The United States military is nearly at its midway point for fiscal year 2025 (FY25), but already the recruiting numbers are on track to meet respective goals. That is especially noteworthy as just a year ago, the picture wasn’t quite so rosy. Efforts were stepped up in the second half of FY24.
In the end, all of the services reached their respective milestone, and the U.S. Air Force marked the occasion with its time-honored bell-ringing ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Though it might be too early to plan another ringing of the bell, the situation already looks very different as the U.S. Air Force is already ahead of the curve, and is well positioned for this fiscal year.
Delayed-Entry Program Pool Being Steadily Refilled
At the recent Air and Space Forces Association’s Warfare Symposium in Colorado, Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein, commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service as well as for the U.S. Space Force, said that the Air Force is seeing record numbers of recruits in its delayed-entry program (DEP).
As Military.com reported, the Air Force and Space Force will be able to keep a steady flow of airmen and guardians entering basic training, while the delayed pool continues to be refilled faster than the services are shipping out the recruits.
“In December, January and February, we have added to our delayed-entry program or DEP at a rate not seen in over 15 years,” Amrhein said at the conference “Another encouraging sign of success is that our DEP is at a 10-year high, with more than 13,800 future airmen and Guardians awaiting shipment to basic military training.”
No Easy Task
For FY24, Air Force recruiters hit the goal of 27,100 non-prior military enlisted active-duty airmen, but it required some creative tactics, which came after the service missed its recruiting goals for FY23 – the first time since 1999, after barely squeaking by in FY22 – and it strived to turn things around.
The air service had implemented numerous changes, including new body fat standards, marijuana waivers, and added incentives. With the mark hit, the service has to increase its FY25 recruiting goals by 20% – to 32,500 recruits for the Active-Duty Air Force, 7,600 for the Air Force Reserve, 8,679 for the Air National Guard, and 800 for the Space Force.
Though newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has tied the uptick in recruits to the incoming administration, Taren Sylvester, a researcher at the nonprofit Center for a New American Security, told Military.com, the changes were the result of years of hard work.
“The shifts that we’re seeing now are reflective of the work that’s been done over the past two to five years,” Sylvester explained.
General Amrhein declined to comment on whether politics had any impact, but said he anticipated the trend to continue, citing Air Force data that showed an increase in interest in military service.
“We do a weekly production update every single week, and we had 3,000 appointments last week alone,” Amrhein explained. “We normally have 1,600, so this continuing trend is evolving.”
Air Force Expands “Recruit the Recruiter” Initiative
To keep up the recruitment momentum, the Air Force Recruiting Service announced this month that it had expanded its “Recruit the Recruiter” initiative to help bolster the ranks of its reserve forces.
The 403rd Wing’s recruiting office at Dobbins Air Reserve Base has expanded its efforts to find the next generation of Reserve Citizen Airmen.
“Recruiters are the frontline ambassadors of the Air Force Reserve,” said Senior Master Sgt. Christopher Resio, 403rd Wing Recruiting flight chief who leads a team of six recruiters who cover much of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. “They connect with potential Airmen, guide them through the enlistment process, and ensure we have the right people to support the mission. Right now, we need passionate and driven individuals to step into these roles and help build our future force.”
The service noted that recruiters can receive special duty pay, as well as other incentives, as their role helps shape the future of the force. Interested applicants must hold a rank of E-4 or above, have completed Airman Leadership School, and have a passing fitness assessment, along with a 24 in the general category of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to become a recruiter, but it does take thick skin, flexibility, and drive and a determination to be great at this job,” added Resio. “In my role as a recruiter I’m able to help others not only pay for their education, but also get them into the service, which benefits their community and country.”
