A perfect storm has hit the United States military, stymieing recruitment efforts and turning young people off the idea of signing up to serve.
“Woke” ideology coupled with a declining desire among teenagers to obtain what they increasingly see as a less-than-helpful, debt-fueled college degree has led to a concerning drop in new recruits for our armed services. According to the Department of Defense (DOD), “Only 23% of today’s youth are eligible for military service without a waiver, and only 2% are eligible, high-quality, and likely to serve.”
“Youth propensity has declined over the last several years, from 13% in 2018 to 9% in 2021,” the DOD reported. “This decline represents approximately 1 million fewer youth propensed for military service.”
One forward-looking teenager says the military isn’t offering GenZ the right incentives and claims one small tweak to the GI Bill would solve the problem.
“In the past, the GI Bill college tuition grants was the military’s big recruiting magnet. But it didn’t really appeal to me,” Aden Gilbert, the 18-year-old son of a Marine Corps veteran, told Fox News Digital. “My acquaintances and peers, we think that college is very much overrated, and it can really just impede or delay an entrepreneur like myself.”
(Video: Fox News Digital)
While a high school senior, Gilbert started his own social media marketing business, and it’s taking off, making the young entrepreneur wonder why he would consider going to college.
“Why would I be taking classes on why America sucks, which is what’s taught in a lot of these colleges now, while my business competition is getting a four-year head start on me?” he asked. “It just doesn’t really make any sense.”
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What does make sense to the business-minded teen is a proposed change to the GI Bill that would allow veterans to use their benefits to start their own businesses after they serve, rather than for college tuition for a degree they don’t necessarily want or need.
Bipartisan legislation, introduced this year and sponsored by Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.), would be a game-changer, according to Gilbert.
The Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023 would “authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA) to carry out the Boots to Business (B2B) Program over the 2023-2028 period,” according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
“That program, which the SBA operates under authorities provided in Public Law 93-237, provides entrepreneurship training to members of the Armed Forces (including the National Guard or Reserves), veterans, and the spouses or dependents of those people,” the CBO explains. “The legislation would authorize the SBA to make grants to Veteran Business Outreach Centers and to collaborate with public and private entities to develop training courses, which it does under its current program.”
Gilbert was once going to follow in his father’s Marine Corps footsteps, and this legislation, he said, would make him want to do it again.
“The reason that it would change my mind is because it would allow up to $180,000 of GI bill college money to instead be used to buy or start a business,” he said. “And, in fact, I know a ton of other entrepreneurs and like-minded kids who would flock to the military if that were to pass.”
“It’s kind of a no-brainer way to end the recruiting crisis, since that money is already appropriated,” the astute teen added.
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His dad, Jason Gilbert, also sees the sense in the legislation.
“The youth of this era is not as interested in college,” he told Fox News. “They don’t see the benefit that we have in past generations. The return on investment isn’t there. It costs more and they get less, and the youth today are far more entrepreneurial than generations past.”
“Veterans moving into civilian life face a daunting mission in determining the next chapter of their life,” said Rep. Cline. “Many of them want to pursue higher education, but others want to pursue a different path.”
Marine Corps veteran and business owner Kate Monroe told the outlet that GenZ has CEO ambitions.
“They don’t necessarily want to do all the work to get there,” she laughed, “but certainly the entrepreneurship is in their heart. So if they could start a business with those funds, that could be another major player in the recruitment crisis.”
The pilot program would initially run for three years under the bill. Jason Gilbert hopes it will become permanent, but acknowledges the universities won’t accept it laying down.
“After this pilot program is proven successful,” he said, “I anticipate the university industrial complex will fight like hell to protect their billions in free gravy train money.”
“Cline was joined by fellow Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and Democratic Reps. Lou Correa of California and Chris Pappas of New Hampshire in sponsoring the legislation,” Fox News Digital reports. “Cline said he is continuing to ‘garner support behind the bill, so veterans have more options to achieve their American dream.'”
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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