Matthew Weiss 26/1/24 Matthew Weiss 26/1/24

Chapter 21: Preparing For The Next Big War

We may not feel we are at war so nobody cares, but indeed we really are fighting a battle already.

Solution: The end goal has to be to make national service the desired norm among Zers.

The time has come to be bluntly honest about our current situation. This recruiting crisis shows that America's all-volunteer force cannot continue to operate successfully if some change doesn't occur. We may not feel we are at war now, so nobody cares, but we are already fighting a battle. Our largest competitor, China, threatens us more every day. On February 2nd, 2023, it was announced that a Chinese spy balloon was flying over the continental US.[1] While the instant hysteria this caused in the media wasn't as pronounced as the Sputnik moment with the Soviets, it created enough fear to get the public thinking. Some began to wonder what would happen if thousands of these balloons appeared over our cities one day…potentially carrying lethal munitions. Instead, the better question concerns the current manpower shortages we face. The military is ready to defend the U.S. homeland if and only if it has the necessary troops to do so. Most young Zers and probably Americans, in general, believe a war scenario involving the US homeland is ludicrous. Unfortunately, this thinking is dangerous for a superpower like America. The United Kingdom, an empire the sun never set on, was surprise-attacked by Nazi Germany in WWII. Luckily, its citizens sprang into action and thankfully had enough fighter pilots to defend the skies of London. China vs. us already presents a brutal equation when it comes to numbers. A tragic attack like 9/11 shouldn't be the wake-up call needed that encourages Zers to serve.

[1] Liebermann, Oren, Haley Britzky, Michael Conte, and Nectar Gan. “Pentagon Tracking Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon over the US | CNN Politics.” CNN. Cable News Network, February 3, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/02/politics/us-tracking-china-spy-balloon/index.html.

Matthew Weiss 19/1/24 Matthew Weiss 19/1/24

Chapter 20: Healing the Environment With The World’s Greatest Team

The environment is making us weaker, harming our ability to fight, and will end up killing us. We need to signal that the military cares deeply about the most important issue plaguing our generation.

Solution: The military must be presented as the greatest force to solving climate change.

As hard as it has been to classify and analyze the entirety of Gen Z, there is one unifying issue that nearly all Zers agree on. Primarily due to the existential threat it poses to their future, this issue is literally a matter of survival. Climate change and the environment's health are consistently ranked as some of the Zoomers' top concerns. Z has grown up in a time where the majority consensus in America now strongly recognizes the need to save the planet. While there may be an ongoing debate about the immediacy of the issue and the proper ways to address it, the overwhelming view in Z is to help heal the earth. The mobilization efforts, protests, and even career choices that many Zers are making to deal with this should be seen as a predictive signal about the future.

The military has been equally adamant about climate concerns since the beginning of the 21stcentury. A recent DoD report cites how a poorer environmental forecast could challenge the various humanitarian operations we provide worldwide. The issues aren't just foreign, they affect the homeland as well. Many older Zers witnessed American troops deploy domestically to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The effect of climate change will see the closing down of training exercises due to fire hazards, flooding hurting naval port readiness, and a hotter world with food/water scarcity leading to higher chances of conflict.[1] Climate problems need to be dealt with by everyone, and Z is watching closely how various organizations respond. Whoever is seen as spearheading the effort to combat climate change will win the recruiting race among generation Z. Luckily, if there is one organization best equipped to organize and fight massive problems, it is the United States military. The environment is making us weaker, harming our ability to fight, and will end up killing us if something isn't done. We need to signal that the military cares deeply about our generation's most important issue…

[1] Department of Defense, Office of the Undersecretary for Policy (Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities). 2021. Department of Defense Climate Risk Analysis. Report Submitted to the National Security Council.

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Matthew Weiss 12/1/24 Matthew Weiss 12/1/24

Chapter 19: Drawing From America’s Unique Heterogeneous Tapestry

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are actually three separate Gen Z demands for their workplace.

Solution: Collectively society must emphasize the process to see the difference, understand the difference, and accept the difference.

The military is no stranger to acronyms. We likely have more than any other organization in the world. They serve an excellent purpose when used tactically to abbreviate long-worded actions over the radio. Our fellow citizens in the civilian sector understandably aren't as good at making acronyms with actionable meanings. They sometimes clump together drastically different nouns in the hope that they coalesce around one central message, often accidentally obfuscating the individual words. During my summer internship at Goldman Sachs, the senior partners had some of us junior Zers work on defining ESG since it was the raging new topic for Wall Street investing. When putting together our final presentation decks, we discovered that while people do care about environmental, social, and governance issues when they put money into companies, the three words as a whole have very little to do with each other.

More than this, there is a new buzz acronym that is generating controversy and discussion amongst employers: DEI, standing for diversity, equity, and inclusion. While similar and certainly related, it’s important to break down what each of these words mean. Especially for organizations and leaders unfamiliar with these concepts, it will be important to understand that each word is a separate Gen Z demand for their workplace and larger society. The concepts are related, and their relationships to each other matter. So I will explore each word in isolation and in connection. Overall, they call for a process of seeing the difference, understanding the difference, and accepting the difference among fellow Americans…

Matthew Weiss 5/1/24 Matthew Weiss 5/1/24

Chapter 18: Fostering A Better Culture For Females In Uniform

Women are the largest group of Gen Z that can and should be recruited more into the military to boost current lagging numbers.

Solution: Establish the HER Initiative by honoring gender differences, eradicating sexual assault, and relaxing female-specific social constraints.

Before I delve into this critical discussion about women in the military, I want to recognize that conversations on identity and beliefs are often sensitive. As a straight white male, I bring my own biases and blind spots to this analysis. However, most of the military consists of straight white males, and we should all be encouraged to share our thoughts and ideas openly and democratically. These thoughts shouldn't be tempered at all for the risk of offending someone or hurting feelings. They should have the utmost respect for fundamental human rights and fellow-human emotions. Still, we shouldn't be so afraid in modern times to have painful, "politically incorrect" discussions, that we fail to reach the best outcomes for all. In order for our society and our institution to function, we must be able to talk about groups that we aren’t a part of without being shouted down. Gen Z is much more realistic than the idealistic millennials, and our collective pessimism makes us want to engage in challenging conversations, even if they sting a little.

Another thing to clarify is the difficult job of toeing the line that recruitment organizations will have to do as we push the military forward. Just because, on average, Zoomers lean more in one direction or have newer ideas about societal constructs than older generations, it doesn't mean that the entire Generation Z is a monolith. If too much change is pushed too quickly, there is a risk of alienating many of the groups of thinkers who were past mainstays of the recruiting pool. Striking a balance and doing everything in moderation are the best way. These changes and discussions must happen often, in public, and be positively tempered to reach optimality for total force numbers, abilities, and ultimately lethality…

Matthew Weiss 29/12/23 Matthew Weiss 29/12/23

Chapter 17: Becoming Bigger Parts In Local Communities

Gen-Z wants to feel good by being seen as virtuous and helping others. The military needs to show how they are directly giving back to their local communities.

Solution: Through co-working and co-living, the military can better integrate with the various communities it supports.

An area of the economy that has grown exponentially during Gen Z's rise has been the sharing economy. Also described as "gig-work" such as ride services like Uber and apartment rentals like Airbnb, Zoomers are accustomed to interacting freely with strangers. Over 30% of U.S. adults aged 18-29 report having done some gig work.[1] Furthermore, a majority report spending less than 10 hours in a typical week performing these tasks. This increase in fluid interactions has promoted a much more interconnected community. While the tenet that "every person's home is their castle" still rings true in the American psyche, a more modern, Z-adapted view of communal life would be that "a castle can't exist without a group."

Z is the first actual "co" generation where popular trends like coworking and co-living are becoming the norm. The local communities where they're from, where they choose to live, and where they work are meaningful to them because, now more than ever, young people rely on the larger community to achieve their daily goals and tasks. It follows that serving these communities is something that Z values intensely, and many Zers expect their jobs to have some level of community service. It has become a social mark of approval to be a Zer who "gives a s###” and does community service. Gen-Z wants to feel good by being seen as virtuous and serving others. First by increasing contact between the military and civilian sectors, and then by having the military serve the civilian communities that they interact with; the military can show how they give back to their local communities to attract more recruits…

[1] Atske, Sara. “The State of Gig Work in 2021.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. Pew Research Center, December 8, 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/12/08/the-state-of-gig-work-in-2021/.

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Chapter 16: Coping With Issues Of the Mind

Mental health, depression, and anxiety issues dominate Gen Z

Solution: The younger population needs more of mental health rather than physical health support.

While the physical health of Gen Z tracks with previous age-groups, their overall mental health is suffering immensely. Gen Z is likely the most anxious and depressed American generation, as the constant influx of a digital life takes its toll. In past human history, we've suffered from issues of scarcity, like not having enough food and being bored. Now we suffer from issues of abundance like having too many high-fructose foods and stimulation overloads. We've been given everything, so our lack of wanting inevitably leads to a lack of meaning. Viktor Frankl, a concentration camp survivor wrote the most remarkable book on this topic titledMan’s Search for Meaning. He says, “What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.”[1] As Z searches for meaning in an overindulged society, their mental health is deteriorating at an increasingly alarming rate. The military must recognize that the younger population needs more mental rather than physical health support…

[1] Frankl, Viktor E. Man's Search for Meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2014.

Matthew Weiss 15/12/23 Matthew Weiss 15/12/23

Chapter 15: Rethinking Views On Substances

Marijuana usage is more popular among Gen Z as it begins replacing alcohol. The two substances should be treated the same so less people are disqualified for drug use.

Solution: Lawmakers should lower the drinking age to 18 for those in the military and stop testing or asking for Marijuana use.

Zoomers spend more time indoors in their places of living than prior generations. Images of young Americans with eyes glued to video game consoles and computers come to mind. The entire world took shelter inside during the pandemic, and social events dropped to nearly zero. Along with this comes a new view on what recreational activities are acceptable. Alcohol, the primary social lubricant of the 20th century, is primarily viewed as declining in popularity compared to its past peaks. Alcohol is generally consumed in social settings at bars and gatherings, which decreased due to the lockdown. It also leaves an intense hangover that many medical studies are beginning to prove have increasingly adverse long-term effects. On the other hand, marijuana usage among Z has skyrocketed…

Matthew Weiss 8/12/23 Matthew Weiss 8/12/23

Chapter 14: Protecting The Military From Politics

Politics matters to our generation, but the military is the last haven of an apolitical workplace, and one that can attract those seeking refuge.

Solution: Together we must keep politics out of the military by weakening political parties control over the military, and instead encouraging Gen Z to discuss policy issues.

If there is one thing that Gen Z has grown up with today that wasn’t the norm even a decade ago, it’s the hyperpolarization of American politics. The fights between the right and left have been intensifying year after year, and the partisanship makes politics a more lurid spectator sport than most N.C.A.A. tournaments. From what books to read in elementary school to what bathrooms to use in adulthood, Z has become accustomed to everyone having an opinion on every political issue. Unique to this generation is that those political thoughts are being discussed online and on television in a more systematic and hostile way than ever before. What used to be reserved for candidate debates or structured discussions has now spilled over into everyday discourse at the dinner table, the Twitter feed, and even the grocery store. Overall, politics does matter to our generation, and we've been so used to hearing about it that it matters more to us than most past generations. However, the military is the last haven of an apolitical workplace and, presented correctly, will be able to attract future employees seeking refuge from the insane state of political discourse…

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Matthew Weiss 1/12/23 Matthew Weiss 1/12/23

Chapter 13: Creating Future Warriors At A Young Age

Fighting is so taboo in today’s society, but making a representative warrior class will need to encourage some levels of teaching controlled physical violence in schools.

Solution: America needs to train a real warrior capability in gym class so Z is capable of committing controlled violence.

Physical violence has been and will always be part of warfare. It's uncomfortable and challenging to discuss, but warfare requires killing other human beings. Militaries have long struggled with making their Soldiers physically strong enough to commit violence, and mentally sure enough to engage an enemy on the battlefield. If the war in Ukraine has shown the world anything, it’s that even in modern times, extreme levels of destructive acts need to be done by warriors fighting for survival. Generation Z has grown up to primarily see physical violence as outdated and taboo. While cyberbullying rates and suicides have skyrocketed among Zers, old-style fisticuffs are not as common.

The Center for Disease Control’s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported that 8% of high school students had been in a physical fight one or more times in the past year[1]. In 1991, that number was nearly 50% among high schoolers. This decrease in physical violence has transferred over to the horrors of emotional and cyber violence; which some could argue are more damaging to our youth. Additionally, society must analyze the impact that the reduction of physical violence has on those it asks to go to war. Fighting is taboo in today's society, but making a representative warrior class will need to encourage some levels of teaching controlled physical violence in schools…

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Questionnaire. Available at: www.cdc.gov/yrbs. Accessed on January 2023.

Matthew Weiss 24/11/23 Matthew Weiss 24/11/23

Chapter 12: Unplugging From An Always On World

Constant pinging and always being on a device is crushing Gen Z and they are beginning to crave some time unplugged in order to reset.

Solution: The military can offer this real-world, responsibility-bearing, limited technology experience with the most effective screentime reset around.

Generation Z is known as the first true digital natives. That trendy nickname implies that its members were born online. To say that Z exists primarily in the screen world and then only secondarily in the physical world is wrong. There is no doubting the huge impact that technology has had on Zoomers. However, a deeper counter-trend is also emerging below the surface of all these screens, one of unplugging. Since Z innately understands the power of technology and its use in everyday life better than any previous generation, they also fundamentally grasp its ability to infiltrate basic humanity. On a first principles level, Z realizes that too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Z is acutely aware of the negative impacts of overusing, and many members even attempt (some unsuccessfully) self-regulation.[1] Having the willpower to make that desired habit change is hard, and Z will probably need the support of the greater society. Z is reaching out for real-world connections as they recognize the problems of becoming too absorbed in the digital world. Constant pinging and always being on a device is crushing Gen Z. The generation is reported to be more depressed and more suicidal than any other group in modern history. They are beginning to crave some time unplugged to reset. This is evidenced by the numerous Z-centric support groups that seek to end technology addiction. The military can offer this real-world, responsibility-bearing, unplugged experience that many seek..

[1] Janssen, Dawn, and Stephen Carradini. “Generation Z Workplace Communication Habits and Expectations.” IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication 64, no. 2 (2021): 137–53. https://doi.org/10.1109/tpc.2021.3069288.

Matthew Weiss 17/11/23 Matthew Weiss 17/11/23

Chapter 11: Reskilling The Labor Force Through Military Jobs

Future Zers at later ages in life are a recruiting pool that will need skills to remain relevant.

Solution: The military can be the great reskilling program older Zers will be looking for.

There's the often-repeated expression that 40 is the new 30. For Z, a better trope would be that 30 is the new 20, since you can become a better version of your past self. With further research and investment in anti-aging lifestyles,[1] [2] science is delivering the first generation to live forever (or, more realistically, the first generation in modern times to achieve a massive 5-10 year jump in life expectancy). While the military has traditionally recruited from a young age pool, the most significant opportunity to attract Z may still be years away. As the oldest Zers turn 26, it's reasonable to prepare to continue to make the military appeal to them for at least a decade and a half more. As Zoomers continue to age, there are positive reasons to believe that their grit and ability to get challenging jobs done will increase over time.[3]Counteracting this positive trajectory will be that the skills needed to stay current in a dynamic world economy will be ever-changing. Future Zers at later ages in life are a recruiting pool that will need skills to remain relevant. The military can offer the reskilling program that Zers are looking for…

[1] Delbert, Caroline. “Jeff Bezos Is Paying for a Way to Make Humans Immortal.” Popular Mechanics. January 26, 2022. https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/startups/a38867242/jeff-bezos-altos-labs/.

[2] Oliver Zolman, M.D. https://www.oliverzolman.com/

[3] Duckworth, Angela L., Christopher Peterson, Michael D. Matthews, and Dennis R. Kelly. “Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 92, no. 6 (2007): 1087–1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087.

Matthew Weiss 10/11/23 Matthew Weiss 10/11/23

Chapter 10: Allowing Changing Work Patterns In The Military

Z wants to have the flexibility of being remote combined with the experience of occasionally being mobile when crafting work in the 21st century.

Solution: Increasing remote work, encouraging more lax leave policies, and recruiting foreigner Zers are ways to support the next generation of recruits.

Some of the greatest military conquests of all time have been accomplished by nomadic warriors. Genghis Khan led the Mongols on horseback throughout Asia, and Alexander the Great streamed down from Greece to present-day India. Occasionally moving from one's home is deeply rooted in our hunter-gatherer genetics. As the world industrialized, travel receded, and everything humans needed to survive was closely located with them. While the urge to travel and explore is nothing new, Gen Z has more flexibility in both where they geographically want to work and when they choose to do so. The movement to remote work saw Z become the first generation to do the better portion of a year of online schooling. Zooming became the method of collaborating as purely digital meetings flourished. While the jury is out on whether permanent remote work is here to stay or not, the experience forged a generation that will continue to want to use innovation to increase optionality around location and distance. Z wants to have the flexibility of being remote combined with the experience of occasionally being mobile when crafting work for themselves in the 21st century…

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Matthew Weiss 3/11/23 Matthew Weiss 3/11/23

Chapter 9: Smoothing Out Economic Cycles

The economic impact of recessions and boom cycles on joining the military make recruitment too cyclical.

Solution: The military recruitment needs to be detached from economic cycles by promoting side hustles and explaining pay in ways that are similar to other jobs.

The larger macroeconomic cycle is going to have an impact on every industry. The military, being a government organization that must always be on call, is actually countercyclical to prevailing hiring trends. For one, it's reasonable to say that the world gets more unstable during economic crashes as the potential for conflict rises, thus encouraging increased spending on the military. More than that, when other companies freeze hiring and shut their doors to new graduates, the military becomes a much more attractive option with its pay guarantee and stable job. For years, recruiters have battled the federal reserve while trying to maintain balanced numbers throughout the whole cycle. Current estimates have that a 10% decrease in civilian unemployment reduces the number of qualified recruits by upwards of 4%.[1]

While joining the military isn't often done to make money, relative economic progress and social standing matter. Contrary to popular perception, the military is firmly made up of the middle class of Americans. Among enlisted recruits, the middle three income quintiles are overrepresented, and the top and bottom quintiles are underrepresented[2]. Putting this together, the military's recruiting focus logically attracts the middle class and should ideally be able to maintain that middle-class lifestyle during and post-service. In the end, the economic impact of recessions and boom cycles on joining the military makes recruitment too cyclical. Military recruitment needs to be detached from economic cycles by promoting side hustles and explaining pay in ways that are similar to other jobs…

[1] John T. Warner, “The Effect of the Civilian Economy on Recruiting and Retention,” in U.S. Department of Defense, Report of the Eleventh Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation, supporting research papers, Part 1, Chapter 2, June 2012

[2] Council on Foreign Relations. “Demographics of the U.S. Military.”. Accessed April 9, 2023. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/demographics-us-military.

Matthew Weiss 27/10/23 Matthew Weiss 27/10/23

Chapter 8: Improving Service To Fit Modern Timelines

Gen Z wants to move faster and there is a huge premium placed on time.

Solution: The option of shorter service contracts should exist.

Career patterns are changing. The typical trajectory of staying at one company for decades has declined since the turn of the century. Young Zers no longer talk about four to five years on the job, they're switching as much as every two years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that "the median tenure of workers ages 55 to 64 (9.8 years) was more than three times that of workers ages 25 to 34 years (2.8 years).[1] From a consistency standpoint, the four years as a high school student may be the longest-tenured position that Zers ever hold. Karin Kimbrough, the chief economist at LinkedIn, said in a statement that "it's normal for career starters to be in an experimental phase where they're still figuring out what they want out of a job, and aren't always ready and willing to settle[2]". This sets the generation up with major commitment issues that are directly at odds with the nature of current military contracts. Generally speaking, the standard military contract requires four years of active duty and some portion in the reserves. Although nuances exist, nearly all contracts have an eight-year "total commitment" to the force. Just the concept of eight years to the average 18-year-old Zoomer is frightening. Overall, Z places a massive emphasis on optionality. They want to keep up with the fast-moving information age and progress at a much quicker rate than their ancestors. There is a huge premium placed on speed and time. The military must keep up with this and satisfy the dilemma of the clock…

[1] Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Tenure Summary §. USDL-22-1894 (2022).

[2] Hoff, Madison. “How Gen Z Is Winning the Great Resignation, from Pay Increases to Better Work-Life Balance.” Business Insider. Business Insider. Accessed April 10, 2023. https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-winning-great-resignation-changing-job-market-2022-6.

Matthew Weiss 20/10/23 Matthew Weiss 20/10/23

Chapter 7: Paying For Performance

Everyone gets paid the same with no true reward structure. Pay in the military is incongruous in a generation that watches their peers gain followers through Youtube and Instagram. Better content, and better performance = more money.

Solution: The DoD should begin performance pay as bonuses for success, and money for food with a college style meal plan to encourage healthiness and choice.

Money is often the most controversial topic in military affairs. While crafting the world's largest defense budget, America's politicians are planning to spend $857.9 billion in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.[1] With such a large number, it's daunting to imagine the thousands of accounting lines these dollars eventually funnel into. Hundreds of books and speakers have opined on defense spending, and many of the recruitment problems facing the military could easily be hand-waved with more money. However, the nation must stay fiscally responsible and we’re running out of money to spend. Instead of just "throwing more money" at these recruitment issues, the premise the Armed Forces must operate under is that they will have to make do with less. They must assume they won’t be able to spend a single dollar more on recruitment, but instead have to work harder and smarter with what they've been allocated. The military way of dealing with large war campaigns is to break things down to the strategic, operational, and tactical (SOT) levels. This strong framework is perfect for planning to tackle defense budgeting.

The strategic level concerns Generals and Congress, the topline numbers that go into major line items like how much each service branch is budgeted annually. The operational level is where each service branch invests in key weapons programs, training initiatives, and their yearly goals for manning and equipping troops. The rubber meets the road at the tactical level, and financial decisions here can most directly impact current and prospective military individuals. The financial item most significantly tied to recruitment is naturally base pay. Military base pay is an extremely complex bureaucratic system that doesn't lend itself well to serving modern-day recruiting. This chapter focuses on understanding how pay in the military is incongruous with Generation Z, and proposes that shaping a better performance-based rewards system will incentivize more recruits…

[1] James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023

Matthew Weiss 13/10/23 Matthew Weiss 13/10/23

Chapter 6: Modernizing The Health Accession System

Gen Z has similar if not better physical health profiles than past generations yet ridiculous medical standards prevent many from joining.

Solution: The entire health waiver process needs to be re-done, focusing only on if servicemembers are physically able to do their future job or not.

The military stands out from other sectors of society in that its work often has some physical component. While increasingly more jobs require little to no daily physical activity, each service branch still mandates a baseline level of health standards to complete its mission. One of the "big four" disqualifiers for potential Gen Z recruits is due to health considerations. Certain officials can use this as a cover when putting the blame back on the youth for not being up to recruitable standards. What is actually going on when people give these inflated numbers of "Americans unfit for service" is a classic example from the famous 1954 book by Darell Huff titled “How to Lie with Statistics.”[1] Generation Z is no more unhealthy than Boomers, Millennials, or the Greatest Generation that won WWII. Instead, our healthcare and digital record tracking improvements have wholly detached the military performance goals we aim for from the statistical ground truth that the data represents. Overall, Gen Z has similar, if not better, physical health profiles than past generations, yet ridiculous medical standards prevent many from joining. From the nonsensical disqualifiers like eczema and flat feet to the more severe like spinal curvature, these outdated rules need to be analyzed by new healthcare professionals. The entire health waiver process needs to be redone, focusing only on if service members are physically able to do their future job or not…

[1] Huff, Darrel, and Irving Geis. How to Lie with Statistics. New York: Norton, 1993.

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Matthew Weiss 6/10/23 Matthew Weiss 6/10/23

Chapter 5: Assisting Frontline Recruiters In the Struggle

Z has a tough balancing act between listening to elder’s wisdom and having more knowledge than them. The recruiting job needs to work to with this trend.

Solution: Recruiters should adopt a “keeping it real” approach in concert with improving recruiter training and treatment though centralization, and applying a business-minded approach.

Throughout American history, there has always been some healthy tension between the young and the old. The debate about experience vs. fresh new perspectives rings more true now than in the past, because today's youth may be the first generation that is better informed than their elders. An idle young person can absorb more about the world through endless streams of podcasts, videos, and audiobooks, creating the effect of them quite literally knowing 10x more than adults at a very young age. Z, in particular, has a tougher balancing act between respect for authority and knowing simply more skills/information than Millennials or Gen X. Deciding when to listen to older people's wisdom and when to choose their own paths is a current sticking point. This paradigm hits hardest at the recruiter-recruit level.

The recruiter is the individual at the tip of the spear in the effort to bring new citizens into the military. Many describe this role as one of the hardest in the entire armed forces. To speak here as a naïve Gen-Zer who has never sat in the recruiter chair, and make direct recommendations to them specifically about the nitty gritty of their challenging job would be disingenuous. However, the fresh perspective of tying these Z trends together to reform the recruiting structure may successfully spark the proper debate. With some Zers knowing more than their older recruiters, the job has to carefully balance this trend by "keeping it real," improving recruiter training and treatment through centralization, and applying a business-minded approach…

Matthew Weiss 29/9/23 Matthew Weiss 29/9/23

Chapter 4: Enabling Veterans To Continue To Serve

In order to help convince parents to support their children in joining the military, Veterans need to be inspired to transparently tell their past experiences.

Solution: All service members should be put in a college degree program to build toward their future so they desire more to help the institution once they are out of it.

Zoomers are moving in with Boomers. In a trend that mirrors what has occurred over the past decades with our European counterparts, many young adults are moving back home with their parents. Perhaps due to the rising cost of rent or the practice being made more socially acceptable by the pandemic, parents have a more significant impact on Z than the rebellious Millennials, who would look down upon living at home. Along with this reconnection to home living comes the natural desire in any young person to please one's parents. It's human nature to want to make Mom and Dad proud, and parents often are major driving influences on young Zers' decisions. It logically tracks that to recruit more Zoomers into the military, part of the strategy must involve persuading their parents. This monumental and life-changing decision often comes after deep, and sometimes painful, conversations with elders. A significant concern for 21st-century parents is the outcomes their children will have when joining the service. Besides safety, which is usually paramount, education and future job prospects when assimilating back into society are at the top of their mind. Only one group knows about the transformation and reintegration that encompasses an entire cycle of 21st-century service: modern Veterans. To help convince parents to support their children in joining the military, Veterans need to be inspired to transparently tell how their experiences impacted their future…

Matthew Weiss 22/9/23 Matthew Weiss 22/9/23

Chapter 3: Reaching A Changing Congregation

Generation Z has a different relationship with religion than in the past. They often get their sense of morals and beliefs from a myriad of sources.

Solution: The military must tap into new, non-traditional outlets like influencers to reach Zoomers.

Regardless of the various views on religion, one undeniable fact is that Generation Z is poised to be the least religious generation in the history of America. As a practicing Jew who had a Bar Mitzvah and attempts to observe the Sabbath every week, I’ve watched my faith leaders decry the “great secularization” of today’s youth. Many of my Christian, Hindu, and Muslim peers have witnessed a similar trend. Without exploring the causes of this, the military should recognize and adapt accordingly.

Religion and the United States military have long been linked together. Our citizens were religious, so naturally, the military was, too. The close connection between beliefs in God and the afterlife to the permanent and often deadly nature of warfare may also explain the intense relationship. War is the most horrible and dangerous act humans engage in. With our strong survival instincts and terror of dying,[1] religion often helps bring meaning to the actions armies are forced to commit. The military has long fought to bring the religious freedoms experienced here in the United States to nations we've fought for and against. It has also gone to great lengths to support servicemembers' religious practices, sometimes even in dangerous combat situations. The military officially recognizes over 220 religions[2] (including atheism) and has a large and diverse chaplain corps of ~2,800 faith leaders. Sadly, even the Chaplain corps is now facing recruitment issues…

[1] Becker, Ernest. The Denial of Death. New York: Free Press, 1973.

[2] Winston, Kimberly. “Defense Department Expands Its List of Recognized Religions.” Religion News Service, April 23, 2017. https://religionnews.com/2017/04/21/defense-department-expands-its-list-of-recognized-religions/.

Matthew Weiss 15/9/23 Matthew Weiss 15/9/23

Chapter 2: Differentiating Through Competition

Competitive Zers want to signal that what they are doing is differentiated so they can rank themselves. The military should better display niche MOS communities, credentials, and clear billeting pipelines to attract competitive candidates.

Solution: The military must display niche MOS communities, credentials, and clear billeting pipelines to attract competitive candidates in small formalized group-chats (GTG = Good To Go Group).

The ~70 million kids who have grown up hunting for likes, retweets, and shares are now becoming young adults who want to compete in the working world. Z has nurtured a mindset that allows them to do activities and make proclamations that rank them in society. David and Jonah Stillman,[1] the authors of "Gen Z at work," explain that Gen Z believes there are winners and losers in the world. In high school, the likes one receives on a Facebook picture or the following-follower ratio one has on Instagram signifies social status. Z now realizes that these metaphysical bits and bytes, which confer "points" in youth, can also be obtained in adulthood. This social competition leads to a strong desire for signaling amongst Zoomers. Tons of research literature[2] is focused on analyzing social hierarchies. For all their lamentable aspects, they fulfill innate human needs for resource allocation and understanding in a way that motivates.

History has long recognized social capital and status. However, today's modern digital teenager has a more transparent, more instant, and more public accounting system to do so. Three converging trends are heavily influencing today's hierarchies. Firstly, niche communities are making social rankings more focused. Second, this ranking system is often tabulated by the visual progress one can project and display. Third, Zers want to know the clearly defined paths to climbing in these hierarchies; the so-called rules for winning.

[1] Stillman, Jonah. Gen Z @ Work - How The Next Generation Is Transforming the Workplace. HarperCollins Publishers Inc, 2017.

[2] Halevy, Nir, Eileen Y. Chou, and Adam D. Galinsky. “A Functional Model of Hierarchy.” Organizational Psychology Review 1, no. 1 (2011): 32–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041386610380991.