Aden Gilbert, an 18-year-old who grew up with a fascination for war movies and his father’s Marine Corps tales, has decided not to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Gilbert believes that the country and its leadership have taken a direction that contradicts his own values, prompting him to question the purpose of joining the military.
“If we’re prioritizing being woke, and we can’t actually protect the majority of American people . . . what’s the point of having a military?” Gilbert asked during an interview with Fox News. “Is it really worth joining and putting our life on the line for ideologies that we don’t agree with and that we don’t want to necessarily protect?”
Traditionally, children from military families have been more likely to serve in the armed forces compared to their peers.
A Pentagon survey conducted ten years ago revealed that over a quarter of new recruits had a parent who had served, with approximately 80% reporting at least one family member who had done the same.
Gilbert acknowledges that serving and protecting the values of the past was seen as an honorable duty, but he believes that things have changed.
The military is currently facing recruitment challenges as young individuals like Gilbert opt out of service.
Only the Marine Corps and Space Force expect to meet their enlistment goals this year, while the Army, Navy, and Air Force project a combined shortfall of 26,000 enlistees for fiscal year 2023.
The Army also fell short by about 15,000 soldiers (25% of its goal) in 2022.
Military officials attribute the lackluster recruitment numbers to a competitive job market and a decreasing pool of qualified applicants.
According to the Department of Defense, a mere 9% of young Americans show interest in serving their country.
Gilbert argues that the military is pushing away potential recruits by prioritizing progressive ideologies over preparedness.
He points to instances like a Navy recruiting campaign featuring a drag queen and the release of a video last year emphasizing the importance of pronouns as examples of alienating the very individuals most likely to serve.
“I would rather tiptoe around literal landmines than have to tiptoe around people’s pronouns,” Gilbert expressed.
As a self-proclaimed patriot, Gilbert believes that the left has successfully eroded patriotism through the promotion of restrictive laws, woke ideology, and the celebration of satanic themes in music and Hollywood.
He further expressed his frustration by stating, “It just angers me seeing our president as the conductor of that symphony of sewage.”
Jason Gilbert, Aden’s father, clarifies that he never influenced his children’s decisions about enlisting but wasn’t surprised when his son changed his mind.
The elder Gilbert, who founded the Disabled Veterans PAC and supports former service members running for office, noted that Aden seemed demoralized by the country’s direction.
Aden Gilbert goes on to highlight the shifting meaning of the word “pride.”
While previous generations associated it with the American flag, he believes that the left now deems it offensive and associates it solely with the rainbow flag.
Gilbert states, “I’m not moved to serve a commander in chief who seems to value the rainbow flag over the American flag” and criticizes the president for labeling white supremacy and climate change as the top national security threats without denouncing Marxism.
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth recently acknowledged that the perception of the military being “woke” has undoubtedly worsened recruiting challenges.
In June, she assured reporters that the Army remains focused on readiness rather than being “woke.”
While Wormuth recognized the issue, the branch’s top civilian leader blamed rhetoric rather than military policies as the cause of the problem.
Gilbert’s decision not to join the military also stems from the diminishing appeal of financial incentives and the reduced interest in pursuing higher education.
He started his own social media marketing business during his senior year of high school, which made the GI Bill less appealing.
Gilbert firmly stands by his decision to decline military service until he sees a return to the core values that the military is tasked to defend, values that our founders and past generations fought and died for.
Instead, he plans to continue running his business.
In summary, conservative values clash with the challenges faced by military recruitment.
The trend of prioritizing progressive ideologies over preparedness, coupled with a competitive job market and a declining pool of qualified applicants, has contributed to recruitment shortfalls.
Aden Gilbert’s decision not to join the military reflects his belief that the country’s values have shifted, prompting him to pursue an entrepreneurial path rather than military service.
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