OCTOBER 11, 2023 – The U.S. Navy’s fiscal year (FY) 2023 recruitment goals were 37,700 for active-duty enlisted Sailors and 8,390 for reserve enlisted Sailors. As of Sept. 30, 2023, the Navy recruited 30,236 active-duty Sailors and 6,342 reserve Sailors. The U.S Navy’s FY23 recruitment goals were 2,532 for active-duty officers and 1,940 for reserve officers. As of Sept. 30, 2023, the Navy recruited 2,080 active-duty officers and 1,167 reserve officers.
Despite a challenging and competitive environment, our talented recruiters made tremendous efforts in FY23. These efforts resulted in 6,000 more contracted future Sailors than the previous year, and helped us close the gap on our forecasted miss by 40 percent. We are pleased with the quality of recruits who joined the Navy, and these future Sailors share our core values of honor, courage, and commitment.
Navy recruiters and Sailors across the fleet will continue to connect with qualified future Sailors who desire to join the Navy and are motivated to serve in defense of our nation.
- FY23 concluded with the following numbers:
- Enlisted (Active): 30,236 (Goal: 37,700)
- Officer (Active): 2,080 (Goal: 2,532)
- Enlisted (Reserve/prior service): 1,948/4,394 (Goal: 3,000/5,390)
- Officer (Reserve): 1,167 (Goal: 1,940)
- For FY24, our goals include:
- Enlisted (Active): 40,600
- Officer (Active): 2,807
- Enlisted (Reserve): 7,619
- Officer (Reserve): 1,785
Throughout FY23, the Navy placed an increased emphasis on updating recruitment policies and expanding the population of qualified individuals.
Financial incentives included record-high enlistment bonuses of up to $75,000, and the return of the student loan repayment program offered up to $65,000. Raising the maximum enlistment age from 39 to 41 and increasing Category IV accessions for Armed Forces Qualification Test scores in the 10th-30th percentile to the 20% maximum allowed by policy provided opportunity for more eligible candidates to join. By carefully evaluating individual circumstances and granting waivers where appropriate, such as for tattoos, single parents or positive drug and alcohol tests, the Navy was able to consider individuals who may have previously been disqualified.
Mirroring an Army program, the Navy also started Future Sailor Preparatory Courses for physical fitness and academic skills development at boot camp, to support recruits in meeting or exceeding the Navy’s accession standards.
The “Every Sailor a Recruiter” program was another initiative launched in FY23 that encouraged Sailors to share their positive experiences of naval service and was instrumental in identifying talent. When Sailors referred a potential qualified candidate that led to a future Sailor contract, Sailors received a flag letter of commendation, which could give them an advantage with promotion.
Many of the initiatives and programs supporting the recruiting mission in FY23 will carry on into FY24, while the Navy builds more pathways of opportunity for all qualified individuals who choose to serve. Outreach and engagement opportunities will increase awareness about the Navy, its people and mission, while Navy recruiters and Sailors across the fleet will continue to connect with qualified future Sailors who desire to join the Navy and are motivated to serve in defense of the nation.
To learn about careers, joining the Navy, and the latest incentives, visit https://www.navy.com.
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, two Navy Recruiting Regions, Navy Recruiting Reserve Command, and 26 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations around the world. Their mission is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Navy Recruiting Command, go to https://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on X (@USNRecruiter), Instagram (@USNRecruiter), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/comnavcruitcom), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CommanderNavyRecruitingCommand).
Courtesy Story
Commander, Navy Recruiting Command