Coast Guard Hits Highest Recruiting Numbers In Nearly 35 Years
Teh U.S. Coast Guard achieved its highest recruitment numbers in nearly 35 years during Fiscal Year 2025, substantially surpassing its recruitment goals. The service enlisted 5,204 active-duty members, exceeding its target by 121%, and also increased its reserve force and officer commissions, with historic highs in officer recruitment. This surge is part of a broader military recruiting boom following the 2024 election,contrasting with previous challenges during the Biden management,which struggled with recruitment partly due to leadership issues and changes in standards. The Coast Guard is now seeking locations for a new training center to support its growing force. The record-breaking recruitment success is seen as a major win for the Trump administration, reflecting increased public interest in military service.
The U.S. Coast Guard experienced its best year for recruitment in more than three decades, the service announced Friday.
“The Coast Guard far exceeded our recruiting goals in Fiscal Year 2025, showing that more Americans want to serve in the Coast Guard than ever before,” said Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, in a statement. “Thanks to our recruiters for their great success. We aren’t just growing — we are bringing in the best talent from across the United States and building the workforce of the future.”
According to an agency press release, the Coast Guard “accessed 5,204 active-duty enlisted service members in FY25, which was 121% of its FY25 target of 4,300.” This year’s totals mark an improvement over the branch’s FY24 recruitment figures, which saw 4,422 new members join the service.
The Coast Guard also saw an uptick in its reserve numbers, bringing in 777 reservists, “which was 104% of the official target of 750.” The branch additionally commissioned 371 new officers, hitting “101% of the overall goal” and making it the “largest officer target achieved in recorded history.”
The service separately announced on Monday that it is soliciting potential locations for a new training center to help accommodate the force’s projected growth.
The Coast Guard’s record-setting recruiting figures represent a major win for the Trump administration, which has seen a significant boost in the number of Americans seeking to join the military since its return to office.
As The Federalist previously reported, the Army, Navy, and Air Force all hit their FY25 recruiting targets months ahead of schedule, with the Marine Corps and Space Force also hitting their respective goals. This recruiting boom was also apparent right after Trump’s 2024 election victory, with U.S. Army Recruiting Command revealing last year that its recruiters “had their most productive December in 15 years by enlisting 346 Soldiers daily.”
[READ: It Turns Out The Military’s Biden-Era Recruitment Crisis Was A Leadership Problem After All]
The notable uptick in new members joining the military comes in stark contrast to the recruiting crisis that plagued the Biden administration, which prioritized the implementation of racist DEI ideology throughout the service. While the military did hit its recruiting goals during the last year of Biden’s presidency, it did so after several branches axed traditional standards recruits were expected to meet to qualify for service.
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