PC: Military.com

It’s no secret that the U.S. military faces many challenges today, including fighting long wars overseas and addressing an unprecedented number of sexual assaults within its ranks. But while these issues grab the headlines, another problem within the military has gone largely unnoticed until recently: The armed forces are facing a growing recruiting crisis that threatens its long-term ability to meet national security needs and defend U.S. interests around the world in the decades to come.

The U.S. military has a significant recruiting shortage that is having legislators worried.

U.S. Representative Jackie Speier, D-Calif., chair of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, said, “The Army has to acknowledge that there has been an evolution in that young demographic.” “And you have to make it enticing to them if you’re going to target that youthful generation for service.”

The U.S. Army is having the most trouble recruiting this fiscal year out of all the military services. According to Stars and Stripes, the other services should be able to achieve their objectives, but underlying problems continue to make recruiting challenging.

According to senior scholar at the American Enterprise Institute Mackenzie Eaglen, “certain services are struggling more than the others.” “Undoubtedly, the Army is having the most difficulty because they are the largest. In an effort to prepare for the conclusion of this fiscal year, they are currently reviewing some of the academic and fitness standards.

Requests for comment from CNBC were not answered by the US Department of Defense.