The U.S. Army reached its active-duty recruiting goal for fiscal year 2025 months in advance.
The Army said in a statement that it has signed contracts with “more than 61,000 future Soldiers – a full four months before the end of the fiscal year.” The number is considered a “significant turning point for the Army and indicates a renewed sense of patriotism and purpose among America’s youth.”
According to the statement, the Army’s recruitment goal is more than 10% higher than the recruits targeted in fiscal 2024, indicating a “surge in interest and enthusiasm for Army service,” the statement noted.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said he was “incredibly proud” of the nation’s Army recruiters and drill sergeants. “Their colossal efforts and dedication to duty helped the U.S. Army accomplish our FY25 annual recruiting goal a full four months ahead of schedule,” he said.
He thanked President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “for their decisive leadership and support in equipping, training and supporting these future Soldiers as they face a world of global uncertainty and complex threats,” adding, “Putting Soldiers first is having a tangible impact and shows that young people across our country want to be part of the most lethal land fighting force the world has ever seen.”
In February, the Army announced that it exceeded its recruitment goals and finished December 2024 with the highest number of recruits in over a decade. Nearly 350 people every day that month enlisted in the Army.
“BOTTOM LINE: America’s youth want to serve under the bold & strong ‘America First’ leadership of [President Trump],” Hegseth said at the time.
