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Updated June 4, 2024
Defense Primer: Active Component Enlisted Recruiting
Congressional Role
Quantity Goals
The Constitution provides Congress with broad powers
Quantity goals are typically based on each armed service’s
over the Armed Forces, including the power “To raise and
projected need for new personnel (both officer and enlisted)
support Armies” and “To provide and maintain a Navy.” In
over the course of the year to meet its congressionally
the exercise of this authority, Congress has historically
authorized end-strength. Enlisted quantity goals are based
shown interest in military recruiting, which is critical to
on the proportion of congressionally authorized end-
maintaining a fully manned and capable volunteer military
strength that a specific armed service and component
workforce. Congress exercises a powerful influence on
allocates to its enlisted force, less the projected number of
recruiting through its establishment of personnel end-
currently serving enlisted personnel it expects to retain
strength levels for the Active and Reserve Components.
through the end of the year. As a hypothetical example,
Higher end-strengths generally require more new recruits,
assume an armed service has an authorized Active
higher rates of retention among current servicemembers, or
Component end-strength of 200,000 total personnel,
some combination of the two. Through its oversight
comprised of 30,000 officers and 170,000 enlisted
powers, Congress monitors the performance of the
personnel. If it projects that it will retain 140,000 of its
executive branch in managing the size and quality of the
current enlisted personnel through the end of the fiscal year,
military workforce. Congress influences the achievement of
it might set a goal of enlisting 30,000 new individuals for
recruiting goals by the armed services in a number of ways:
that year plus a certain number more to account for those
new enlistees who are separated before the end of the year
• authorizing military compensation packages that are
(for example, for medical disability). The actual number of
competitive with civilian employers (e.g., basic pay,
new enlistees needed may also change during the year as
education and health benefits);
new projections are made about the retention of currently
• establishing criteria that affect eligibility for enlistment
serving enlisted personnel, or if the armed service must
such as age, cognitive, behavioral, and citizenship
increase or decrease the total size of its force (for example,
requirements; and
if a Service Secretary were to exercise the authority of 10
• funding recruiting programs that provide for dedicated
U.S.C. §115(g)(1)(A) to increase congressionally
recruiters, market research, advertising, and military
authorized active duty end-strength for that armed service
entrance processing stations.
by up to 2%). Table 1 lists recruit quantity goals and results
for FY2021-FY2023.
Successful recruiting often depends on identifying a
population that is both eligible and has a propensity for
Quality Goals
enlistment. The policy levers most commonly used to
Quality goals for non-prior service (NPS) recruits, are
address recruiting issues include increased funding for
established through law and policy. Two principal
additional recruiters, advertising, and enlistment incentives
Department of Defense (DOD) quality benchmarks apply to
(e.g., bonuses, education benefits). When recruiting
NPS recruits. The first is the percentage of NPS enlistees
shortfalls occur, or are anticipated, Congress may elect to
who are high school diploma graduates (HSDGs). The
apply additional resources to these mechanisms. Likewise,
second is the percentage of scores above average on the
when recruiting is expected to be strong, Congress may
Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT Categories I-
elect to shift resources away from these areas. Congress
IIIA). DOD’s recruit quality benchmarks stipulate that at
might also consider non-monetary initiatives that reduce
least 90% of NPS enlistees must be HSDGs and at least
barriers to enlistment or otherwise increase the pool of
60% must score above average on the AFQT.
eligible individuals (e.g., waivers, process improvements).
Supplementary ways to assess the quality of enlistment
cohorts include the percentage of NPS enlistees who score
Recruiting
well-below average on the AFQT (Category IV) and the
Without a robust ability to bring new personnel into the
number and types of enlistment waivers granted to enlistees
military, the armed services would lack sufficient
for medical reasons, misconduct, or drug use. Law (10
manpower to carry out mission essential tasks in the near
U.S.C. §520) stipulates that no more than 4% of an annual
term. Moreover, without stable recruiting levels they would
enlistment cohort may be Category IV (10th-30th percentile
lack a sufficient pool of entry-level personnel to develop
on the AFQT). However, the 4% threshold may be
into the mid-level and upper-level leaders of the future. To
increased to 20% at the request of the Secretary with
maintain a healthy military force structure, each armed
congressional notification. DOD policy specifies that those
service sets goals for new personnel accessions each fiscal
who score in Category V (1st-9th percentile on the AFQT)
year for both its Active and Reserve Components. Officer
are ineligible to enlist. Table 2 and Table 3 list recruit
and enlisted goals are set separately. For enlisted personnel,
quality benchmarks and results for FY2021-FY2023.
there are both quantity and quality goals.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Active Component Enlisted Recruiting
Table 1. Non-Prior Service Accessions Data (Quantity)
Active Component Enlisted Personnel, FY2021-FY2023
FY2021
FY2022
FY20223
Armed
Percent
Percent
Percent
Service
Goal
Achieved
of Goal
Goal
Achieved
of Goal
Goal
Achieved
of Goal
Army
57,500
57,606
100.2%
60,000
44,901
74.8%
65,500
50,181
76.6%
Navy
33,400
33,559
100.5%
33,400
33,442
100.1%
37,700
30,236
80.2%
Marine
30,607
30,617
100.0%
28,600
28,608
100.0%
28,900
28,921
100.1%
Corps
Air Force
26,641
26,656
100.1%
26,196
26,196
100.0%
26,977
24,100
89.3%
Space
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
521
532
102.1%
492
537
109.2%
Force
Source: Department of Defense Action Memo on file with author. Note: FY2022 is the first year results for Space Force were reported.
Table 2. Non-Prior Service Accessions Data (Quality – High School Diploma Graduates)
Active Component Enlisted Personnel, FY2021-FY2023
Armed Service
DOD Benchmark
Achieved FY2021
Achieved FY2022
Achieved FY2023
Army
90%
94.2%
94.2%
94.6%
Navy
90%
97.5%
96.9%
96.7%
Marine Corps
90%
99.5%
98.9%
98.3%
Air Force
90%
98.6%
98.5%
98.6%
Space Force
90%
n.a.
99.6%
99.4%
Source: Department of Defense Action Memo on file with author. Note: FY2022 is the first year results for Space Force were reported.
Table 3. Non-Prior Service Accessions Data (Quality – Above Average AFQT Score)
Active Component Enlisted Personnel, FY2021-FY2023
Armed Service
DOD Benchmark
Achieved FY2021
Achieved FY2022
Achieved FY2023
Army
60%
62.2%
60.2%
61.1%
Navy
60%
69.0%
65.1%
54.5%
Marine Corps
60%
69.4%
66.5%
64.9%
Air Force
60%
83.6%
82.2%
80.1%
Space Force
60%
n.a.
99.4%
99.3%
Source: Department of Defense Action Memo on file with author. Note: FY2022 is the first year results for the Space Force were reported.
For FY2023 the Navy did not meet DOD benchmarks for Cat I-IIIA and Cat IV recruits.
DOD Resources
DOD Instruction 1304.26, Qualification Standards for
Relevant Statutes
Enlistment, Appointment, and Induction
Title 10, Chapter 31, of the U.S. Code
DOD Instruction 1145.01, Qualitative Distribution of Military
10 U.S.C. §115
Manpower
10 U.S.C. §520
DOD Instruction 6130.03, Medical Standards for Appointment,
Enlistment or Induction in the Military Services
DOD Instruction 1304.32, Military Services Recruiting Related
Kristy N. Kamarck, Specialist in Military Personnel
Reports
Defense Manpower Data Center, DOD Personnel, Workforce
IF11147
Reports, and Publications
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Active Component Enlisted Recruiting
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