The Defense Department says recruiting for fiscal 2026 is off to a strong start, meeting nearly 40% of delayed-entry accession goals since October. Fiscal 2025 saw the five services average 103% of recruiting targets—the highest rate in over a decade—with all active-duty components meeting goals. Officials credit improved medical processing and preparatory programs, though a DoD Inspector General report found the Army and Navy underreported pre-course test shortfalls. The fiscal 2026 NDAA raises total authorized end strength by roughly 26,100.
Pentagon: Military Recruiting Off To A Strong Start For Fiscal 2026
U.S. Marine Corps recruits move equipment at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, Dec. 5, 2025. (Sgt. Patrick King/U.S. Marine Corps)
Defense Department officials reported Monday that military recruiting has begun fiscal 2026 on a strong footing, building on a year in which the services largely met or exceeded their enlistment targets.
Since the new fiscal year began in October, the department said recruiting has shown encouraging early results, meeting nearly 40% of its delayed entry program accession goals to date.
Strong Fiscal 2025 Performance
Officials noted that the services achieved their highest combined rate of meeting or exceeding recruiting goals in more than a decade. For fiscal 2025, the five services averaged 103% of their recruiting targets, a rebound after several challenging years.
Service leaders reported over the summer that the Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force had already reached their year-end recruiting targets. The department said all active-duty components met their fiscal 2025 goals; most reserve components did as well, with the Army Reserve reaching 75% of its target.
Service-By-Service Fiscal 2025 Results
The Defense Department provided specific figures for fiscal 2025:
- Army: 62,050 recruited (101.72% of a 61,000 goal)
- Navy: 44,096 recruited (108.61% of a 40,600 goal)
- Air Force: 30,166 recruited (100.22% of a 30,100 goal)
- Space Force: 819 recruited (102.89% of a 796 goal)
- Marine Corps: 26,600 recruited (100% of a 26,600 goal)
What Officials Credit For The Gains
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell and other leaders pointed to several reforms that likely improved outcomes, including upgraded medical screening processes and targeted preparatory programs. Officials highlighted a medical records accession pilot that reduced the wait between a recruit submitting initial paperwork and being processed at a local Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). Shorter processing times help prevent potential recruits from losing interest.
Services have also expanded preparatory courses that help applicants who are near qualification standards improve academic test scores and physical fitness before enlisting.
Inspector General Finding
However, a recent Department of Defense Inspector General report found that the Army and Navy underreported how many recruits initially scored below standards on military aptitude tests. The services used post-preparatory-course test scores rather than the scores recorded when recruits first signed up, producing an inaccurate measure of applicants who originally fell short of test benchmarks.
Authorized End Strength For Fiscal 2026
The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, recently signed into law, increases Department of Defense authorized end strength by about 26,100 personnel. Authorized totals for fiscal 2026 are:
- 454,000 active-duty soldiers (up 11,700)
- 334,600 sailors (up 12,300)
- 321,500 airmen (up 1,500)
- 10,400 Space Force guardians (up 600)
- The Marine Corps remains at 172,300
Officials say early recruiting momentum, combined with process improvements and the larger authorized force structure, positions the department to meet its accession needs for fiscal 2026. The Inspector General's findings, however, underscore the need for consistent metrics and transparent reporting as recruiting programs expand.
