FORT JACKSON, SC – Index cards taped to a large board on the wall at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, reveal the sometimes blunt and crude reasons new recruits took a chance on a last program to enter the army.

“Eviction notices motivate me,” said one. Others talked about getting free college, a good job, and a way to better themselves.

Known as the “Why Wall,” the board is intended as an inspiration to those recruits who could not meet the Army’s physical and academic testing standards, so they entered the Future Soldier Prep Course. It provides weeks of instruction to help them bring their scores up.

Started as a trial program two years ago to help increase dismal recruitment numbersthe prep course is fueling the Army’s enlistment comeback. Recruitment has suffered for all military branches in recent years emerging from the covid-19 pandemic, amid low unemployment and fierce competition from private companies that can pay more and provide similar or better benefits.

By the end of this fiscal year on Sept. 30, the Army had reached its recruiting goal of 55,000, and service leaders said more than 13,000 of those recruits — or 24% — made it to active duty through the preparatory course.

Army leaders increased the target to 61,000 for this year and are counting on the preparation course to provide a significant portion again.

During a recent visit to Fort Jackson, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth spoke with recruits and program leaders to see how the course is going and what changes may need to be made. She said the successful program, which more than 31,000 trainees have gone through since it started, deserves to be made permanent.

Wormuth said the Army can make adjustments based on a long-term study of the recruits coming out of the course, including looking at how well they did in their first enlistment and whether there were behavioral or disciplinary problems.

“We really want to see what kind of soldier comes out at the end of the first term, how they do in terms of discipline,” Wormuth said.

Drill sergeants have expressed concern that they are seeing more discipline problems, disrespect and complaints from trainees in the academic course. And they say interns whose first language isn’t English have a harder time understanding orders and handling computers.

While they are seeing fewer discipline issues from recruits in the fitness department, they are seeing more injuries, including ankle, knee and hip issues. These trainees, they say, may need to be brought along even more slowly, to increase their strength and fitness, rather than moving them into basic training as soon as they reach the minimum requirements.

Commanders told Wormuth that the training program aims to give participants a healthy foundation in eating and exercising. Instructors said they don’t want to break the recruits before they get to basic training, so they do a lot of yoga, stretching and other exercises to avoid injuries.

In classrooms, they learn basic math, English and other academic skills. The bulk of the recruits going through the program are in the academic course.

So far, Wormuth said, the data doesn’t reflect some of the concerns expressed by drill sergeants and commanders. Instead, she and other Army leaders said that, on average, the graduation rate from basic training is a little higher — about 94% — for those who went through the program compared to those who didn’t, which is about 92%.

But for now, they draw inspiration from the thoughts scrawled on “Why the wall”.

Company commanders came up with the idea last year, to have recruits post their goals in the first few days so they can go back each week to get motivated or see their progress.

A bright yellow sign atop the board tells recruits, “Your WHY will keep you going even when you want to quit the most.” The answer for many was that they had something to prove – to themselves and others.

“I joined the army because my family thought I couldn’t achieve anything in life. So I had to prove them wrong,” said one. Another wrote: “I want to show my family I’m worth something.”

Others said they wanted to “become a better man,” “gain my independence,” and “prove to myself that I can accomplish something and that I don’t give up.”

One recruit was blunt: “To prove to her, I’m not going to turn into who she said I would be.”

Recruits lined up near the wall told Wormuth that the physical training program is working for them.

Couper Godleski, of Pennsylvania, said that in 10 weeks he had lost 20 pounds.

Britney Vaughn, from Louisiana, said she had lost 30 pounds in six weeks. And while she said she misses her 3-year-old daughter, “I feel like it’s all going to be worth it.”

On the academic side, recruits told Wormuth that even when they struggle with math or English, they get help from instructors while learning the structure and discipline of the Army. An important goal, one female recruit said, is “to be a role model for my nieces and nephews” and get money for college so she doesn’t have to be in debt.

For Wormuth, the visit confirmed Army leaders’ intent to keep the program going.

The recruitment challenges will not end, she said.

“I think we’re probably going to continue to see pretty low unemployment. We’re still going to see 60% go to college. It’s a more competitive job market,” she says. “So we’re going to have to continue to push hard for our new recruits. “