Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said Thursday that the service is “in the process of reintroducing the Army to the American public” and that recruitment struggles will continue while that process plays out, maybe stretching into next year. “It took us more than a year to get into the situation that we’re in, in terms of the recruiting landscape, and I think it’s going to take more than a year to turn it around,” she said at George Washington University, as Stars and Stripes reported.

“This is, frankly, a challenge not just for the United States Army but for all of the services,” she told reporters.

Wormuth will address the Defense Communities National Summit taking place March 6-8. The Summit agenda features multiple discussions about the recruitment challenges and the role communities play in solving it.

Space Command photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John Philip Wagner, Jr.