Gen Z U.S. Soldiers Engaged in ‘TikTok Mutiny,’ Discouraging Army Recruits

Young members of the U.S. Army are throwing a TikTok “mutiny” to complain about “sh*tty food,” being pushed to stay in shape, their freedoms being “suppressed,” and more.

One of the videos by “military influencer” Anthony Laster described his life as having “No Privacy, The Pay Sucks, Shitty Food, Disrespectful Leadership, NO SLEEP!”

The post has been viewed over 600,000 times since 2020.

Laster has more than a million followers on TikTok and made the disparaging comments about the military not only while in uniform, but while on mission. In another post viewed by the Daily Mail, the Chicago native claimed that he spent the whole day watching TikTok videos while supposedly fighting the Taliban. 

“The Army expects to end up about 15,000 short of its target of 65,000 recruits for 2023,” the outlet reported. “Similarly, the Navy expects to fall short by 10,000 personnel and the Air Force is projected to miss its goal by 10 percent.”

Generation Z appears to be full of complaints about the military, as an increasing number take part in what the publication described as a “TikTok mutiny.”

The Defense Department estimated in 2022 that “286,000 service members struggled with food access in 2020 and 2021, with junior enlisted troops most at risk,” reported Stripes.

According to a 2019 report from the Government Accountability Office, more than 22,000 active-duty troops used food stamps.

Another young Army recruit, who could only be identified as Gammage from her uniform, warned her TikTok followers: “Don’t join the Army until you’re mentally prepared to be told you’re going over/under weight, treated like you’re not a good soldier if you can’t run 2 miles in 18 mins or less — oh and you can’t get injured either cause then it’s your fault.”

Another young soldier influencer named Shemar Williams told his 34,000 followers his “top five reasons not to join the military” while in uniform and while appearing to be on base.

Similar to Laster’s complaints, Williams said, “we do not get paid enough to perform the mission that is tasked to us,” and he also bemoaned the lack of autonomy and the sacrifices made.

The Defense Department estimated in 2022 that “286,000 service members struggled with food access in 2020 and 2021, with junior enlisted troops most at risk,” reported Stripes.

According to a 2019 report from the Government Accountability Office, more than 22,000 active-duty troops used food stamps.

Another young Army recruit, who could only be identified as Gammage from her uniform, warned her TikTok followers: “Don’t join the Army until you’re mentally prepared to be told you’re going over/under weight, treated like you’re not a good soldier if you can’t run 2 miles in 18 mins or less — oh and you can’t get injured either cause then it’s your fault.”

Over 60 percent of active duty service members are overweight or obese, an October report by the American Security Project found.

Sergeant Barber, 25, also filmed himself in his uniform and admitted that while he has already been “counseled because of a TikTok video,” he still told his 68,000 followers, “before you head to the recruiting office, watch this video … If you don’t like your freedom being suppressed a little, not really, then I wouldn’t join the military.”

Barber also said his life is “mopping those floors 99 percent of the time.”

A 2022 study from the Pentagon found that 77 percent of young Americans would not qualify for military service due to being overweight, using drugs, or having mental and physical health problems.

The Pentagon also discovered that only nine percent of Americans between the ages of 16-21 said they would consider military service last year, dropping 13 points from before the coronavirus pandemic.