(1) The Trump presidency is a net positive for recruitment. Had Obama tried to sabotage our Armed Forces, he could not have done any better.
(2) The public education mafia has spent the past 30 years teaching our public school students to hate America, based on the ravings of Howard Zinn.
(3) The products of our education system are largely ignorant, out of shape, lazy, and self absorbed - not a good recipe for a pool of military recruits.
(4) The job market is quite good right now, especially at the lower end. Entry level jobs are pentiful, and many employers are voluntarily paying much more than the Federal minimum wage.
No surprise that recruitment is a bit off.