Recruitment rising—revised tactics

As for what can be done to help persuade more people to join the military, Riley said the Air Force has a team "examining existing policies and procedures to ensure they reflect the service members needed for the future." In one policy move to reflect changes in American culture, Riley said the Air Force recently updated its policy to allow for some hand and neck tattoos, since having body ink was found to be "irrelevant to war-fighting." Another area in which military branches are easing up on the rules is cannabis use. As medical and recreational marijuana becomes legal in more states across the country, a growing number of people who are of enlistment age have likely experimented with cannabis. As a result, Asch said the Army, for one, now allows new recruits to retest after a short period if they test positive during their initial physical exam. Other steps have also been taken to ramp up recruitment. Signing bonuses have been offered to new recruits, while new marketing initiatives have been implemented. For the Army, the latter includes returning to a tried-and-true formula. After two decades of experimenting with new slogans, the Army returned to the popular "Be All You Can Be" motto early this month.