Recruitment Rises 12.5% Despite Ongoing Challenges

The Defense Department’s armed services branches hired 12.5% more individuals in fiscal year 2024 than in the year prior despite a difficult and disinterested recruiting market.

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

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

While speaking at a multiservice panel on 2025 hiring concerns at the Pentagon earlier today, Director of Military Accession Policy Katie Helland stated 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 written agreements, and the active components’ delayed entry program started FY 2025 with a 10% larger pool.

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

” Nevertheless,” she continued, “we require to stay carefully positive about the future recruiting operations as we continue to hire in a market that has low youth tendency to serve, limited familiarity with military chances, a competitive labor market and a declining eligibility amongst young adults.”

Helland elaborated on those challenges by discussing that, for the very first time given that the metric has actually been tracked, many youths have actually never thought about the option of serving in the military.

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

To counter such difficulties, employment Helland said the military has actually implemented a medical pilot program that permits employees to sign up with the armed force without a waiver for numerous health conditions – supplied they fulfill particular requirements. Additionally, there are service member preparation courses that employees to satisfy the exhausting requirements of military service. Moreover, DOD is looking for to reconnect with youth and their influencers by showing them the worth of serving.

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

Panel Pentagon Press Secretary Flying Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder assists in a panel on 2025 recruiting goals at the Pentagon, Oct. 30, 2024.
Share:.
×.
Share.
Copy Link.
Email.
Facebook.
X.
LinkedIn.
WhatsApp

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

” Youth today seek a bigger purpose in their lives and desire jobs where they have higher participation in decision-making and can create a direct tangible impact,” she continued. “Military service uses all of this.”

Explaining that U.S. military service offers more than 250 occupations which it represents one of the most extremely educated companies throughout the world and throughout all pay grades, employment Helland stated the Defense Department is striving to counter the narrative that joining the armed force is an alternative to going to college or “an alternative of last hope.”

” We are working to reframe this story so that Americans understand that military service is a path to greater education and profession chances while protecting democracy and the freedoms we love,” Helland said.

She added that DOD is reframing this story. For instance, the department’s Joint Advertising Market Research and Studies program will quickly introduce a campaign to build familiarity with the American public about the value of military service. Plans are also continuing to have adult influencers promote for military service.