Pentagon statistics show the service exceeded its goal by 130.
The Pentagon recently announced recruitment statistics through the end of 2023, which show the U.S. Air Force rebounded to exceed its goal of 6,249 new active-duty airmen, which had been missed at the end of the fiscal year, by 130 individuals by the end of the calendar year.
The Pentagon closed fiscal year 2023 tens of thousands short of its enlistment goal, calling it “the toughest recruitment year for the military services since the inception of the all-volunteer force.” Results have been mixed since recruitment strategies have been revamped. This success is attributed to policy adjustments broadening the pool of eligible candidates, increased staffing to address medical paperwork backlogs, and a focused effort in the fourth quarter to jumpstart recruitment for fiscal 2024.
USAF Brigadier General Christopher Amrhein said he is “cautiously optimistic“ about recruitment numbers for the remainder of this year. At the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air Warfare Symposium in Colorado, he said of newcomers going to boot camp, “Instead of booking weeks in advance, we’re booking multiple months in advance. We’re not seeing this edge of the cliff.“
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Brigadier General Amrhein as he facilitates the recruitment for the Air Force branch of the U.S. military.
- For Pentagon officials as they assess the recruiting policies and strategies on the U.S. military branches and analyze the resulting statistics.
Sources: Military Times, Department of Defense
