By EFE
SAN JUAN – Racism, harassment of women, consequences on physical and mental health and the limits of benefits for veterans in Puerto Rico are some of the causes that have caused the number of Puerto Ricans who are attracted to enroll in the United States Army to decline.
“Once inside, I realized that things are a little more complicated. Especially for us Puerto Ricans. Racism was felt every day“, recalls to EFE Frankie Pérez, a Puerto Rican veteran who entered the Armed Forces in 2001, before 9/11, and was stationed in Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Racial discrimination is part of the US Army, despite the fact that In 1948, President Harry S. Truman ordered that there be no discrimination based on race or skin color..
Pérez relates that it was “too hard” to return to his homeland, where had a suicide attempt in 2008 due to the aftermath of the warand managed to get ahead thanks to the support of his loved ones and NGOs like ‘Guitars for vets’.
Recruitment declines by 11%
According to census data, The total number of people recruited in the five military branches in Puerto Rico decreased by 11% between 2021 and 2025.
An example of this is the data offered to EFE by the Air National Guard that reflects that In the last five years the number of Puerto Ricans who enlisted fell by almost halfgoing from 122 in 2020 to 68 people in 2025.
In joint statements to EFE from the Air National Guard and the “Military”, The decline in recruitment is not an exclusive phenomenon of Puerto Ricois a trend that is being observed in all branches of the United States Armed Forces.
“We identified several key factors, but we can highlight one: misinformation and misperceptions.. There is an information gap. Many young people and their influencers (parents, teachers) have a vision of military service that is often outdated,” they stated.
Sexual harassment of women
Nagelys Cristal Viera, 24 years old, former member of the ‘Military’ and daughter of a veteran, tells EFE that, when she entered the Armed Forces, “she did not expect the things that happen there,” since as a woman she faced various challenges.
“Both physically and in being taken seriously to lead, among many other things, and well “the problems of sexual harassment and unwanted comments about my body”confesses the twenty-year-old, adding that she always raised her voice against “injustices” and did not tolerate being disrespected.
Despite the humiliation, Viera emphasizes that “he does not regret” having entered the Army because she was not deployed in any war conflict and, thanks to the years she served in Wisconsin and other states, the military is paying for her law studies.
Low-income people seeking economic security
The profile of people recruited by the United States military tend to be low-income young people attracted by economic security and benefits in education and health, in a country where the cost of a university degree and health care is not accessible to everyone.
Alejandro Ayala, 20, is a waiter and recently decided to enlist in the Marine Corps for “monetary” reasons and to “be able to secure a future” in which he would like to study finance and political science.
“I want to study, but first I think that I have to stipulate many things in my life, such as economic matters, and at the same time improve my physical condition and mental strength. I am here for myself, for my growth, for my development and I am going to do what I have to do,” says Ayala.
Puerto Rico has been a United States territory since 1898 and, in 1952, it was established as a Commonwealth. Its inhabitants have American citizenship and fight in its Army, but they do not have the same rights as citizens in other states of the nation.
“Seek information, make sure there are better things before making a decision because after you raise your hand and take the oath, it may be too late and you have to wait four years to reclassify. Afterwards they will not give you bonuses, there are many complicated things,” the veteran Pérez recommends to young people.
By Esther Alaejos
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