Reporting on the candid feelings of service members about being in the military is difficult. During President Trump’s second term, it’s gotten even more so.
U.S. Army and U.S. Army National Guard/Collage by Emily Bogle/NPR
Under the Trump administration, getting access to the military has become increasingly challenging. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put heavy restrictions on reporters. Journalists were required to sign a document that warned they could lose their Pentagon press credentials for "soliciting" even unclassified information that had not been approved for release.
My colleague, NPR Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman, who had a Pentagon press pass for 28 years, gave it up rather than sign that document, as did reporters from every other reputable news organization.
Policies like that have had a major chilling effect on service members’ willingness to speak to journalists, according to free speech advocates and constitutional experts.
Despite these challenges, Tom and I have noticed that when we do hear from people, we are increasingly hearing about a growing disquiet in the ranks.
I first started hearing murmurings while reporting on Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to several U.S. cities last year. I flew to Ohio to meet with several guard members who had started an encrypted group chat to talk about how unsettled they were feeling about the Guard deployments.
Over the months, I compared what I was hearing with Tom, as we chatted in the newsroom. He’d been hearing many of the same sentiments — concern over the legality of U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean or the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the military.
When the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran at the end of February, and thousands of additional American troops were deployed to the Middle East, we started checking back in with service members and groups who work with them. Those we spoke with told us that some service members were deeply concerned and demoralized, and many were looking for ways to leave.
"Retention is the only thing holding the Army up, from a metrics standpoint. And it is crumbling fast," one career counselor with the Army, the largest branch of the military, told NPR. That person spoke on the condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak publicly. They said that the climate and cultural shifts within the military under this administration are the main reasons people are giving for leaving.
"It has been a mess, and many individuals feel frustration throughout the ranks," that counselor said.
The Pentagon pushed back on claims about retention being a problem.
"There are zero retention concerns for Fiscal Year 2026. Every service is meeting its targets, and any suggestion otherwise is completely false," said Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson in an email to NPR.
But our reporting revealed that that sentiment of deep concern, as complex as it is, is on the rise.
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Thanks for tuning in last week to NPR's It's Been a Minute episode about AI relationship gaps, where host Brittany Luse explores what happens when you and a loved one don't agree on AI. Listener Eric Burr said he and his wife try not to spend any more time with electronics than necessary because of the electricity and water they use.
Today, we're listening to an episode of The Indicator from Planet Money that asks, "Can you really do what you love?" There's a common saying that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. But is that possible in this day and age? In this episode, the hosts speak with a tech investor who gives them the ingredients he believes are needed to make passion pay. Listen to the episode or read the transcript.
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And, this week's episode of The Sunday Story from Up First explores the growing push to offer students alternativesto traditional public schools.
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It's time for the Sunday Puzzle! This week's on-air challenge is a tribute to Mimi. Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which each word starts with the letters MI. Test your skills here. Check the page later to hear the answers, or catch them live on Weekend Edition at 8:41 a.m. ET.
This week's online challenge comes from James Ellison of Jefferson City, Mo. Think of a popular movie of the past decade. Change the last letter in its title. The result will suggest a lawsuit between two politicians of the late 20th century — one Republican and one Democrat. What's the movie and who are the people? Submit your answer here, and you could win a chance to play next Sunday's on-air puzzle.
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