In recent years, the US military has faced a shortage of recruits, but the latest data for the 2026 fiscal year shows a rebound in the willingness of young people to enlist. Secretary of War Peter Haggis revealed during a congressional hearing on Wednesday, April 29, that the recruitment numbers in the US military are reaching a new thirty-year high.
Haggis stated that before Trump took office, Americans were unwilling to join the military, and the armed forces were unable to meet recruitment targets. Now, halfway through the year, they have already met the full year’s recruitment goal. He mentioned, “Now we have to reject some people and defer them to the next fiscal year.”
According to the US Air Force Recruitment Center in April, the recruitment target for the 2026 fiscal year for the Air Force is 32,000 personnel, including active-duty Air Force and National Guard members. Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink stated that the recruitment target was achieved five months ahead of schedule, and they currently maintain the largest reserve of individual reservists in over a decade. The first Space Force Recruitment Squadron, established last year, continues to fulfill its mission by successfully recruiting 730 active-duty service members.
The recruitment criteria listed on the Space Force website are as follows: 17 to 42 years old, US citizen, and passing the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test to assess applicants’ abilities in arithmetic reasoning, language, science, and more. Subsequently, applicants undergo further assessment based on moral and physical standards. Those accepted are then placed according to individual strengths and needs, enter the Delayed Entry Program, and eventually start basic military training.
Department of War data from December last year showed that all active-duty forces in the 2025 fiscal year met their recruitment goals. The Air Force recruited 30,100 personnel, exceeding the target by 100.22%; the Space Force recruited 819 personnel, surpassing the goal by 102.89%; the Army recruited over 62,000 personnel, achieving 101.72%; the Navy recruited 44,096 personnel, exceeding the goal by 108.61%; and the Marine Corps recruited 26,600 personnel, reaching 100% of their target.
Reports from the Army Times in 2023 indicated that the Air Force failed to reach recruitment goals that year, with a shortfall of 2,700 personnel, the first time since 1999; the Navy and Army also fell short of recruitment targets. The Army, in particular, failed to meet targets for two consecutive years from 2021-23, resulting in a decrease in total personnel from 485,000 in 2021 to 452,000 in 2023, the lowest Army strength since 1940.
According to the US defense budget summary for the 2027 fiscal year, aimed at rebuilding military deterrence capabilities and enhancing the fighting spirit of the armed forces, the budget submitted by the Department of War and reviewed by Congress amounts to a staggering $1.45 trillion, an increase of $440.9 billion or 44% from the previous fiscal year.
Within the total budget, $1.1 trillion is allocated for discretionary spending similar to the 2026 fiscal year, with an additional $350 billion in mandatory resources directed towards critical priorities such as increasing ammunition supplies, strengthening defense industry infrastructure, addressing long-standing military base maintenance issues, and improving the quality of life for service members.
In terms of “rebuilding deterrence capabilities,” the US military has singled out countering Chinese military strength. The focus includes enhancing elite force capabilities, infrastructure, and readiness in the Indo-Pacific region. The Army will prioritize and expand military advantages over China in the Indo-Pacific region, reinforcing the tactic of “Deterrence by Denial” to ensure peace in the region.
The Department of War plans to increase active-duty and reserve personnel by 44,500 in the next fiscal year, including 40,100 active-duty personnel and 4,400 reservists; the Air Force will increase by 8,900, the Space Force by 2,800, the Army by 15,000, the Navy by 12,000, and the Army National Guard will add 3,300 reservists. As a result, the total strength of active-duty personnel in the US military will increase to 1.342 million, with reserves and National Guard personnel combined reaching 769,000. ◇