The U.S. military in general has suffered from low recruitment numbers over the past several years, at least in part due to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and other woke policies the Biden administration placed on service members.
Now that President Donald Trump has returned to the White House, however, there appears to be a reversal of that troubling trend.
.@USAREC had their most productive December in 15 years by enlisting 346 Soldiers daily into the World's greatest #USArmy!
Our Recruiters have one of the toughest jobs – inspiring the next generation of #Soldiers to serve.
Congratulations and keep up the great work! #BAYCB pic.twitter.com/nEpuP9akZM
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) February 4, 2025
Fox News reported only the recent recruitment surge in the context of the Army’s recent troubles:
In October 2023, the Army unveiled a series of sweeping changes to its recruiting enterprise, including an expanded focus on a larger share of the labor market and the creation of a specialized talent acquisition workforce.
The Army surged medical providers to Military Entrance Processing Stations across the country to help make the enlistment process more efficient, and leveraged innovative new technologies to reach expanded audiences and help identify candidates interested in military service.
There was also a notable expansion of the branch’s Future Soldier Preparatory Course, which helps potential recruits overcome academic and physical fitness barriers to service, while allegedly “not sacrificing quality for quantity.”
Still, the U.S. military missed its recruiting goals by 41,000 in 2023.
ADVERTISEMENTIn 2024, the Army announced it was cutting its force by 24,000 in a restructuring to “help the service fight in future wars.”
The almost 5 percent of jobs cut affected posts that remained empty, according to the Army.
A number of prominent officials, including recent confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, also celebrated the recent news:
BREAKING: 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.
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) February 4, 2025
The U.S. Army recruited soldiers during the following periods:
Year 2021 – 53,273
Year 2022 – 44,901
Year 2023 – 25,545
Year 2024 – 55,300
Month January 2025 – 30,000I wonder what happened in January 2025 to cause such a jump?
— Gary Allen (@gallen14720) February 4, 2025
Wow who knew
The issue with the military was Fat Milley after all
— Covid Crash Disrespecter (@PermaBull2024) February 3, 2025
Trump has railed against woke policies in various U.S. institutions, particularly the military, while outlining his second-term priorities.
As the BBC reported last month:
The order entitled “restoring America’s fighting force” includes a ban on what the administration considers discriminatory race or sex-based preferences by any branch of the military, Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security.
Additionally, any remaining DEI-related bureaucracy will be eliminated from those departments., the document said.
ADVERTISEMENTWithin 90 days of the executive order being signed, the President says the Secretary of Defense will carry out “an internal review that documents actions taken in pursuit of DEI initiatives, including all instances of race and sex discrimination and activities designed to promote a race- or sex-based preferences system”.
It remains unclear what specific programmes will be affected by the order.
In a December 2020 report, the department’s Board on Diversity and Inclusion recommended a number of steps, including the removal of “aptitude test barriers that adversely impact diversity” and incorporating the “value of cultivating diversity and inclusion” into leadership and professionalism curricula.
Over the weekend, it was reported that the US Air Force was reviewing material on the role of black and female pilots during World War Two from its training programmes as part of an effort to comply with Trump’s DEI orders.
But on Sunday, military officials clarified that certain curricula will not be removed from basic military training.
During the campaign in June, Trump said the military’s purpose is “to win wars, not to be woke”.
Here’s what former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said about the military recruiting gap last year:
The U.S. Army has a 25% recruitment deficit. Ask yourself why. pic.twitter.com/zEMslHzcIv
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) August 9, 2024
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