Military Brand Advisor’s 2025 Trends to Watch
- Military Brand Advisor
- Jan 22
- 16 min read
2025 promises to again be a busy and uncertain year for those serving in uniform. This is nothing new for those who choose military careers. At Military Brand Advisor we continue to watch the convergence of evolving trends creating challenges to military life and the opportunities for lifestyle brands supporting our troops. Organizations that adapt the way they currently think about their business and contemplate new ways to offer value to service members and their families stand to do the most good. Here are the top 2025 trends to keep an eye on.
A Quarter Millennium to Celebrate
2025 marks the United States military’s 250th anniversary. The original three branches of the United States military trace their founding to the Continental Congress in 1775, making the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps older than the United States itself. The Continental Congress realized early on that protecting commerce and the territorial integrity of the American colonies required self-reliance. During 2025, the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps celebrate 250 years of service to the Nation.
Over the past 250 years the U.S. military has accomplished much. Most notably the safety, security, and sovereignty of our nation has been preserved, and the American experiment endures. The American way of life and the American dream owe much to those who have gone before, and put their lives on the line to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Take time to celebrate the United States Army and the contributions of soldiers and their families on June 14th, sailors and the Navy on October 13th, and Marines and the Marine Corps, November 10th.
Generation Z Fills the Ranks of a Shrinking Force
Gen Z continues to reach enlistment age and fill the junior ranks, while Millennials populate senior levels and push out all but just a few remaining Gen Xers from the highest ranks(1). Adapting to both the opportunities and the challenges presented by Gen Z’s world view, financial perspectives, and the unique ways in which they think, act, and communicate will be essential for those charged with developing policy and providing support to the military community.
Healthier Than the General Population
Projections for the number of new high school graduates, the principal cohort comprising entrants into the U.S. military, is forecast to steadily decrease(2). In 2020, a record low of only 23% of Americans ages 17-to-24 either medically or physically qualified for service(3). Members of the U.S. military will continue to be significantly healthier than the average American and will have better access to health care long term, increasing the leading factors contributing to longer life expectancy. Insurability and the income streams surrounding lifetime customer value expands the attractiveness of this group to prospective employers and sectors reliant on extracting lifelong consumer value.
Generation Z Will be the Best Compensated Military Force in History
Military compensation has steadily risen for close to a decade. Military millennials have benefited from this increase and are now eligible for full military retirement. Further, the remaining active-duty Gen Xers represent the services’ most senior leaders, as Gen Z continues to reach enlistment age and fill the ranks. Gen Z is entering service during a time of significant compensation adjustments(4). The largest pay raises in decades are financially enabling the youngest troops in ways previously unimagined. Competition for dollars and attention from the first true digital natives will continue to be stronger than ever. Organizations that prepare for both the opportunities and the challenges presented by Gen Z’s world view, financial perspectives, and the unique ways in which they think, act, and communicate will achieve competitive advantage in the military space.
Personal Income Rising
Service member income has steadily increased over the last decade, with base pay rising 35% during the last ten years. At the same time financial readiness remains a concern. The average E-4, someone who is around twenty-one years old, and has been in the military around four years, will have personal annual income of over sixty thousand dollars in 2025(5). At the same time, despite higher individual compensation, personal and unit financial readiness remains a concern for both unit commanders and those who serve. The leaders of the defense department and the individual services must contemplate why, despite higher level of base pay and inflationary offsets for housing and meals, are today’s warriors beset by the same financial pitfalls experienced by servicemembers for two-and-a-half-centuries.
The Biggest Pay Raises in Decades
In January 2023, what was at the time the highest pay raise in two decades went into effect, raising base pay an additional 4.6 percent(6). The portions of military compensation designed to offset inflation also increased. Originally forecast for 3.4%, meal allowances (BAS – Basic Allowance for Subsistence) increased 11%. On average, housing allowances increased 4.3%. A 5.2% across-the-board raise again boosted income in 2024(7). 2025 brings another above-average, 4.5%, base pay boost for all ranks, and a targeted additional 10% for the most junior troops(8). The Reagan era was the last time our military saw a double-digit pay catch-up(9). Generation Z will be the best compensated military force in history, with personal income, managed correctly, enabling a much fuller range of short-term and long-term lifestyle options. Managed incorrectly, the Gen Z military will continue to face family economic hardships, personal financial emergencies, food insecurity, and the challenges of single-income life that will continue to adversely impact unit financial readiness and retention.
Bigger-Than-Ever Financial Incentives to Enlist and Stay in Service
In 2022, new enlistees began to see maximum allowable enlistment bonuses increase. The Navy offered the most lucrative cash incentives of all the services to join, raising its ceiling to $50K in a lump sum(10). In 2023 Navy enlistment bonus maximums increased to $75K(11). For a limited time in 2025, certain Navy in-demand job skills will see a rare opportunity to garner up to $140K for a commitment to quickly enter recruit training(12). The Secretary of Defense recently updated the discretionary authority to raise enlistment incentives to $75K(13). The Department of Homeland Security is also following suite, authorizing up to $75K in 2025 Coast Guard enlistment incentives(14). In 2025 some new joins to the Army can bonus up to $50K(15). Select individuals committing to the Air Force can obtain $40K(16). Space Force, under less recruiting stress, will limit the maximum enlistment bonus to $4K(17). While traditionally hesitant(18) to offer a cash enlistment incentive, in 2024 the Marine Corps began experimenting with small, targeted bonuses for joining(19).
Yet, with rising pay and incredible financial incentives for enlisting, financial readiness concerns remain. In 2023 some new Navy recruits were handed four times in annual base pay as they left recruit training. Essentially, service members who have never had a real paycheck in their lives, and at 18 years of age, alone, away from home for the first time, adapting to a new lifestyle, learning a new job, and with no real expenses were receiving a comparatively enormous amount of cash. Suddenly the youngest sailors found themselves with a 6-figure income in their first year of service. In the second year of service however, regular pay and allowances normalize at a substantially lower level. In 2024 average entry-level (E-1) annual income was over $39K for a high school graduate without a college degree. This improved level of income creates tremendous personal financial management challenges and opens the door to opportunities for banking and financial planning partners that can offer legitimate long-term solutions.
Longer and harder family separations
While the number of available troops declines, operational commitments continue to rise. 2025 will be a busy year for our service members. It is not unusual for deployments to now last 9-to-12 months(20) (up from the previous 6-month norm) and to see extensions. These deployments(21) impact not only the regular active-duty force, but national guard(22) and reserve units as well. The opportunities for lifestyle brands to support the troops and ease the burden on military families are substantial.
Making a Difference on a Global Scale
How organizations respond to societal change, or not, makes a difference to Gen Z. The Gen Z military will increasingly find itself playing a role front-and- center and making a difference in some of the most pressing global issues of our time.
Climate change
Our Gen Z military will continue coming face-to-face with confronting the effects of catastrophic weather(23). How institutions respond to hurricanes, wildfires, floods, warmer than normal temperature patterns, and natural disasters associated with climate change will come under increasing scrutiny(24). This requires a mind shift in orientation from viewing cataclysmic climate-related events as the worst-ever, to the best it will ever be. Gen Z will look to see how organizations treat stakeholders and how their needs are either considered or marginalized in preparing and responding to climate events.
Opening of the Artic
Competition for the global commons as polar ice caps recede will increase artic operations for all branches of the military. More service members and their families will find themselves stationed at installations in Alaska(25) and the Seattle(26) area. Attempts to monetarily incent moves and permanent change of station orders will continue to face budget pressures(27).
China on the Move
While population migration in the United States favors the southern states(28), we will see more-and-more relocation of military personnel to the Pacific. Chinese military technological advances, aircraft and ship production surges(29), and artificial reef building(30) will dictate more U.S. military presence in Hawaii, Guam, Japan, and Korea, already home to some of our largest overseas military population centers, as well as Australia, the Philippines, and other remote island states(31). We should not be surprised by more military assets and personnel in places like Diego Garcia, Guam, Yokota, Australia, as well as seemingly obscure archipelagos. Organizations that can adapt to slow, steady, growth of military populations in remote Pacific Ocean destinations can benefit military families.
Containing Russia
Russia’s 2022 assault into Ukraine added to the already under way reversal of the decades-long US troop reduction in Germany and Europe. For the first time in recent memory, we continue to see new unit creation in Germany accompanied by family moves(32), new installations in Poland(33), and increases in deployments and rotational strength in Romania(34), Estonia, and amongst the 42 European nations with some level of US troop presence.
More Work to do in Central Asia
The United States’ August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan widely signaled a foreign policy shift and intention to significantly reduce central-Asian military footprint(35). Two years later we see sustained military presence in the region(36) and some of the most intense naval combat operations in recent times(37). As long as violent threats to international shipping continue and existential threats to national sovereignty pervade, the US will continue to deploy troops to maintain stability.
A Year of Uncertainty
In addition to deployments, delayed passage(38) of federal government and defense budgets, and looming threats of government shutdowns potentially stopping pay checks(39) continue to create uncertainty for military families that will defer long-overdue quality of life improvements. Ameliorating living conditions and food service top the list of budget priorities that will be squeezed to preserve funding for operations and force modernization. Barracks(40) and base housing(41) renovations will move slowly and unequally across the military branches and various installations. The degradation of basic on-base services like trash pickup(42) and quality food service(43) will continue to draw attention as living conditions vacillate, lowering morale and disenfranchising military families.
Opportunities for Industry Partners Abound
If we are still thinking Gen Z is just a continuation of Millennials, think again. This new generation thinks, acts, works, and communicates very differently than anything society has previously seen. How Gen Z is enabled, empowered, and considered, while at work, socially, as consumers, and how organizations and brands they choose to affiliate with embrace issues makes a substantial difference. Strong opinions may emerge, but more frequently, Gen Z will vote with their feet and wallets, softly messaging their values by shifting time and energy toward brands that quickly and meaningfully meet their needs.
Takeaways
1. Take time to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. military all year, but particularly the Army, June 14th, Navy, October 13th, and Marine Corps, November 10th.
2. The generation coming of age presents significant opportunities for entities willing to begin addressing Gen Z’s demographic impacts sooner rather than later.
3. Rising military income and life expectancy are more than statistics. Organizations that can adapt their thinking and deliver new ways to offer value to service members and their families can make a difference by closing gaps in services furnished by the federal government.
4. Long-ignored gaps in military lifestyles will surface more frequently, and Gen Z will be less tolerant of a bureaucratic defense department than previous generations. As lifestyle brands, the individual military branches must move faster to orient and adapt to Gen Z thinking.
5. Organizations that can find ways to mitigate the uncertainties of military life can make a substantial difference.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Military Brand Advisor
Military Brand Advisor makes connecting with the US military community easy. Organizations with a desire to honor military service must defy the ordinary to successfully connect with a unique subset of the United States' population. Living a military lifestyle is challenging. The demands of service are vastly different than the average day-to-day experiences of most Americans. Military Brand Advisor helps bridge the gap in knowledge and experience necessary to forge authentic and meaningful bonds with military consumers. To learn more visit MilitaryBrandAdvisor.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End notes
1. At any given time, generally at least three generational cohorts populate the ranks of the U.S. military and interact with each other. Current demographic data details the age groups of service members. “2023 Demographics Profile Data.” Military OneSource, United States Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, 8 Jan. 2025, www.militaryonesource.mil/data-research-and-statistics/military-community-demographics/2023-demographics-profile.
2. The overall number of people serving in the active-duty force has declined in recent years. After several years of reduced recruiting goals, some of the services are starting to rebuild. Judson, Jen, and Todd South. “US Army Sets Ambitious New Recruiting Goal Following Years of Struggle.” Defense News, Defense News, 21 Oct. 2024, www.defensenews.com/land/2024/10/14/us-army-sets-ambitious-new-recruiting-goal-following-years-of-struggle/?utm_campaign=dfn-ebb&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sailthru.
3. Many factors influence enlistment eligibility. 2020 Qualified Military Available (QMA) Study, United States Department of Defense, https://prod-media.asvabprogram.com/CEP_PDF_Contents/Qualified_Military_Available.pdf.
4. Congress periodically reviews military pay and compensation. “FY2025 NDAA: Military Basic Pay Reform Proposal.” Congress.Gov, Congressional Research Service, 30 Dec. 2024, https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12367#:~:text=Section%20601%20amends%20pay%20tables,Source%3A%20CRS%20analysis%20of%20legislation.
5. Generally, every four years the President of the United States directs a Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation. Nieberg, Patty. “Paychecks for Junior Enlisted Troops Are Better than 90% of Civilian Peers, Report Says.” Task & Purpose, 15 Jan. 2025, https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/military-compensation-review-2025/?utm_term=Task%26Purpose_Today_01.16.25&utm_campaign=Task%20%26%20Purpose_TPToday_Actives_Dynamic&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email.
6. Military base pay significantly jumped for the second time in two years, following a significant increase in 2023. Shane, Leo. “Troops Set for Largest Pay Boost in 22 Years under Defense Plan.” Military Times, Military Times, 14 Dec. 2023, www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2023/12/14/troops-set-for-largest-pay-boost-in-22-years-under-defense-plan.
7. The 2023 annual military pay raise was billed as the biggest increase in decades. Kheel, Rebecca. “Biggest Military Pay Raise in 20 Years Heads to Biden’s Desk for Signature as Part of Annual Defense Bill.” Military.Com, 14 Dec. 2023, www.military.com/daily-news/2023/12/14/biggest-military-pay-raise-20-years-heads-bidens-desk-signature-part-of-annual-defense-bill.html.
8. For the third year in a row the pay raise was above 4%. The most junior troops will be the beneficiaries of a 14.5% increase that completes phasing in during April 2025. Slayton, Nicholas. “Junior Enlisted Troops Set to Receive Major Pay Increase in 2025.” Task & Purpose, 7 Dec. 2024, https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/junior-enlisted-pay-increase-ndaa-2025/?utm_term=Task%26Purpose_Today_12.09.24&utm_campaign=Task%20%26%20Purpose_TPToday_Actives_Dynamic&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email.
9. The Reagan administration is credited with the last double-digit military pay raise. “President Reagan Wednesday Signed a $4.5 Billion Military Pay... - UPI Archives.” UPI, UPI, 14 Oct. 1981, www.upi.com/Archives/1981/10/14/President-Reagan-Wednesday-signed-a-45-billion-military-pay/1348371880000.
10. Most military service branches offer varying degrees of monetary incentives to enlist, dependent on career field. “Active Component Enlistment Bonuses (EB) and Reserve Component Shipping Bonuses.” Navy.Mil, United States Navy Recruiting Command, 22 Aug. 2022, www.cnrc.navy.mil/Portals/87/Documents/Bonus%20Loans/FY22/CNRC_EB_LRP%20GENADMIN_SEPTEMBER2022_effective17SEP.pdf?ver=CiJD5usN-CcYkKX__9wvuw%3D%3D.
11. The Navy began offering the most lucrative cash enlistment incentives for certain job specialties as one measure of boosting recruiting. “Active Component Enlistment Bonuses (EB) and Reserve Component Shipping Bonuses.” Navy.Mil, United States Navy Recruiting Command, 3 Aug. 2023, www.cnrc.navy.mil/Portals/87/Documents/Bonus%20Loans/FY23/CNRC_EB_LRP%20GENADMIN_AUG%2020230821.pdf?ver=oI8vIXgPxJHc_y375Qov9w==×tamp=1692733379058.
12. Incentives for entering Navy nuclear career fields tend to be the most lucrative specialties. “Enlistment Bonuses by Position.” Navy.Com, United States Navy, www.navy.com/careers-benefits/pay/enlistment-bonus. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
13. The Secretary of Defense sets policy caps on enlistment incentives. “Financial Management Regulation Volume 7A, Chapter 9.” Defense.Gov, Office of the Secretary of Defense/Comptroller, Aug. 2024, https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/current/07a/07a_09.pdf.
14. The Coast Guard reports to the Secretary of Homeland Security and requires separate budget authority from the Department of Defense. “ALCOAST 325/24 - Aug 2024 FY2025 Workforce Planning Team Results - Monetary and Non-Monetary Interventions.” U.S. Coast Guard, 23 Aug. 2024, https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/3b0ae55.
15. The different branches of the military reevaluate enlistment incentives annually. “Enlistment Bonus Program.” United States Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Human Resources Command, 15 Jan. 2025, www.hrc.army.mil/content/Enlistment%20Bonus%20Program.
16. The Air Force reevaluates enlistment incentives annually. “Active-Duty Air Force Bonuses.” Air Force.Com, United States Air Force, www.airforce.com/pay-and-benefits/bonuses/air-force-bonuses.
17. Space Force falls under the Department of The Air Force but separately reevaluates enlistment incentives annually. “Department of the Air Force Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget Estimates, Military Personnel, Space Force.” Air Force Financial Managmenent.Mil, Department of the Air Force, Mar. 2024, www.saffm.hq.af.mil/Portals/84/documents/FY25/FY25%20Space%20Force%20Military%20Personnel.pdf?ver=k-yb1vS-gA29nZKx4Y8frw%3D%3D.
18. The Marine Corps sees more value in reenlistment bonuses to retain talent. Loewenson, Irene. “Do Recruits Need Bonuses? No. 2 Marine Expands on Viral Remark.” Marine Corps Times, Marine Corps Times, 16 Feb. 2023, www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2023/02/16/do-recruits-need-bonuses-no-2-marine-expands-on-viral-remark.
19. The Marine Corps piloted a limited number of enlistment bonuses in 2024. “FY24 Enlistment Incentive Programs.” Marines.Mil, United States Marine Corps, 21 Feb. 2024, www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/3683005/fy24-enlistment-incentive-programs.
20. A normal deployment is typically six months. Barnhart, Kaylyn. “USS Daniel Inouye Returns to Pearl Harbor after Historic First 9-Month Deployment.” Stars and Stripes, 6 Oct. 2024,
21. Recent years have seen an increasing number of more frequent deployments. Myers, Meghann, and Davis Winkie. “Pentagon Won’t Say If Troop Deployment Tempo Exceeds Recommended Goal.” Military Times, Military Times, 18 Mar. 2024, www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2024/03/18/pentagon-wont-say-if-troop-deployment-tempo-exceeds-recommended-goal.
22. Both the active-duty force and reserve component units can be found covering global operational commitments. Beynon, Steve. “National Guard Will Be Used ‘More, Not Less’ as Military Preps for Future War, General Says.” Military.Com, 20 June 2021, www.military.com/daily-news/2021/06/18/national-guard-will-be-used-more-not-less-military-preps-future-war-general-says.html.
23. In recent years, military installations have increasingly been subjected to catastrophic weather. White, Matt. “Moody Air Force Base, Fort Eisenhower under Partial Evacuation Orders.” Task & Purpose, 1 Oct. 2024, https://taskandpurpose.com/news/bases-under-partial-evacuations/?utm_term=Task%26Purpose_Today_10.02.24&utm_campaign=Task+%26+Purpose_TPToday_Actives_Dynamic&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email.
24. Catastrophic weather can cause business disruption and adversely impact brand reputation. Mohan, Pavithra. “Hurricanes Helene and Milton Demonstrate Why Employers Need to Have Natural Disaster Plans.” Fast Company, 11 Oct. 2024, www.fastcompany.com/91208223/hurricanes-helene-and-milton-demonstrate-why-employers-need-to-have-natural-disaster-plans.
25. The Army, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard continue to increase Alaska-based operations. Woody, Christopher. “With a New, ‘strategically Located’ Unit in Alaska, the US Army Wants to Extend Its Reach in the Arctic and Beyond.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 9 June 2022, www.businessinsider.com/new-alaska-army-unit-extends-reach-in-arctic-and-beyond-2022-6.
26. Seattle will become the base of operations for the new fleet of U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers. Bernton, Hal. “Coast Guard Could Triple Base Size on Seattle Waterfront; See the 3 Possible Options.” The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times Company, 14 May 2021, http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/coast-guard-could-triple-base-size-on-seattle-waterfront-as-u-s-ramps-up-arctic-presence.
27. Military pay incentives compete with funding operational obligations. Novelly, Thomas. “New Arctic Pay for Troops Was Passed by Congress a Year Ago. but the Pentagon Waved It Off.” Military.Com, 4 Jan. 2024, www.military.com/daily-news/2024/01/04/pentagon-hasnt-implemented-new-arctic-pay-service-members-alaska-and-says-its-not-needed.html.
28. Recent internal population migration trends in the United States are toward southern states, while U.S. military populations are growing in the Pacific. “Net International Migration Drives Highest U.S. Population Growth in Decades.” Census.Gov, US Census Bureau, 19 Dec. 2024, www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/population-estimates-international-migration.html.
29. China continues to pursue a multi-decade expansion of military capabilities and global influence. Funaiole, Matthew P., et al. “China’s Massive Next-Generation Amphibious Assault Ship Takes Shape.” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1 Aug. 2024, www.csis.org/analysis/chinas-massive-next-generation-amphibious-assault-ship-takes-shape.
30. China has been artificially creating new land masses to house military installations for decades. Honrada, Gabriel. “China’s New Island-Building Tech Sure to Churn South China Sea.” Asia Times, 24 May 2024, https://asiatimes.com/2024/05/chinas-new-island-building-tech-sure-to-churn-south-china-sea.
31. Deterring aggression and maintaining stability in the Pacific continues to be vital to the U.S. economy. “Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States.” White House.Gov, The White House, 2022, www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/U.S.-Indo-Pacific-Strategy.pdf.
32. With the end of the Cold War, the United States drew down the number of forces permanently stationed in Germany. Judson, Jen. “US Army Building up Force in Europe with Two New Units.” Military Times, Military Times, 13 Apr. 2021, www.militarytimes.com/land/2021/04/13/us-army-building-up-force-in-europe-with-two-new-units/?contentFeatureId=f0fmoahPVC2AbfL-2-1-8&contentQuery=%7B%22includeSections%22%3A%22%2Fhome%22%2C%22excludeSections%22%3A%22%22%2C%22feedSize%22%3A10%2C%22feedOffset%22%3A95%7D.
33. The United States has increased the number of troop rotations in Europe, including nations once part of the Soviet Bloc. Winkie, Davis. “Thousands More Soldiers Will Be Posted to Europe and Rotating Through.” Army Times.Com, Army Times, 29 June 2022, www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2022/06/29/thousands-more-soldiers-will-be-posted-to-europe-and-rotating-through.
34. Previously a member of the Warsaw Pact, Romania today increasingly makes a case for increased North Atlantic Treaty Organization presence. Wellman, Phillip Walter. “US Army-Led Project Adds Cargo Pad at Vastly Expanding Romanian Base.” Stars and Stripes.Com, 8 Aug. 2024, www.stripes.com/branches/army/2024-08-08/mihail-kogalniceanu-base-growth-romania-14790206.html.
35. Known as the Long War, after two decades of nation building in Afghanistan, the United States withdrew military support from Afghanistan in 2021. “After Action Review on Afghanistan.” State.Gov, United States Department of State, Mar. 2022, www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/State-AAR-AFG.pdf.
36. More U.S. troops than previously disclosed were reported based in Syria. Schogol, Jeff. “More than 4,500 US Troops Are Spending Christmas in Iraq and Syria, According to Pentagon Figures.” Task & Purpose.Com, 23 Dec. 2024, https://taskandpurpose.com/news/pentagon-iraq-syria-troops/?utm_term=Task%26Purpose_Today_12.24.24&utm_campaign=Task+%26+Purpose_TPToday_Actives_Dynamic&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email.
37. The U.S. Navy has been engaged in sustained, high-intensity combat in the waters surrounding central Asia to maintain global stability and the flow of merchant commerce in the wake of continuing attacks on shipping. Gambrell, Jon. “Navy Faces Most Intense Running Sea Battle since WWII with Houthis.” Navy Times.Com, 16 June 2024, www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2024/06/16/navy-faces-most-intense-running-sea-battle-since-wwii-with-houthis.
38. The National Defense Authorization Act, the key piece of legislation that must be passed annually routinely falls behind schedule, and in recent years has not been enacted until well after the start of the U.S. governments new fiscal year. Robertson, Noah. “The Pentagon’s Budget Season Is Approaching. Experts Say Buckle Up.” Defense News.Com, 4 Mar. 2024, www.defensenews.com/newsletters/daily-news-roundup/2024/03/04/the-pentagons-budget-season-is-approaching-experts-say-buckle-up.
39. Uncertainty in a fact of military life. Whether or not service members receive their pay has increasingly become a concern as continuing resolutions and potential government shutdowns become the norm. Baldor, Lolita C., and Tara Copp. “Pentagon Warns That a Government Shutdown Will Cost Troops Their Pay over the Holidays.” AP News.Com, 20 Dec. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-trump-musk-military-troop-pay-adcc3bd728ec2e406cb8f3be9d1a890a.
40. All branches of the military services are experiencing varying degrees of habitability issues in their barracks. Loewenson, Irene. “Top Marine ‘won’t Apologize’ for Corps’ Past Neglect of Barracks.” Marine Corps Times, 2 May 2024, www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2024/05/02/top-marine-wont-apologize-for-corps-past-neglect-of-barracks.
41. A shortage of quality and available on-base and public housing caused the Navy to change temporary lodging policy, authorizing full-time dwelling in recreational vehicles. Agee, Kelly. “Sailors Can Live in RV Parks Full Time Thanks to Navy Policy Change.” Stars and Stripes.Com, 22 Mar. 2024, www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2024-03-22/navy-rv-parks-new-policy-13391129.html.
42. All branches of the military are experiencing habitability issues with base housing and the associated supporting infrastructure. Sicard, Sarah. “Trash at Fort Liberty Is Piling up Faster than It Can Be Removed.” Army Times.Com, 13 Feb. 2024, www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2024/02/13/trash-at-fort-liberty-is-piling-up-faster-than-it-can-be-removed.
43. At a time when light is beginning to shine on military food insecurity, the Army (the service with the largest number of troops) struggles across multiple installations to operate dining facilities provide meals to soldiers living in barracks. Wentling, Nikki. “Soldiers Report Empty Food Kiosks, Small Portions at Fort Carson.” Military Times.Com, Military Times, 4 Dec. 2024, www.militarytimes.com/news/your-army/2024/12/04/soldiers-report-empty-food-kiosks-small-portions-at-fort-carson/?utm_campaign=dfn-ebb&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sailthru.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© Copyright 2025 MilitaryBrandAdvisor. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from MilitaryBrandAdvisor, please submit your request here.
Comments