The Defense Department's armed services branches recruited 12.5% more individuals in 2024 than in the year prior despite a difficult and indifferent recruiting market.

Katie Helland Director of Military Accessions Policy Katie Helland employment speaks with members of the media during a panel on fiscal year 2025 recruiting objectives at the Pentagon, Oct. 30, 2024. Share: × Share Copy Link Email Facebook X. LinkedIn. WhatsApp

Download: Full Size (235.52 KB). Credit: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jackie Sanders, DOD. VIRIN: 241030-D-XI929-1004

While speaking at a multiservice panel on 2025 hiring concerns at the Pentagon previously this week, Director of Military Accession Policy Katie Helland stated that the services increased the number of recruits from 200,000 in FY 2023 to 225,000 in FY 2024, which ended September 30.

Additionally, she said, the services had a 35% increase in written contracts, and the active components' delayed entry program began FY 2025 with a 10% larger pool.

" [The Office of the Secretary of Defense] and the services will continue to develop off the momentum that we've acquired in 2024," Helland stated.

" Nevertheless," she continued, "we need to remain carefully positive about the future recruiting operations as we continue to hire in a market that has low youth tendency to serve, restricted familiarity with military chances, a competitive labor market and a declining eligibility amongst young people."

Helland elaborated on those challenges by discussing that, for the very first time since the metric has been tracked, the majority of youths have actually never ever thought about the option of serving in the military.

The reasons behind that are multifold, Helland said. Young Americans have fewer ties to pals or relative who have actually served in the military. There is a declining presence of veterans in our society. Approximately 77% of individuals in between the ages of 17 and employment 24 need some type of waiver to serve due to any variety of disqualifications.

To counter such obstacles, Helland said the armed force has actually implemented a medical pilot program that allows recruits to sign up with the military without a waiver for various health conditions - supplied they satisfy certain requirements. Additionally, there are service member preparation courses that prepare recruits to fulfill the strenuous requirements of military service. Moreover, DOD is looking for to reconnect with youth and employment their influencers by revealing them the value of serving.

" The next generation of Americans to serve should know that there has actually never been a better time for them to select military service," Helland said.

Panel Pentagon Press Secretary Flying Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder helps with a panel on 2025 recruiting goals at the Pentagon, Oct. 30, 2024. Share:. ×. Share. Copy Link. Email. Facebook. X. LinkedIn. WhatsApp

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" Youth today look for a bigger function in their lives and desire tasks where they have greater participation in decision-making and can produce a direct tangible impact," she continued. "Military service offers all of this."

Explaining that U.S. military service provides more than 250 occupations which it represents one of the most organizations throughout the world and employment across all pay grades, Helland stated the Defense Department is working hard to counter the story that signing up with the military is an alternative to going to college or "a choice of last hope."

" We are working to reframe this story so that Americans comprehend that military service is a path to greater education and career chances while safeguarding democracy and the flexibilities we hold dear," Helland said.

She added that DOD is reframing this narrative. For example, employment the department's Joint Advertising Market Research and Studies program will quickly introduce a project to build familiarity with the American public about the worth of military service. Plans are likewise continuing to have adult influencers promote for military service.