The U.S. Navy has reached its active-duty recruiting goal for Fiscal Year 2025 three months early, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan announced Wednesday on social media platform X.
“I am proud to announce that we have met our Fiscal Year 2025 recruiting goal three months ahead of schedule. A total of 40,600 future Sailors have stepped up to serve in our US Navy,” Phelan said. “This achievement reflects the courage of those who choose a life of honor and commitment in defense of our nation.”
I am proud to announce that we have met our Fiscal Year 2025 recruiting goal three months ahead of schedule. A total of 40,600 future Sailors have stepped up to serve in our @USNavy.
This achievement reflects the courage of those who choose a life of honor and commitment in… pic.twitter.com/pAcPlx9z53
— Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan (@SECNAV) June 18, 2025
The Navy’s recruiting success in 2025 follows last year’s strong performance, when it exceeded its target of 40,600 by 378 recruits. By the end of 2024, Navy Recruiting Command had enlisted 40,978 future Sailors — its highest total since 2002.
Navy officials credit new programs and policy changes for the turnaround. These include the Future Sailor Preparatory Course, quicker medical waiver processing, and efforts to remove barriers like outdated requirements. The Navy also raised the enlistment age to 41 and removed the high school diploma requirement.
Phelan also pointed to support from President Donald Trump. “Since November, Navy recruiting has skyrocketed, a testament to President Trump’s leadership and the dedication of our dynamic Navy recruiters,” he said in a press release.
The Army and Coast Guard have also seen recruiting gains. The Army reached its 2025 goal four months ahead of schedule, while the Coast Guard has already enlisted 4,250 new recruits — 1,200 more than during the same period last year.
