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
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is true having talked to a few enlisted they are wary of re-enlisting when their contract is up. Anecdotal I guess but at least some people really don’t like where things are going.
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 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.
That’s given, of course, that the laws mean anything anymore
It wasn’t actually changed, they just decided to call it that now
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.
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 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’
maybe stop invading and doing genocides.
It’s almost like people join the country to defend it, not to go to war… They should have a department for that!
defend from what?
Theoretical defense, war is an institution and if not maintained you may be caught wrong footed when it comes a knocking. How many empires, kingdoms, or city states have been utterly annihilated because they forgot how to truly conduct warfare.
How many empires, kingdoms, or city states had satellites watching every movement around the globe?
How many had mass surveillance of digital infrastructure around the globe?
How many had an ocean either side of them and 2 (until recently) friendly countries north and south?
How many had military bases in multiple other countries’ territory?
How many had a military expenditure so vast it dwarfs all other global military spending combined?
I understand your point, but when it comes to the American military, they’ve gone far beyond what could ever be justified as defence readiness.
Maybe but that is also a relatively recent development, as recently as 40 years ago there was a near peer that could be a potential threat. While that turned out to be a generous over estimation one does not under estimate their goes, also the US does have quite a few allies that do or could need assistance against far larger threats, though how long that’ll last is anyone’s guess.
Fact of the matter is the circumstances for which the argument could be made that the US military should be dissolved is relatively new, while the argument about war policy is as old as the US itself. Though personally I don’t think either will matter much longer, the reactionaries and corporations are doing a stand-up job ensuring every empire killing problem is hit simultaneously.
Obviously from all those plucky little 3rd world countries we democratized in previous wars, silly! In other words, we’re just defending ourselves from the consequences of our actions; totally normal and rational and okay to call it defense.
In case I’m not clear: the US has been the hotdog costume guy for a long time, but we don’t drive a car into the shops we’re robbing, we bring tanks.
To defend rich people’s interests. In a capitalist country that is usually fossil fuels and ocean shipping lanes.
Need to be able to ship in oil from the middle east and everything else from China.
Poor people have to worry about cops. Rich people have worry about their revenue streams. The military and cops protect those “interests”.
Remember kids, politicians use the military when those politicians failed at their job but refuse to step down. The military is a weapon not a tool.
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This is called having morals, good people don’t do evil things. The current US regime is nothing but evil.
Maybe young fascists will clamor to join but those who want to avoid committing war crimes will tend to avoid joining the US military.
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.
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.
How odd.
Can’t imagine why
NAWW!!
Marines hit retention goals already. Typical Marine Corps being the most capable and competent branch.
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