By Sarah Holliday

“Just two years ago,” read a statement from the Department of War, “the outlook for military recruitment was bleak.” For the last several years, nearly every branch of the military fell short of its recruitment goals. The COVID-19 pandemic — including vaccine mandates that alienated many within the military as well as potential recruits — played a significant role. The Biden administration’s push for woke policy gender ideology within the military also drove many away.

The Washington Stand previously reported: “[I]n 2023, the Air Force fell roughly 2,700 airmen short, the Army was 15,000 soldiers short, the Navy missed their goal by over 7,450 sailors, and the Coast Guard by about 4,800. The military as a whole missed its recruitment target by 41,000 recruits.” Some believed the U.S. military was beginning to reach levels of crisis.

Fast forward to now, however, and there’s been a significant shift. Rather than dropping standards to meet recruitment goals, enrollment is reportedly surging. According to National Review, “In fiscal year 2025, which ended on September 30, the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force all reached their recruiting goals. Incredibly, in June, the Army announced that it surpassed its goal of 61,000 new soldiers four months before the deadline.”

So, what caused the spike?

NRO noted that the shift is a result of “fresh thinking, an influx of financial resources, and untold amounts of work and effort on the part of the nation’s military recruiters — the noncommissioned officers tasked with a very difficult and often thankless task.” Additionally, the outlet added, “Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other administration officials say that their efforts to create a post-woke spirit in the military since Trump’s victory in 2024 is the reason behind the recruiting surge.”

Reportedly, there were also other motivations, such as the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, signed by former President Joe Biden, which “raised the base pay of junior enlisted personnel by 14.5 percent, making the early years of a career in the military more financially competitive with big box stores and other entry-level jobs.” Other bonuses and financial incentives have since been offered as well. As for the men and women who did not meet physical standards, which was another facet of the years-long recruitment drought, the Army’s “Future Soldier Preparatory Course” at Fort Jackson, S.C. — otherwise known as “Army Fat Camp” — was implemented, offering potential recruits the chance to get into shape prior to actual boot camp.

“From my perspective,” Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Bob Maginnis told The Washington Stand, “today’s recruiting surge is the direct result of a sharp course correction in leadership and culture. Under President Biden, nearly every branch missed its goals — Pentagon officials acknowledged a combined shortfall of roughly 41,000 recruits in FY 2023. Critics pointed to the administration’s DEI and CRT initiatives, which even Congress moved to restrict in 2024. These policies alienated many traditional recruiting communities, while COVID restrictions, falling eligibility, and declining trust in institutions further suppressed enlistment.” And yet, he added, this all “changed dramatically with the return of President Trump.”

As Maginnis explained, “His administration immediately dismantled federal DEI programs, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged to remove ideologically driven policies from the ranks” and this alone “restored confidence among the very families who historically supply the bulk of America’s recruits. The results followed quickly: the Army hit its FY 2025 goal of 61,000 recruits four months early, and the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force all met their goals by the end of the fiscal year.” So, “whether this surge lasts will depend on keeping these fundamentals in place.” And what does that look like? According to Maginnis, it looks like “sustained pro-defense leadership, competitive military pay, and serious investment in quality-of-life issues are essential.”

However, he emphasized, “if these gains are reversed — if ideological agendas return, if pay stagnates, or if the eligibility crisis goes unaddressed — the nation could quickly slip back into the ‘crisis levels’ seen just a few years ago. Shrinking formations, recruiting gaps, and reduced readiness would follow, inviting miscalculation from adversaries already probing U.S. resolve.”

As Maginnis concluded, “The current surge shows what happens when leadership, mission clarity, and common-sense policy align. The risk is that if those conditions disappear, the surge will too.”

Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand.