Navy leaders say one of the challenges in a continued recruiting slump is that recruiters do not have enough opportunities to visit high schools, as Stars and Stripes reported.

“We’re working very closely with the Department of Education and with supervisors from across the nation to try to break down those barriers so that our recruiters can actually get access to the high schools,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told lawmakers last week.

DOD has said the current level of access for recruiters from all services is “suboptimal.” Pentagon leaders are proposing to increase it from a minimum of two visits per year to four.

“We’re getting the required level of access, not necessarily the desired level of access,” Ashish Vazirani, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said at a recent hearing.

Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Fred Gray IV