Air Force and Space Force Hit 2025 Recruiting Goals 3 Months Early

The Space Force and Air Force have both hit their fiscal 2025 recruiting goals with months to spare, extending a promising trend that has boosted the services’ ranks, officials announced June 30.

The Space Force was seeking to enlist 800 Guardians this year, and the Air Force wanted to enlist more than 33,000 Active-duty Airmen, as well as 7,600 Airmen for the Air Force Reserve and 8,679 for the Air National Guard, service officials have said.

The Air Force Recruiting Service, which is responsible for recruiting for both services, said in a news release that the Department of the Air Force had “achieved 100 percent of its annual recruitment goal three months ahead of schedule.”

So far, the Air Force and Space Force have contracted with around 30,000 recruits, 25,000 of whom have already begun basic military training, according to the Air Force Recruiting Service. The rest will complete BMT by the end of September, when the fiscal year comes to a close.

There are also more than 14,000 recruits in the Air Force’s Delayed Entry Program (DEP), the strongest figure in the past decade, according to service officials. The Air Force also has what it says is a record 750 Special Warfare recruits.

“I am excited that both the Air Force and the Space Force have met their fiscal year 2025 recruiting goals three months early,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink said in a statement. “The fact that we have even exceeded this goal and currently have a DEP at its largest level in 10 years speaks to the vast number of volunteers interested in serving their country today.”

For the Space Force, it is the sixth straight year it has hit its recruiting goals, meeting its target every year since its inception as a service. The Air Force has now hit its goals two years in a row.

“It’s clear Americans are excited about the Space Force, and this achievement is a direct reflection of the talent our mission continues to attract,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman said in a statement, praising the “high-caliber patriots” his service has signed on.

Space Force officials touted not only the quantity but the quality of the recruits. According to service data as of May 31, some 93.5 percent of Space Force recruits scored above-average on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), a mandatory test given to those seeking to serve in all U.S. military branches that determines which jobs the recruit qualifies for.

One in five recruits holds some form of college degree, and 12.9 percent have at least a Bachelor’s degree, according to USSF officials.

The Air Force Recruiting Service handles recruiting for the Space Force, as one of the support functions the Air Force provides its sister service. However, AFRS has established a dedicated squadron of Guardian recruiters as the Space Force continues to carve out its own culture, and its mission and ranks continue to expand.

“I’m grateful to the incredible recruiters whose tireless dedication made this milestone possible,” Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna said in a statement.

Bentivegna also showered praise on the USSF recruits, saying, “Each one reflects the very best of our nation, and their decision to serve speaks volumes about the talent, drive, and potential they bring to our mission.”

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin touted “record recruitment” in a statement. The Department of the Air Force did not break down its recruiting totals by component or provide precise overall figures in the June 30 announcement. 

AFRS said the Air Force “attributes its success to a modernized recruiting approach, expanded community outreach, and a focus on highlighting career development.” The Air Force Recruiting Service has also hired 277 additional recruiters this year to help achieve its goals, service officials previously stated.

“The Air Force invests in our Airmen and patriotic Americans ready to serve have noticed and are lining up and signing up,” Allvin said. “That’s evident with the largest number of Special Warfare candidates awaiting training on record and the throngs of recruits motivated to start basic military training. We’re thrilled to welcome these warriors into our Air Force!”