Army recruiting is up, but data show trend began before the election, current and former Army officials say
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Sen. Tom Cotton recently attributed the increased Army recruiting numbers to what they called “America First” leadership and “the Trump effect.” According to them, the uptick in recruiting began after the U.S. Presidential election in November 2024. However, data from current and former officials tell a different story.
In a recent interview on Fox’s America’s Newsroom, Sen. Tom Cotton claimed that young men and women were reluctant to join the Army during the previous four years under the leadership of Joe Biden and former Secretary of the Army, Christine Wormuth. He suggested that the focus on “Wokeness” and issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as climate change, deterred potential recruits. Cotton stated, “That’s not why young men and women join our military. They do it because they love the country.”
Former Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, who served until Jan. 20, stated that the positive trend in recruiting actually began well before the election. She clarified that the Army started seeing improvements in February 2024, with monthly numbers increasing significantly by August of the same year. The Army exceeded its recruiting goals by September 2024, well before the election took place.
The Army’s initiatives to boost recruiting included deploying 1,200 additional recruiters in October 2023 and implementing the Future Soldier Prep Course to help lower-performing recruits meet enlistment standards. The Army also revamped its marketing strategies and brought back the iconic “Be All That You Can Be” branding campaign from the 1980s. Additionally, the Army diversified its recruitment efforts by targeting job message boards and collaborating with industry leaders for talent acquisition training.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Army reported record-breaking recruitment numbers in December 2024. However, it is essential to note that the Army saw a higher number of recruits in August 2024, three months prior to the election, compared to December. Furthermore, the increase in recruiting was driven by a higher number of women enlisting, with women making up 19% of recruits in 2024.
Former Army officials caution against politicizing Army recruitment successes, emphasizing that the military should remain apolitical. Soldiers enlist to serve the Constitution, not a particular president or party. As the U.S. Army continues to exceed its recruitment goals and expand its training capacity, the focus remains on attracting qualified talent to serve in America’s most lethal fighting force.
In conclusion, while some may attribute the Army’s recruiting successes to political factors, the data indicates that the groundwork for these achievements was laid well before the election, driven by strategic initiatives and targeted efforts to attract a diverse pool of recruits. The Army’s continued momentum in recruiting signals a promising outlook for 2025 and underscores the dedication of its recruiters to inspire the next generation of soldiers.
