If you’re concerned about an America in crisis, and I am, here’s an issue working its way to the surface that is causing a big problem.

We’re involved in a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, very nervous about waging war with China over Taiwan, backstopping Israel in its war against Hamas, and watching the mad Mullahs in Iran inching their way toward a nuclear bomb. National security is a huge issue, and here’s the bad news: “The U.S. military is in the worst recruiting slump in its history, fighting a competitive labor market and shifting demographic trends and attitudes toward military service. Only about 23% of young people in the prime recruiting age of 17 to 24 are even eligible for service.” That’s the conclusion of Steve Beynon writing in the November issue of the American Legion magazine.

He continues, “Contributing to the problem is poor performance on the military’s ACT-style entrance exam. Years of dwindling resources in the nation’s public schools have resulted in a batch of high school graduates who cannot pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, let alone score high enough to fill high end jobs in the services, such as air defense and cybersecurity that will play center stage in future conflicts.”

I disagree with Beynon’s “dwindling public school resources” excuse – I think the schools are bungling their job – but overall, his analysis is on the mark We cannot let military recruiting fail.