About Us

Recruitment Rises 12.5% Despite Ongoing Challenges

The Defense Department’s armed services branches hired 12.5% more people in 2024 than in the year prior regardless of a tough and disinterested recruiting market.

Katie Helland Director of Military Accessions Policy Katie Helland speaks to members of the media throughout a panel on 2025 recruiting goals at the Pentagon, Oct. 30, 2024.
Share:
×
Share
Copy Link
Email
Facebook
X.
LinkedIn.
WhatsApp

Download: Full Size (235.52 KB).
Credit: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jackie Sanders, DOD.
VIRIN: 241030-D-XI929-1004

While speaking at a multiservice panel on 2025 recruiting concerns at the Pentagon earlier today, Director of Military Accession Policy Katie Helland said that the services increased the variety of recruits from 200,000 in FY 2023 to 225,000 in FY 2024, which ended September 30.

Additionally, she said, the services had a 35% increase in composed contracts, employment and the active parts’ postponed entry program started FY 2025 with a 10% bigger pool.

 » [The Office of the Secretary of Defense] and the services will continue to construct off the momentum that we have actually gotten in 2024, » Helland stated.

 » Nevertheless, » she continued, « we require to stay very carefully optimistic about the future recruiting operations as we continue to recruit in a market that has low youth tendency to serve, minimal familiarity with military chances, a competitive labor market and a decreasing eligibility among young people. »

Helland elaborated on those obstacles by discussing that, for the very first time since the metric has actually been tracked, many youths have actually never ever considered the choice of serving in the armed force.

The factors behind that are multifold, Helland stated. Young Americans have less ties to buddies or member of the family who have served in the military. There is a decreasing presence of veterans in our society. Approximately 77% of individuals between the ages of 17 and 24 need some kind of waiver to serve due to any variety of disqualifications.

To counter such challenges, employment Helland employment stated the armed force has executed a medical pilot program that enables recruits to join the armed force without a waiver for many health conditions – provided they meet particular requirements. Additionally, there are service member preparation courses that prepare recruits to meet the laborious requirements of military service. Moreover, DOD is seeking to reconnect with youth and their influencers by revealing them the value of serving.

 » The next generation of Americans to serve must understand that there has never ever been a much better time for them to pick military service, » Helland said.

Panel Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder helps with a panel on 2025 recruiting objectives at the Pentagon, Oct. 30, 2024.
Share:.
×.
Share.
Copy Link.
Email.
Facebook.
X.
LinkedIn.
WhatsApp

Download: Full Size (266.24 KB).
Credit: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jackie Sanders, DOD.
VIRIN: 241030-D-XI929-1016

 » Youth today seek a bigger function in their lives and desire tasks where they have higher participation in decision-making and can develop a direct concrete impact, » she continued. « Military service provides all of this. »

Explaining that U.S. military service uses more than 250 occupations which it represents one of the most organizations throughout the world and throughout all pay grades, Helland stated the Defense Department is striving to counter the story that signing up with the military is an alternative to attending college or « an option of last resort. »

 » We are working to reframe this narrative so that Americans comprehend that military service is a pathway to higher education and career opportunities while protecting democracy and the flexibilities we love, » Helland said.

She included that DOD is reframing this narrative. For example, the department’s Joint Advertising Market Research and Studies program will quickly release a project to construct familiarity with the American public about the value of military service. Plans are also continuing to have adult influencers advocate for employment military service.