Military recruiting hit a 15-year high. How quickly do recruits become mission ready?
How quickly recruits move from accession to operational qualification can affect force generation, unit staffing and long-term readiness planning.
Your Navy
Incoming female students at US Naval Academy must cut hair below chin
The school is returning to a female grooming standard that it upheld for decades before a 2018 shift in policy.
Navy hits historic recruiting numbers with more ads, tattoo approvals
Fiscal 2025 was the best recruiting year for the Navy since 2002. The head of Navy recruiting credited the feat, in part, to streamlining tattoo approvals.
Opinion
How addressing waivers and eligibility can fix the recruiting crisis
There are many factors that contribute to the recruiting crisis facing the military, but at least one of them is within the Pentagon's power to fix.
Air Force recruiting rebounds while Army, Navy still struggle
Air Force recruiting boss Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein said Tuesday he is “cautiously optimistic” about staying on track for the rest of the year.
Senators press Pentagon on new medical system’s recruiting impact
A letter to the Defense Department Wednesday seeks answers on how the Genesis military health system, and the need for more waivers, affects recruiting.
Services need to track recruits’ medical waiver decisions, DoD IG says
Tracking why an applicant does not request a medical waiver could help improve the ongoing military recruiting crisis, according to the watchdog.
The ‘Genesis’ of today’s recruiting crisis
Leaders blame various factors for the recruiting crisis. But some recruiters on the front lines say one big cause is missing from the conversation.
Lawmakers accuse Army of ignoring ‘woke’ policies that hurt recruiting
At issue is partial survey data released by Army officials earlier this month that pointed to other factors as obstacles to recruiting efforts.
Can the military boost recruitment by allowing more tattoos?
A congressional panel wants Pentagon leaders to look into the issue.
New details emerge with surveillance video of North Carolina recruiting station shooting
We now know the tactics and weapons the suspected shooter used, as well as how Marines and sailors in the center responded.
Military Recruitment Survival Guide
Thinking about joining the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps? Here's what you need to know before you talk to a recruiter.
To draw more soldiers, the Army wants more recruiters, bigger budgets and a better slogan
It's getting harder to find new recruits, so the Army is rethinking how it competes to get today's young people.
Navy sees recruiting challenges on the horizon
The Navy hopes more recruiters, beefier enlistment bonuses and a wider social media outreach will help bring in the next generation of sailors.
Air Force aims to modernize recruiting amid growing challenges
Air Force recruiters are targeting more mature, athletic recruits for hard-to-fill battlefield airmen jobs.
Active-duty retention success hurts Reserve and Guard recruiting
Retention is also up in the reserve forces but recruiting is down and active recruiting may not meet increased needs, creating further manpower challenges.
Inside the Pentagon’s struggle to build a cyber force
Experts suggest the armed forces have structural problems that prevent it from becoming a digitally cohesive force.
