SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 – The Department of the Army announced today that it will achieve its recruiting goals for Fiscal Year 2019.
The regular Army signed more than 68,000 new active-duty Soldiers, exceeding its Fiscal Year 2019 recruiting mission. Recruiting goals were met in large part because of an overhauled recruiting approach and an increase in recruiters. Last year, the Army brought in about 70,000 new active duty recruits, well below the 76,500 it needed amid low unemployment and tough competition from higher-paying civilian companies.
“We are extremely proud of the Army’s recruiting efforts,” said acting Secretary of the Army, Ryan D. McCarthy. “We changed the way we do business and got results. We are ensuring the Army is ready now and investing in the future.”
“Meeting our recruiting goals allows the Army to achieve our modernization and readiness goals while maintaining high-quality recruits and Soldiers,” said Gen. James McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army. “The Army is a great place to work and it provides people multiple pathways to success while serving a purpose greater than themselves.”
Several Army initiatives contributed to recruiting success this year. U.S. Army Recruiting Command developed 44 virtual recruiting stations that focus on reaching eligible individuals using social media and texting, which is where they are typically most comfortable communicating. The command is already seeing a positive impact from the effort, with more than 3,000 enlistment contracts tied directly to the new virtual stations.
Two new outreach teams, the Army Esports Team and the Warrior Fitness Team, were established this year. The esports team has initiated some of the highest lead-generating events in the history of the all-volunteer force.
As of January 2019, the recruiting force was fully staffed with the addition of about 700 recruiters, improving the Army’s ability to directly reach more potential applicants across the nation.
The Army also increased its recruiting and outreach activities in 22 metropolitan areas, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Miami, Kansas City, Atlanta, Orlando, Sacramento, Houston, Seattle, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Oklahoma, Cleveland, Denver, San Francisco, Shreveport, Los Angles, Boston, and Phoenix. These cities averaged a 15 percent increase in enlistments over last year.
“Our recruiters across the United States, and overseas, worked tirelessly to enlist high-quality men and women into the Army,” said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston. “I am extremely proud of their hard work and dedication to building a winning team.”
Joining the Army is the opportunity to be a part of something greater than yourself. For more information about opportunities to serve on a winning team, go to www.goarmy.com or call 1-888-505-ARMY.
By Army Public Affairs