(NewsNation) — Republicans are poised to win full control of Congress and, with President-elect Donald Trump set to take office in January, that could mean some changes for the United States military.
Among those possible changes is a renewed ban on transgender service members. Trump announced the ban during his first term but President Joe Biden lifted that restriction.
Other possible changes under Trump
Another policy that’s potentially on the chopping block provides paid leave and reimbursements for service members who travel to another state for an abortion.
The U.S. military implemented that policy last year. The Defense Department says it was used 12 times across all military branches between June and December, costing $45,000.
Trump has pushed to cut back wasteful government spending, which could potentially lead to cuts in defense spending.
The official 2024 Republican platform includes plans to invest in military research and advanced technology and supports higher pay for troops.
Military recruitment
The Army, Air Force, Marines and Space Force all met their recruitment goals during the previous fiscal year.
One of the top Pentagon leaders for personnel says a recruitment crisis is the biggest challenge the military has faced since its inception.
The Defense Department recently reported that the armed services recruited 12.5% more people in the past fiscal year, compared to the year prior.
Challenges, however, have included a low unemployment rate, competition from private companies that can offer better pay and benefits, and the eligible public’s fewer ties to friends and family members who have served.
Before this past cycle, the Army fell short of its recruitment goals for two consecutive years, including a 25% shortfall in 2022.
New enlistments have also declined. 2023 saw about 30,000 fewer enlistees than 2019.
“We need to remain cautiously optimistic about the future recruiting operations as we continue to recruit in a market that has low youth propensity to serve, limited familiarity with military opportunities, a competitive labor market and a declining eligibility among young adults,” the Director of Military Accession Policy Katie Helland said in an official statement last week.
The Defense Department has touted the success of a training program that gives low-performing recruits 90 days to get up to standards for basic training.
