WASHINGTON (TNND) — The U.S. military has seen a significant boost in recruitment, with all active-duty branches meeting or exceeding their goals for the fiscal year as of March 2025, according to the Department of Defense. This marks a notable improvement from March 2024, when only three branches achieved their targets.

The Associated Press reported that this increase follows several challenging years for military recruiters, who faced obstacles such as COVID-19 restrictions limiting in-person recruiting and stiff competition from private-sector jobs offering competitive pay and benefits.

Experts attribute the recruitment surge to initiatives implemented during the Biden administration, including larger enlistment bonuses, preparatory courses, and updated recruiting strategies. A recent Pentagon survey of 16 to 21-year-olds revealed that financial incentives were the primary motivator for considering military service, with over half citing pay as their main reason.

Recruitment Over the Years

Historically, military recruitment has fluctuated in response to war, economic changes, and policy shifts. During World War II, enlistment surged, driven by the draft and widespread public support, with nearly 9% of the American public on active duty. In contrast, post-9/11, only about 0.5% of Americans served actively, according to the Pew Research Center.

To meet its needs post-9/11, the military employed a policy known as "stop-loss," which allowed the involuntary extension of service members' active duty beyond their contracts. Between 2001 and 2011, approximately 185,000 service members were affected by stop-loss, a controversial measure critics referred to as a "backdoor draft", according to reporting from Pia Herzan, a historian at the University of Erfurt.

According to Erin M. Staine-Pyne, with the Council on Foreign Relations:

The Global War on Terror (GWOT) hurt the military’s brand and reputation, not just because some Americans did not support the wars, but because of the cost paid by service members who were repeatedly deployed to combat zones.