The U.S. government often tried to recruit young people into the military, thus training them to be self-sufficient and better citizens. Under the Biden administration, recruitment numbers were altered as confused individuals tried to sign up, people who did not know what sex they were. They seemed as perplexed as their leader.
Nonetheless, a change is happening. New recruits have surged with Trump in office for less than a month and Hegseth as the new defense secretary. Young people want assurance that they fight for a just cause; they will be treated as individuals instead of sexual exploitation. They want a strong leader.
Previous Administration
Although the Army did hit its recruitment target of 55,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, it brought in fewer than 51,000 recruits each of the previous two years. When military leaders promote unnatural lifestyles, parents are reluctant to encourage their youth to join the military. When the military forces an untested vaccine on its members, parents are unwilling to encourage their youth to join the military.
Trump Administration
Trump has what parents want in their youth. The new defense secretary, Hegseth said,
In December 2024, the @USArmy had its best recruiting number in 12 years. In January 2025, the Army hit its best recruiting number in 15 YEARS. BOTTOM LINE: America’s youth want to serve under the bold & strong “America First” leadership of @realDonaldTrump [1].
Qualifications Factor
Of today’s youth, only 23%Â meet the military’s physical, mental, and moral standards for enlistment without requiring a waiver. Disqualifying factors range from drug use and criminal records to gang affiliations. Over the last ten years, the desire to serve has declined from 15% to 9%, while the proportion of recruiting-age Americans qualified for service has fallen from 30% to 23%.
Nonetheless, with the new people in charge, the outlook for the entire military has improved, and it looks like that is trickling down to new enlistments.
Notes:
- ^ {Army Recruitment Hits Major Milestone, but It May Not Be Enough} (go back ↩)
