Military Recruitment Shortfalls Are Ultimately a Spiritual Problem

War persists because of the destructive hold of sin on the human heart. To handle that reality well, the United States needs to overcome the manpower recruitment problem currently facing the Army. Citizens, especially Christians, should promote a reframing of military enlistment as based on sacrificial protective service rather than individual self-interest. Soldiers endure hardships and shoulder the responsibility for the just application of force in wartime. When seeking men for the US armed forces, encouraging them to think in terms of virtue rather than private gain as early as their recruitment will prepare them for hard choices ahead.