The environment is making us weaker, harming our ability to fight, and will end up killing us. We need to signal that the military cares deeply about the most important issue plaguing our generation.

Solution: The military must be presented as the greatest force to solving climate change.

As hard as it has been to classify and analyze the entirety of Gen Z, there is one unifying issue that nearly all Zers agree on. Primarily due to the existential threat it poses to their future, this issue is literally a matter of survival. Climate change and the environment's health are consistently ranked as some of the Zoomers' top concerns. Z has grown up in a time where the majority consensus in America now strongly recognizes the need to save the planet. While there may be an ongoing debate about the immediacy of the issue and the proper ways to address it, the overwhelming view in Z is to help heal the earth. The mobilization efforts, protests, and even career choices that many Zers are making to deal with this should be seen as a predictive signal about the future.

            The military has been equally adamant about climate concerns since the beginning of the 21stcentury. A recent DoD report cites how a poorer environmental forecast could challenge the various humanitarian operations we provide worldwide. The issues aren't just foreign, they affect the homeland as well. Many older Zers witnessed American troops deploy domestically to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The effect of climate change will see the closing down of training exercises due to fire hazards, flooding hurting naval port readiness, and a hotter world with food/water scarcity leading to higher chances of conflict.[1] Climate problems need to be dealt with by everyone, and Z is watching closely how various organizations respond. Whoever is seen as spearheading the effort to combat climate change will win the recruiting race among generation Z. Luckily, if there is one organization best equipped to organize and fight massive problems, it is the United States military. The environment is making us weaker, harming our ability to fight, and will end up killing us if something isn't done. We need to signal that the military cares deeply about our generation's most important issue…

[1] Department of Defense, Office of the Undersecretary for Policy (Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities). 2021. Department of Defense Climate Risk Analysis. Report Submitted to the National Security Council.

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.