Fiscal year 2025 is one of the ‘most successful recruiting years in over a decade,’ according to the War Department.
The National Guard has exceeded its recruiting goals for fiscal year 2025, the Department of War (DOW), formerly the Department of Defense, said in a Sept. 24 statement.
“Since November 2024, the War Department has achieved its strongest recruiting performance in 30 years, with fiscal year-to-date accessions as of the end of August reaching 106% of active-duty targets,” the department said.
“The Army National Guard and the Air National Guard have combined to enlist almost 50,000 new members this fiscal year as of this month, bringing total National Guard end strength to over 433,000, surpassing each component’s goals and marking one of the most successful recruiting years in over a decade.”
Air Force Gen. Steven Nordhaus, National Guard Bureau chief, highlighted the value provided by the National Guard, which accounts for 20 percent of the country’s joint force at just 4 percent of the department’s budget.
The core missions of the National Guard include defending the homeland, supporting wars, and backing warfighters and their families, he said.
The Army National Guard now has more than 328,000 soldiers, exceeding the total number of authorized service members required to fulfill mission objectives, according to the department.
The strong recruitment numbers follow a new marketing campaign launched by the Army National Guard in March that aimed to attract young people to commit to part-time service.
As for the Air National Guard, total numbers are on track to surpass 105,000 airmen by the end of the current fiscal year, the department said.
“Young Americans are eager to serve,” Nordhaus said. “Today’s recruits are seeking long-term value, and the National Guard delivers through career training and hands-on, practical experience in more than 200 career specialties.”
Nordhaus said the National Guard was “central to President [Donald] Trump’s vision of peace through strength and [War] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth’s focus on restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military and reestablishing deterrence.”
