Recruiting, much like in college sports, is the lifeblood of America’s volunteer military force. Military recruiters are encountering more challenges in attracting top talent to serve the country, similar to their counterparts in college sports.
With more opportunities in secondary education and an evolving workforce that does not require a four-year degree, young people have more options than ever before.
The U.S. Army is focusing on transforming how it recruits the next generation of soldiers. On the surface, it appears that the Army’s recruiting efforts are working.
In 2024, Army recruiters exceeded their goal of 55,000 new soldiers by half a percent, including surpassing their target for delayed enlistment recruits by 6,000 new soldiers. However, the number of new soldiers remained largely flat over the last two years, with 54,000 in 2023 falling 11,000 short of their goal of 65,000. Conversely, 11,000 people entered the delayed entry program, well above last year’s number of about 4,600.
Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth stated that these numbers are a direct result of Army leadership emphasizing changes in their recruiting strategies.
“I believe that our success this year shows the promise of what is just around the corner, complete transformation of our recruiting enterprise. There is still work to do to finish this transformation, but the Army, this will not surprise you, is moving out aggressively,” Wormuth said.
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Maj. Gen. Johnny Davis, commander of Army recruiting, emphasized the importance of getting quality recruits.
“First and foremost, again, getting the talent right. And we started to see a big change in bringing the right talent of not only leaders, but also recruiters. Let’s assess our recruiters and make sure we select the right recruiters,” Davis said.
Part of the Army’s plan included improving how they train recruiters. The Training with Industry program offers soldiers the chance to work with civilian industry experts within their field to learn the company’s best practices and methodologies.
To kickstart this initiative, the Army partnered with companies like Amazon, Deloitte and Wells Fargo, as well as the University of Louisville to provide a wide range of experiences for recruiters.
Brig. Gen. Antoinette Gant, chief of the Army Enterprise Marketing Office, highlighted the importance of equipping recruiters with the necessary tools.
“It is truly about the recruiter making sure that the recruiter has in his access the things that they need to be able to make sure that they can actually do what they are supposed to be doing, and that is prospecting, prospecting and nurturing the leads, of which they actually receive,” Gant said.
Another avenue of success for the Army is the introduction of a program specifically designed to help potential recruits who have trouble initially qualifying for service.
“For young Americans who had the desire to join the Army but not the test scores, we created the Future Soldier prep course to give them a path to meet our standards,” Wormuth said.
Maj. Gen. Davis added, “A simple course to really invest in them, not just from academic and physical, but hey, let’s invest in them. Show them how you know, camaraderie, how to eat, how to exercise. And what we have seen within two weeks is transformational, and they are going on to really lead our force as they do graduate and go off to basic combat training and to the first units of assignments.”
The initial results are impressive. The Future Soldier Preparatory Course graduated 16,000 students into basic training in 2024. Wormuth noted that today’s high school seniors represent more than 50% of the Army’s annual enlistments, but they represent only 15% to 20% of a larger prospect pool they need to be recruiting.
One avenue to reach this pool was the introduction of the Soldier Referral Program, an incentive for active duty, National Guard or Reserve soldiers to refer new recruits to join their ranks. Less than two years old, the program has already yielded 77,000 referrals and 5,000 new soldiers.
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With the success of these initiatives, the secretary announced a new goal during the opening ceremonies of this year’s AUSA Annual Meeting.
“Looking ahead to fiscal year 2025, I am announcing today that General George and I have set a new goal to recruit 61,000 new soldiers, 6,000 more than this year,” Wormuth said.
It is an ambitious goal. The last time the Army reported more than 61,000 new recruits in a year was 2019, when a little more than 68,000 new recruits enlisted.
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[Ryan Robertson]
RECRUITING.
JUST LIKE IN COLLEGE SPORTS, RECRUITING IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF AMERICA’S VOLUNTEER MILITARY FORCE.
AND, SIMILAR TO COLLEGE SPORTS, MILITARY RECRUITERS ARE FACING MORE CHALLENGES WHEN ATTRACTING THE TOP TALENT TO SERVE THE COUNTRY.
FROM MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN SECONDARY EDUCATION TO AN EVOLVING WORKFORCE THAT’S NOT REQUIRING A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE. YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE MORE OPTIONS THAN EVER BEFORE.
THAT’S WHY THE ARMY IS FOCUSING ON TRANSFORMING HOW IT RECRUITS THE NEXT GENERATION OF SOLDIERS.
ON THE SURFACE, IT WOULD APPEAR WHAT THE ARMY IS DOING WHEN IT COMES TO RECRUITING IS WORKING.
ARMY RECRUITERS EXCEEDED THEIR GOAL OF 55,000 NEW SOLDIERS IN 2024 BY HALF A PERCENT. THAT INCLUDED ECLIPSING THEIR TARGET FOR DELAYED ENLISTMENT RECRUITS BY 6,000 NEW SOLDIERS.
SOME ADDED CONTEXT THOUGH REVEALS THE NUMBER OF NEW SOLDIERS WAS LARGELY FLAT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. WITH 54,000 IN 2023 FALLING 11,000 SHORT OF THEIR GOAL OF 65,000.
CONVERSELY 11,000 PEOPLE ENTERED THE DELAYED ENTRY PROGRAM, WELL ABOVE LAST YEAR’S NUMBER OF ABOUT 4,600.
SECRETARY OF THE ARMY, CHRISTINE WORMUTH SAYS THOSE NUMBERS ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF ARMY LEADERSHIP PUTTING AN EMPHASIS ON CHANGING HOW THEY WENT ABOUT MAKING SURE THEIR RANKS STAYED FILLED.
[Christine Wormuth, Sec. of the Army]
“I believe that our success this year shows the promise of what is just around the corner, complete transformation of our recruiting enterprise. There’s still work to do to finish this transformation, but the army this won’t surprise you, is moving out aggressively. ”
[Maj. Gen. Johnny Davis, Commanding General, United States Army Recruiting Command]
“First and foremost, again, getting the talent right. And we started to see a big change in bringing the right talent of not only leaders, but also recruiters. Let’s assess our recruiters and make sure we select the right recruiters.”
[Ryan Robertson]
PART OF THAT PLAN INCLUDED IMPROVING HOW THEY TRAIN RECRUITERS,
THE TRAINING WITH INDUSTRY PROGRAM OFFERS SOLDIERS THE CHANCE TO WORK WITH CIVILIAN INDUSTRY EXPERTS WITHIN THEIR FIELD TO LEARN THE COMPANY’S BEST PRACTICES AND METHODOLOGIES.
TO KICKSTART THIS INITIATIVE THE ARMY PARTNERED WITH COMPANIES LIKE AMAZON, DELOITTE, WELLS FARGO, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE TO PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF EXPERIENCES FOR RECRUITERS.
[Brig. Gen. Antoinette Gant, Chief, Army Enterprise Marketing Office]
“It is truly about the recruiter making sure that the recruiter has in his access that things that they need to be able to make sure that they can actually do what they’re supposed to be doing, and that’s prospecting, prospecting and nurturing the leads, of which they actually receive.”
[Brig. Gen. Antoinette Gant, Chief, Army Enterprise Marketing Office]
“Everybody was like, oh my god, I’m so glad you’re going back to ‘Be All You Can Be’. Really wasn’t a go back to it. What it was was that was what resonated not just with those who had served, but those that were wanting or considering to serve because of the fact that this is saying we want the best you that you can actually be. ”
[Ryan Robertson]
ANOTHER AVENUE OF SUCCESS FOR THE ARMY, THE INTRODUCTION OF A PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO HELP POTENTIAL RECRUITS THAT HAVE TROUBLE INITIALLY QUALIFYING FOR SERVICE.
[Christine Wormuth, Sec. of the Army]
“For young Americans who had the desire to join the army but not the test scores, we created the Future Soldier prep course to give them a path to meet our standards.”
[Maj. Gen. Johnny Davis, Commanding General, United States Army Recruiting Command]
“A simple course to really invest in them, not just from academic and physical, but hey, let’s invest in them. Show them how you know, camaraderie, how to eat, all of the different how to exercise. And what we’ve seen within two weeks is trans transformational, and they’re going on to really lead our force as they do graduate and go off to basic combat training and to the first units of assignments”
[Ryan Robertson]
THE INITIAL RESULTS ARE IMPRESSIVE. THE FUTURE SOLDIER PREPARATORY COURSE GRADUATED 16,000 STUDENTS INTO BASIC TRAINING IN 2024.
WORMUTH SAYS TODAY’S HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS REPRESENT MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE ARMY’S ANNUAL ENLISTMENTS, BUT THEY REPRESENT ONLY 15 TO 20 PERCENT OF A LARGER PROSPECT POOL THEY NEED TO BE RECRUITING.
ONE AVENUE TO THAT WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SOLDIER REFERRAL PROGRAM. AN INCENTIVE FOR ACTIVE DUTY, GUARD OR RESERVE SOLDIERS TO REFER NEW RECRUITS TO JOIN THEIR RANKS. LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD THE PROGRAM HAS ALREADY YEILDED 77,000 REFERRALS, AND 5,000 NEW SOLDIERS.
WITH THE SUCCESS OF THESE INITIATIVES THE SECRETARY UPPED THE ANTE DURING THE OPENING CEREMONIES OF THIS YEAR’S AUSA NATIONAL MEETING.
[Christine Wormuth, Sec. of the Army]
“Looking ahead to fiscal year 2025 I am announcing today that General George and I have set a new goal to recruit 61,000 new Soldiers, 6000 more than this year.”
[Ryan Robertson]
IT’S AN AMBITIOUS GOAL TO BE SURE, THE LAST TIME THE ARMY REPORTED MORE THAN 61,000 NEW RECRUITS IN A YEAR WAS 2019 WHEN A LITTLE MORE THAN 68,000 NEW RECRUITS PUT THEIR NAME ON THE DOTTED LINE.
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