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The Military Recruiting Crisis: Even Veterans Don’t Want Their Children to Join

Pentagon scrambles to retain the main pipeline for new service members as disillusioned families steer young people away

Sky Nisperos’s grandfather came to the U.S. from Mexico, and became an American citizen by serving in the U.S. Navy. Her father, Ernest Nisperos, is an active-duty officer in the Air Force with two decades of service. For years, Sky planned to follow a similar path.

“I wanted to be a fighter pilot,” the 22-year-old said. “It was stuck in my head.”

Now, one of the most influential people in her life—her father—is telling her that a military career may not be the right thing.

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