U.S. Military struggling to hit recruiting goal

(Washington, DC) -- The U.S. military is struggling to hit its recruiting goals.

NBC News reports multiple U.S. military and defense officials say Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks see the low recruitment rate as a serious issue.

Data obtained by NBC News shows a record low percentage of Americans eligible to enlist and an even smaller number for those willing to serve. A retired lieutenant general with think tank the Heritage Foundation said the military hasn't seen recruiting issues like this since 1973, the year the U.S. left Vietnam.

One senior defense official described the recruiting crisis as "a slow-moving wave coming at us."