Recruitment Rises 12.5% Despite Ongoing Challenges

The Defense Department’s armed services branches hired 12.5% more individuals in 2024 than in the year prior regardless of a difficult 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.
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While speaking at a multiservice panel on 2025 recruiting problems at the Pentagon previously this week, Director of Military Accession Policy Katie Helland stated that the services increased the variety of employees 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, and the active elements’ delayed entry program started FY 2025 with a 10% larger pool.

 » [The Office of the Secretary of Defense] and the services will continue to build off the momentum that we’ve acquired in 2024, » Helland said.

 » Nevertheless, » she continued, « we require to remain carefully positive about the future recruiting operations as we continue to recruit in a market that has low youth propensity to serve, minimal familiarity with military chances, a competitive labor market and a declining eligibility amongst young people. »

Helland elaborated on those challenges by discussing that, for the very first time because the metric has actually been tracked, most young individuals have 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 friends or relative who have served in the military. There is a declining existence of veterans in our society. Approximately 77% of individuals between the ages of 17 and 24 require some type of waiver to serve due to any variety of disqualifications.

To counter such challenges, Helland said the military has executed a medical pilot program that permits employees to sign up with the military without a waiver for referall.us various health conditions – offered they fulfill certain requirements. Additionally, there are service member prep courses that prepare recruits to meet the strenuous requirements of military service. Moreover, DOD is seeking to reconnect with youth and their influencers by showing them the value of serving.

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

Panel Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder assists in a panel on 2025 recruiting goals at the Pentagon, Oct. 30, 2024.
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 » Youth today look for a bigger purpose in their lives and desire jobs where they have greater participation in decision-making and can create a direct tangible effect, » she continued. « Military service uses all of this. »

Explaining that U.S. military service provides more than 250 professions and that it represents one of the most extremely educated companies throughout the world and across all pay grades, Helland stated the Defense Department is working hard to counter the narrative that joining the armed force is an alternative to attending college or « a choice of last resort. »

 » We are working to reframe this narrative so that Americans comprehend that military service is a pathway to greater education and profession opportunities while protecting democracy and the freedoms we hold dear, » Helland said.

She added that DOD is reframing this story. For instance, the Advertising Marketing research and Studies program will soon release a project to develop familiarity with the American public about the worth of military service. Plans are also proceeding to have adult influencers promote for military service.