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On Tuesday, the Army announced that it has already exceeded its recruiting target for fiscal year 2025, aiming to enlist 61,000 new recruits, with four months still remaining.
This year’s goal represents an increase of over 10% from the 55,000 recruits set for fiscal 2024, indicating a growing interest in joining the Army. The current recruiting pace shows an average of contracts being signed daily that is up to 56% higher compared to last year during the same timeframe.
According to Army officials, this is the earliest the Army has met its recruiting goals since 2014.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll discussed the success on a panel at the AI Expo in Washington, D.C. on Monday.
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An Army drill sergeant with recruits during basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. (Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi)
Both leaders noted that the summer months tend to be the most fruitful for recruiting. They will be testifying on Capitol Hill on Wednesday regarding the Army’s FY26 budget.
“As of today, the U.S. Army has met its FY25 recruiting goals, a full four months early,” Driscoll said on Tuesday. “I want to express my gratitude to the commander in chief, President Trump, and Secretary of Defense Hegseth for their strong leadership and support that made this achievement possible.
“I’m also immensely proud of the recruiters, leaders, and supporters who helped us reach this milestone,” he added. “The young men and women of America are committed to serving our country and the results clearly show that.”
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth pumps his fist after a Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, Jan. 14, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
Driscoll acknowledged that the Army had faced challenges with recruiting and retention, but indicated that those challenges are now far behind, crediting the hard work of recruiters, drill sergeants, and leaders throughout the Army.
Having achieved its goals, the Army will continue recruiting, placing new enlistees in a delayed entry program.
In February, the Army reported enlisting an average of 350 soldiers each day in December.
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Army soldiers march in formation. (iStock)
In October 2023, the Army introduced significant changes to its recruiting strategy, broadening its reach into the labor market and creating a specialized team for talent acquisition.
The Army increased staffing of medical personnel at Military Entrance Processing Stations nationwide to streamline the enlistment process and adopted new technologies to connect with a wider audience and identify potential recruits.
Additionally, the Army expanded its Future Soldier Preparatory Course to assist prospective recruits in overcoming academic and physical challenges, all while aiming to maintain high standards.
Despite these efforts, the U.S. military fell short of its recruiting targets by 41,000 in 2023.
In 2024, the Army announced it would reduce its ranks by 24,000 as part of a restructuring effort to prepare for future conflicts.
This reduction, nearly 5% of its positions, primarily impacted vacant posts, according to the Army.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
