Pentagon bedeviled by recruitment failures as solutions prove elusive

Military officials and lawmakers on Wednesday painted a grim picture of recruiting efforts within the Defense Department, as a recent study suggests worrisome shortfalls could grow worse if more women decline to serve over restrictive abortion laws in many Republican-led states where U.S. personnel are based.

The Pentagon has characterized the head winds in stark terms, saying its recruiting environment is the worst it has been since the end of the Vietnam War. Some of the military services will just barely meet their goals as the fiscal year ends later this month, officials said in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Army, the armed forces’ largest branch, will miss its target by 30,000 soldiers, said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).