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CV NEWS FEED // The United States Army reported historically high recruitment numbers in December, directly following the reelection of President Donald Trump.
The Army announced last week that it had had its most productive recruitment month in 15 years, enlisting an average of 346 soldiers daily.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth credited Trump’s reelection for the high numbers, saying young people “want to serve under the bold & strong ‘America First’ leadership” of the Trump administration.
News of the recruitment surge comes after recent policy changes by the Trump administration to eliminate controversial “woke” initiatives from the military and enhance overall cohesion.
In late January, Trump signed three executive orders “aimed at reducing left-wing political bias or ‘wokeism’ in the U.S. military,” CatholicVote reported. “The executive orders prohibited people from serving in the military while simultaneously identifying as ‘transgender,’ banned programs teaching critical race theory (CRT) in the armed forces, and reinstated over 8,000 service members who were expelled from the military for declining COVID shots.”
Another executive order signed by Trump effectively revoked a “controversial Biden-era policy that used taxpayer funds to cover travel costs for military employees and their family members to seek abortions across state lines,” CatholicVote also reported.
According to the Washington Examiner, Hegseth has argued that the Pentagon’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies under the Biden administration “detracted from the military’s core mission of keeping the country safe.”
The Army failed to hit its recruitment goals in 2022 and 2023, reaching only 74.8% and 76.6% of its targets.
The Department of Defense (DoD) attributed the shortfall to a strong economy, a smaller eligible population, and general “low trust” for the military among Generation Z.
Recent recruitment ads feature a traditional Army warrior ethos, showcasing soldiers training with captions like “We fight to WIN” and “Strong Soldiers = Effective Warfighters.”
At a Pentagon Town Hall last week, Hegseth said that the DoD needs to “get back to the basics” by restoring that kind of messaging, according to the Department’s website.
That approach contrasts with a 2021 ad released under President Joe Biden’s leadership that featured a young woman raised by two moms, highlighting LGBTQ activism and suggesting a connection between her upbringing and military service.
Hegseth said at the Town Hall, “I think we’ve seen an enthusiasm and excitement from young men and women who want to join the military actively because they are interested in being a part of the finest fighting force the world has to offer.”
