Why the U.S. military faces a growing recruiting crisis

The U.S. military faces a growing recruiting shortfall — one so large that legislators are getting concerned.

“The Army has to recognize that there’s been an evolution in that young population,” said U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif, chair of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. “And if you’re going to target that young population for service, you’ve got to make it appealing to them.”

Of all the military branches, the U.S. Army is running into the most difficulty this fiscal year in bringing in recruits. The other services should manage to hit their goals, according to Stars and Stripes, but underlying issues continue to make recruiting a difficult endeavor.

“Some services are struggling more than the others,” said Mackenzie Eaglen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. “The Army is certainly struggling the most — they’re also the biggest. They’re revisiting some of the fitness standards and some of the academic standards right now to try and scramble for the end of this fiscal year.”

The U.S. Department of Defense did not respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.

Watch the video above to find out more about the challenges the U.S. military face in trying to fix the growing recruiting crisis.