Navy Brings In 45,112 Recruits in FY 2026
The Navy brought in at least 45,112 active-duty enlisted sailors in Fiscal Year 2026, according to the sea service’s final numbers, released Thursday.
The Navy announced in July that it met its recruiting goal of 45,000, three months ahead of schedule, USNI News previously reported. It exceeded the goal by 112 sailors.
The sea service will now aim to bring in 45,000 more sailors in Fiscal Year 2027, which began Thursday, according to a Navy release. The new goal is 9,000 more than the Navy budget’s books, released in April, listed.
The Navy projects an end strength of 356,600 for FY 2027, an increase of 3,780, according to the budget books.
The Navy did not release numbers of how many officers the service commissioned in FY 2026 or its goal for FY 2027.
The sea service begins its next recruiting challenge with 13,508 future sailors in the delayed entry program pool, which is a population of recruits who will not immediately ship out to boot camp.
Rebuilding the DEP pool is a focus for the Navy, Rear Adm. Jim Waters, flag matters director, told USNI News in August. Waters turned over Navy Recruiting Command to Rear Adm. Forrest Young on Aug. 7.
The Navy wants to enter Fiscal Year 2028 with 50 percent of recruits in DEP, Waters told USNI News.
Young took over the command after the Navy had already reached its FY 2026 goal. He told USNI News in a Wednesday statement that he is taking time to speak with recruiters and sailors to find out what is working at Navy Recruiting Command.
“The recruiting environment will continue to evolve, and so will we – whether that means refining how we use data, improving the tools and training we provide recruiters, reducing friction in the applicant process, or finding better ways to connect with the talented Americans our Navy needs,” Young said in the statement. “Ultimately, every improvement we make should help our recruiters succeed and ensure we are delivering the right people, with the right skills, to the Fleet.”
