who has a NIPR account and “proclaimed” in an executive order by the President. It isn’t official law as passed by Congress (yet), but nobody in this administration cares about the law. They are making everyone who works with the DoW call it the DoW.
Yeah, I hate it so much and still call it the DoD in casual conversation at work, but “they” being the DoW did change the name even if Congress hasn’t.
I understand the point you’re making but refuse to give them the satisfaction.
Also let’s be real, there’s a distinct possibility it was changed because these dumbfucks can’t spell ‘defense’
idk, to me it seems like one of the few honest acts this administration has done. it’s always been the department of war, they just took the mask off
Unsurprisingly, the more specialized and in-demand an officer’s skill-set is, the more likely the military is to lose them to the private sector. Four thousand troops left cyber jobs in 2024, despite DOW facing a 16% cyber position vacancy rate.
Yup. DoD pay sucks, and private sector benefits have pretty much caught up. I know people who left government positions for raises of 15%-33%. Government used to be able to pay less but still keep people due to the promise of stability, but those days are long gone.
I’m not in a tech field just a helicopter mechanic. I now work on the exact same helicopters I did in the Marines (I mean the same BUNOs), in the exact same hangar spaces, using some of the exact same tools… but now I’ve got better pay, my day ends after 8 hours (otherwise OT), I know I’m getting the weekend off (otherwise OT), all that stuff is even better since I’m union. Being the steward it’s easier to tell my boss to fuck off on some things (Though, while I was in it was more forgivable to physically fight my bosses and coworkers), and I still get socialized medicine via the VA. Plus, my socialized & guaranteed basic income via VA disability. Many of my coworkers are going to school after work thanks to socialized education benefits via the VA.
It’s much more lucrative to take military OJT into the 1st Civ Div than to stay in. Plus, I get to spend time convincing my coworkers (99% former military) they’re already socialist. It’s heartwarming how many are not happy with our government.
In the United States 4 years in the military is the cheat code to a better life. Unfortunately.
Non-fascists in the military who don’t like where this nation is going are bailing out. Fascists in the military are getting nice retention bonuses. And oodles of new fascists are signing up because they like the odds that that they will get to murder people, maybe even liberals, gays, and trans people in US cities.
“Sounds better every time I hear it!” - Pete Hegesth probably.
while drunk.
Sounds like a great reason for the current admin to allow this to continue. Flush the ranks of dissent. This is a pretty terrifying thought.
“The road to fascism is paved by resignations” - Not Me
Sounds like a Stephen Miller idea. I do wonder how much he is coaching others and straight up marionetting Trump. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out Stephen Miller is writing some of Trump’s tweets and he is just copying and sending them.
maybe stop invading and doing genocides.
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Maybe young fascists will clamor to join but those who want to avoid committing war crimes will tend to avoid joining the US military.
now they almost always larp instead or talk from a safe bubble.
This is called having morals, good people don’t do evil things. The current US regime is nothing but evil.
Retirement is 20 years after signing up. 20 years ago was 2025; there was such an enormous push for recruitment then. Expect this trend to continue well into 2028 when the surge ended.
20 years ago was 2025
Damn I slept better than I thought.
hibernation.
Uplifting news: No new Bush presidents since youve been asleep
Bad news: ~everything else~
“Hey you, you’re finally awake”
Last night I said to my partner I wish we could time travel to after trump. I’m so fucking sick of hearing about that scum. All I want politically on an emotional level is for him to just die already.
I love Jon Stewart and I’m glad he came back, but I can’t watch the same episode of “look what the idiot did today” every single week.
Exactly - we had this same conversation last night while watching the Daily Show.
A sped up license reciprocity system sounds great and may help with military family unemployment but it isn’t going to make a six figure private sector tech job disappear. People use the military to get education and training. Once they have it they leave. Especially if the grass is greener on the other side.
Can’t imagine why
How odd.
NAWW!!
Marines hit retention goals already. Typical Marine Corps being the most capable and competent branch.
Recruiting crayon munchers is not competence or capability. They just happen to fall for the propaganda the easiest because they are dumb as rocks.
Only branch to pass financial audits. So competent, and obviously mission capable. I know folks like to do the whole crayons thing, but it just demonstrates an obvious lack of understanding.
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