The U.S. Department of Defense reports that “Defense Secretary Ash Carter has said many times that the majority of enlisted military recruits come from just six states and that he would like to see a more diverse recruitment pool. Some of his Force of the Future proposals are aimed at this issue.”

“Attracting recruits aged 17 to 24 from across the country is an important goal for the secretary, and it’s a challenge in light of the composition of today’s military.”

The post also states that “Defense Secretary Ash Carter has launched a national discussion on building the Force of the Future and what the Defense Department must do to change and adapt to maintain its superiority well into the 21st century.”