US Army hits 2026 recruiting goals four months early, Pete Hegseth announces at West Point commencement
The U.S. Army met its 2026 recruiting goals four months early, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said during a Saturday commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.
“Recruitments are up across the joint force, and I’m pleased to announce that, just two days ago, the U.S. Army met its 2026 recruiting goals four months early,” Hegseth said.
He called it a second straight record year, saying the class will train and lead 61,500 new soldiers, and that future growth will be even larger as they serve as platoon leaders “at the tip of the spear” of what he described as the Army’s “snapback.”
In 2025, the Army aimed for 61,000 recruits and surpassed it with 62,050, according to the Pentagon.
