Updated January 16, 2020
Defense Primer: Active Duty Enlisted Recruiting
Congressional Role

The Constitution provides Congress with broad powers
over the Armed Forces, including the power “To raise and
Quantity Goals
support Armies” and “To provide and maintain a Navy.” In
Quantity goals are based on each Service’s projected need
the exercise of this authority, Congress has historically
for new personnel over the course of the year to meet its
shown great interest in military recruiting, which is critical
congressionally authorized end-strength. This quantity goal
to maintaining a fully manned and capable military
is normally based primarily on the difference between the
workforce. Congress exercises a powerful influence on
congressionally authorized end-strength of a specific
recruiting through its establishment of personnel end-
Service and Component for a given fiscal year and the
strength levels for the Active Components and Reserve
projected number of currently serving personnel it will
Components. Higher end-strengths generally require a
retain through the end of the year. For example, if a given
greater number of new recruits, higher rates of retention
Service has an authorized Active Component end-strength
among current servicemembers, or some combination of the
of 200,000 enlisted personnel, and it projects that it will
two. Through its oversight powers, Congress monitors the
retain 175,000 of its current enlisted members through the
performance of the executive branch in managing the size
year, it will set a goal of enlisting 25,000 new individuals
and quality of the military workforce.
for that year. The goal will also include a certain number
more to account for those new enlistees who do not
Congress influences the achievement of recruiting goals by
complete their first year of service. The actual number of
the services in a number of ways:
new enlistees needed may also change during the year as
new projections are made about the retention of currently
 authorizing military compensation packages that are
serving enlisted personnel, or if the Service must increase
competitive with civilian employers (e.g., basic pay,
or decrease the total size of its force (for example, if a
recruiting bonuses, educational and health care
Service Secretary were to exercise the authority of 10
benefits);
U.S.C. 115(g)(1)(A) to increase congressionally authorized
active duty end-strength for that Service by up to 2%).
 establishing criteria that affect eligibility for enlistment
such as age, cognitive, behavioral, and citizenship
Table 1 lists recruit quantity goals and results for FY2017-
standards; and
FY2019.
 funding recruiting programs that provide for dedicated
Quality Goals
recruiters, market research, advertising, and military
Quality goals are only for new enlistees without any
entrance processing stations.
previous military service, also known as non-prior service
(NPS) recruits.
The policy levers most commonly used to manage
recruiting include varying the number of recruiters, funding
Two principal Department of Defense (DOD) quality
for advertising, and funding for enlistment incentives.
benchmarks apply to NPS recruits. The first quality
When recruiting shortfalls occur, or are anticipated,
benchmark is the percentage of NPS enlistees who are high
Congress may elect to apply additional resources to these
school diploma graduates (HSDG). The second quality
mechanisms. Likewise, when recruiting is expected to be
benchmark is the percentage of scores above average on the
strong, Congress may elect to shift resources away from
Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT Categories I-
these areas.
IIIA). Since FY1993, the DOD’s quality benchmarks for
recruit quality have stipulated that at least 90% of NPS
Recruiting
enlistees must be high school diploma graduates, and at
Without a robust ability to bring new personnel into the
least 60% must score above average on the AFQT.
military, the Services would lack sufficient manpower to
Supplementary ways to assess the quality of enlistment
carry out mission essential tasks in the near term.
cohorts include the percentage of NPS enlistees who score
Moreover, without stable recruiting levels they would lack
well-below average on the AFQT (Category IV) and the
a sufficient pool of entry-level personnel to develop into the
number and types of enlistment waivers granted to enlistees
mid-level and upper-level leaders of the future. To maintain
for medical reasons, misconduct, or drug use. DOD
a healthy military force structure, each Service sets goals
regulations require that no more than 4% of an annual
for new personnel accessions each fiscal year for both its
enlistment cohort may be Category IV (10th-30th percentile
Active and Reserve Components. Officer and enlisted goals
on the AFQT). In addition, no one in Category V (1st-9th
are set separately. For enlisted personnel, there are both
percentile on the AFQT) may be admitted into the U.S.
quantity and quality goals.
armed forces. In the case of waivers, there is no official
benchmark.
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Defense Primer: Active Duty Enlisted Recruiting
Table 2 and Table 3 list recruit quality benchmarks and

results for FY2017-FY2019.
Table 1. Non-Prior Service Accessions Data (Quantity)
Active Component Enlisted Personnel, FY2017-FY2019

FY2017
FY2018
FY2019
Percent
Percent
Percent
Service
Goal
Achieved
of Goal
Goal
Achieved
of Goal
Goal
Achieved
of Goal
Army
68,500
68,862
100.5%
76,500
69,972
91.5%
68,000
68,185
100.3%
Navy
35,200
35,225
100.1%
39,000
39,018
100.0%
39,000
39,027
100.1%
Marine
31,994
32,059
100.2%
31,556
31,566
100.0%
31,767
31,777
100.0%
Corps
Air Force
31,250
31,296
100.1%
29,450
30,343
103.0%
32,300
32,421
100.4%
Source: Department of Defense.
Table 2. Non-Prior Service Accessions Data (Quality – High School Diploma Graduates)
Active Component Enlisted Personnel, FY2017-FY2019
Service
DOD Benchmark
Achieved FY2017
Achieved FY2018
Achieved FY2019
Army
90%
95.8%
95.0%
93.7%
Navy
90%
98.7%
97.8%
97.7%
Marine Corps
90%
99.8%
99.8%
99.5%
Air Force
90%
99.6%
98.6%
98.5%
Source: Department of Defense.

Table 3. Non-Prior Service Accessions Data (Quality – Above Average AFQT Score)
Active Component Enlisted Personnel, FY2017-FY2019
Service
DOD Benchmark
Achieved FY2017
Achieved FY2018
Achieved FY2019
Army
60%
60.5%
63.9%
60.6%
Navy
60%
83.4%
75.3%
71.6%
Marine Corps
60%
71.6%
69.9%
69.4%
Air Force
60%
82.1%
82.8%
81.8%
Source: Department of Defense.
Relevant Statutes
Other Resources
Title 10 U.S. Code, Chapter 31
DOD Instruction 1304.26, Qualification Standards for
10 U.S.C. §115
Enlistment, Appointment, and Induction
DOD Instruction 6130.03, Medical Standards for

Appointment, Enlistment or Induction in the Military Services

Defense Manpower Data Center, DOD Personnel,

Workforce Reports, and Publications.






Lawrence Kapp, Specialist in Military Manpower Policy

IF11147


https://crsreports.congress.gov

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Defense Primer: Active Duty Enlisted Recruiting


Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11147 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED

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