Army, Air Force racing to address recruitment, both projected to fall short as eligibility and interest fall

At the same time, the military is facing larger issues, such as the number of parents who believe their children need to pursue a college degree right out of high school to achieve success, said Katherine Kuzminski, senior fellow and program director with the Center for a New American Security.

"I think (service) used to be almost an exclusive pathway to financial stability and kind of rising through the classes. … Now, there is a variety of ways people can move socioeconomically," she said.

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