New Recruiting Task Force Looks to Build on Recent Gains

With the U.S. military enjoying a resurgence in interest in people wishing to join the armed forces, a new Pentagon task force will work to build on that momentum.

The Military Service Recruitment Task Force, established June 13 by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, will aim to woo a new generation of service members with a fresh, unified message and new ways to expand the pool of eligible Americans.

The task force is the latest initiative to encourage young Americans to enlist after a rocky few years prompted concerns about whether the 52-year-old All Volunteer Force could survive a second half-century.

“Changing environmental factors demand a targeted and strategic approach to strengthen recruiting efforts across the department,” Hegseth wrote in a memo creating the task force.

Jay Hurst, the Defense Department’s acting personnel boss, and Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell will co-chair the panel. Public affairs, marketing, and recruitment experts from each service will weigh in, as will the Pentagon’s top legislative affairs official and its general counsel.

The team is asked to assess the current recruiting landscape within 30 days; propose policy and legislative changes to address those challenges within 60 days; and draw up a communications plan to support the armed forces and the Pentagon’s internal polling office, which tracks public sentiment about military service, within 90 days, the memo said.

Hegseth hopes to capitalize on the Navy and Marine Corps’ 250th anniversaries this fall as major recruiting events, as well as America’s own semiquincentennial in July 2026. The Army did not respond to a query on whether it has seen a spike in interest following its 250th birthday parade in Washington June 14.

Enlisted recruitment has faced headwinds for years. The share of Americans who know someone in uniform has dwindled since the 1990s, diminishing the familiarity with military life of young people, and by extension, their propensity to serve.

Recreational drug use, criminal convictions, common prescription medication for conditions from attention deficit disorder to asthma have also been barriers. And even basic health and physical fitness are also barriers to entry. Many would-be recruits can’t qualify under health and weight standards. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 would need a waiver to join because they would otherwise be disqualified from service, the Pentagon said in October. 

The military has attacked the downturn by loosening certain standards, like body fat limits and a ban on neck and hand tattoos, to open the door wider for people who otherwise qualify. The Army launched a preparatory program for those who need to lose weight or study more to snag a billet; the Air Force added recruiters to help ensure prospects don’t fall through the cracks. DOD has also tackled major delays caused by the rollout of a new electronic health records system that has piled on paperwork for recruiters.  

Hegseth contends the recent success is driven by enthusiasm for President Donald Trump’s reelection last November.

“Because of President Trump and his ‘America First’ priorities, recruitment and retention under this administration are higher than they’ve been in decades,” Hegseth told House lawmakers June 12. “Historic numbers of young Americans are putting on the uniform and raising their right hand because they believe in the leadership they see.”

While support for a commander-in-chief may factor into a recruit’s interest, among the strongest lures according to surveys are the pay and benefits, including free health care and money for housing, along with associated benefits like the VA’s GI Bill for advanced education and veterans home loan programs

The Pentagon’s own data shows recruitment was rebounding even before the 2024 presidential election.

Last October, a Defense Department official said the armed services had recruited 12.5 percent more people in fiscal 2024 than in the previous year—up to 225,000 from 200,000—“despite a challenging and disinterested recruiting market.”

Every military service but the Navy met their accession goals for 2024. About 5,000 Navy recruits signed contracts but didn’t ship out to boot camp by the end of the year because of “basic training limitations,” the Pentagon said in a press release.

This year, all six branches of the armed forces have already met or appear on track to hit their recruiting goals. However, the Army and Navy met their numbers by lowering the military’s quality benchmarks, the Pentagon said last month. Those metrics, set by DOD, require that at least 90 percent of recruits have a high school diploma and that at least 60 percent score above average on the Armed Forces Qualification Test.

The Air Force has said it expects to cross the finish line early this year after shrinking its recruitment goal from 32,500 to 29,950 new enlistments. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin told lawmakers June 5 the service has lowered its expectations after Congress failed to pass a fiscal 2025 budget, shortchanging Airmen the money they need to bring in another 2,550 troops.