U.S. Navy Misses Enlisted Recruitment Target by 20 Percent

https://maritime-executive.com ^ | PUBLISHED OCT 12, 2023

[11th_VA]

As predicted by its leaders, the U.S. Navy has missed its recruiting goals for fiscal year 2023 by a wide mark, according to Navy Recruiting Command.

On Tuesday, the command said that it brought in 30,200 enlisted active duty sailors this year, about 7,500 people (20 percent) short of its goal. It also missed its target for Navy Reserve enlisted recruits by 1,000 people.

For active-duty and reserve officers, recruitment fell short by 500 and 800 people respectively.

The Navy has made every attempt to attract new applicants. It has eased its testing standards to the minimum level allowable by law, maximized its eligible recruitment age, added a coaching program to help low-performing recruits, and launched a pre-boot camp fitness regimen for those who need assistance meeting weight requirements. New incentives have been created to entice promising candidates, like a $35,000 bonus for shipping out quickly. On the retention side, high-year tenure ("up or out") has been eased, and re-enlistment bonuses have been increased for in-demand ratings…

With its recruiting numbers down in FY2023, the Navy is setting a higher target for FY2024: it wants to find 40,600 new enlisted personnel next year.

Recruitment shortfalls have an effect on readiness, the Navy's leaders have warned. When ships and shore commands operate short-handed, the work is distributed to fewer people, leaving less time for rest, training and maintenance. This can have a slow corrosive effect on morale and readiness. Undermanning was one factor identified in the deadly collisions involving the destroyers USS John S. McCain and USS Fitzgerald in 2017.

[Texas resident]

Good flick.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Years ago I predicted that exactly this would happen; i.e. that good men and women would decide that they would not put their lives in danger for a government like this one.

[rlmorel]

I don’t pretend to be a bad-ass in things like this, especially since I wasn’t there. But I will say this:

It could have ended in a variety of ways, but it should NEVER have ended with a surrendered US Naval vessel and sailors on their knees held hostage by Iranians. That is a failure from the Presidency down through the entire chain of command right up to the Commanding Officer.

It still bothers me to see that image.