Mission

What is the current recruiting mission?

What are your year-to-date mission accomplishments?

What are your previous year accession missions and accomplishments?

How did your previous Fiscal Year accession missions and accomplishments compare to past years?


Recruiting environment

Has the economic downturn affected recruiting?


Enlistment Standards

What is the average enlistment age?

What is the maximum enlistment age?

What are the enlistment categories/ASVAB test score categories?

What are the Congressional, Department of Defense and Department of the Army test score standards?

Do you accept for enlistment individuals who are not U.S. citizens?


Education

How many recruits enlisted with college degrees or some college?

What education benefits are available to recruits?


Demographics

What is the demographic composition of the Army?

What is the ethnicity of Army recruits?

What percentage of recruits are women?

How many recruits enlisted from each state?

Does any region of the country provide more recruits than the others?


Enlistment benefits

What is the average enlistment bonus?


Army enlistment

What is the cost per accession?

What is the average term of service for new recruits?


Citizenship

Do you accept for enlistment individuals who are not U.S. citizens?

How many non-citizens enlist in the Army?

Do you recruit outside the United States?

Does enlistment qualify recruits for citizenship?


Recruiting Command

How many Soldiers serve as recruiters?

How many recruiting companies and stations are there?


Recruiting terms

Accession – a recruit who signs a contract AND ships to initial entry training

RA - Active Army

AR - Army Reserve

FY - Fiscal Year – the fiscal year runs from October through September

HSDG - High School Diploma Graduate

NPS – non-prior service (applicants without previous military service)

ASVAB – Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

CAT I-IV – The ASVAB test score category



Mission

What is the current recruiting mission?

Fiscal Year 2014

Active Army Mission -- 57,000
Army Reserve Mission -- 18,300*
* Army Reserve mission includes OCS

The fiscal year runs October through September.

 

What are your year-to-date mission accomplishments?

Monthly recruiting data for all the services is released by the Department of Defense
after about the 10th of each month. Look for it on the DoD News Release page.

An accession is an individual who has enlisted and shipped to initial entry training.

 

What are your previous year accession missions and accomplishments?

FY 2013 Achievements: Active Army 69,154 (100.2%); Army Reserve 15,569 (77.3%)

How did your previous Fiscal Year accession missions and accomplishments compare to past years?

Year

Active Army

Army Reserve

Mission

Accessions

Mission

Accessions

1998

72,550

71,749

40,600

37,050

1999

74,500

68,210

45,584

35,035

2000

80,000

80,113

41,961

42,086

2001

75,800

75,855

34,910

35,523

2002

79,500

79,585

28,825

31,319

2003

73,800

74,132

26,400

27,365

2004

77,000

77,587

21,200

21,095

2005

80,000

73,255

22,175

19,400

2006

80,000

80,617

25,500

25,378

2007

80,000

80,410

26,500

27,055

2008

80,000

80,517

26,500

26,945

2009 65,000 70,045 22,500 23,684
2010 74,500 74,577 17,000 17,046
2011 64,000 64,019 19,320 19,998
2012 58,000 60,490 16,000 15,729
2013 69,000 69,154 20,130 15,569

For additional details, visit www.usarec.army.mil/hq/apa/goals.htm.

Return to top of page


Recruiting environment

Has the economic downturn affected recruiting?

The recruiting environment has become more difficult. The unemployment rate generally (and specifically the youth unemployment rate clearly) identifies the level of competition that the military recruiters face with employers. As the unemployment rates continue to trend toward full employment (5 percent), recruiting the best qualified becomes more difficult. The latest youth poll shows that 45 percent of youth report it is difficult or impossible to find a full-time job in their community. Across the races, African-Americans reported the most difficulty in getting a full-time job at 54 percent. The remainder of races reports the same at about 44 percent.

The National Unemployment for October 2013 is 7.3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (The most current data is available at www.bls.gov/cps/)


Enlistment Standards

What is the average enlistment age?

FY

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09 10 11 12

13

Average
Age RA

20.9

21.2

21.2

21.3

20.8

21.3

21.7

21.3

22 21.4 21.3 20.9

20.7

Average
Age AR

23.7

23.3

22.3

22.9

21.0

20.6

20.5

20.4

21.4 21.7 20.7 20.2

19.9

What is the maximum enlistment age?

The maximum enlistment age is 35.

Those individuals with no prior military service enlisting in the active Army must enter active duty or ship to training prior to their 35th birthday, and if enlisting in the Army Reserve, must access prior to their 35th birthday.

Those individuals who have prior military service and enlist in either the active Army or Army Reserve may enter active duty after age 35, if otherwise eligible based on their prior active or Reserve service computation.

What are the enlistment categories/ASVAB test score categories?

These are the test score category ranges:

I 93-99
II 65-92
IIIA 50-64
IIIB 31-49
IVA 16-30
IVB 10-15
V 0-9 (Not eligible for enlistment)

What are the Congressional, Department of Defense and Department of the Army test score standards?

Congress, Department of Defense, and Department of the Army establish quality standards.

Below are the Congressional, Department of Defense and Department of the Army standards test score standards.

Congressionally mandated* DoD mandated DA mandated**
I-IIIA no statute no less than 60% no less than 60% with floor 65%
IV no more than 20% no more than 4% no more than 4%
HSDG no less than 65% no less than 90% no less than 90%

* Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1981
**FY 14 mission letter

Return to top of page


Education

How many recruits enlisted with college degrees or some college?

Number of Active Army and Army Reserve non prior service (NPS) accessions who entered the Army with some college.

FY 04

FY 04

FY 06

FY 07

FY 08

FY 09

FY 10

FY 11
FY12

FY13

9,838

10,086

8,992

8,916

9,651

9,186

12,538

11,124
9,961

9,851

What education benefits are available to recruits?

Joining the Army is not a termination of one’s education, it’s an extension. Education is a lifetime experience for our Soldiers.

It starts with the ability to sign up for college when they enlist in the Army. The ConAP program helps Soldiers develop a college plan and ensure that the credits they earn, both during military training and college programs wherever they might be stationed, will transfer back to the college they chose during their enlistment .

During service, Soldiers can receive 100% tuition assistance for undergraduate and graduate courses – up to $4,500 a year. Army tuition assistance information is available at www.goarmyed.com.

In Fiscal Year 2012, Soldiers earned 2,469 associate degrees, 3,264 bachelor’s degrees and approximately 1,625 graduate degrees.

The Department of Defense spent $568.15 million on tuition assistance in FY 12.

For details on the variety of education programs and inititatives, check out the Army Education Porgram Guide or visit www.armyedspace.com.

The Army also offers the Montgomery GI Bill and Post 9-11 GI Bill at enlistment, offering students thousands of dollars toward their continuing education during and after service. Learn more at http://www.gibill.va.gov/.


Demographics

What is the demographic composition of the Army?

The U.S. Army G1 Demographics Office manages Army demographic information.

FY12 Army Profile PDF

What is the ethnicity of Army recruits?

Ethnicity of Army enlisted force & recruits compared with QMA
FY03
FY04
FY05
FY06
FY07
FY08
FY09
FY10
FY11
FY12
FY13
African American
Army enlisted force
26.2%
24.6%
23.4%
22.2%
21.5%
21.1%
20.9%
21.1%
21%
22%
n/a
Army enlistments
16.7%
15.5%
14.5%
15%
15.5%
16.9%
17.7%
18.5%
19.3%
20.3%
22.8%
QMA
14.1%
14.2%
14.3%
14.4%
14.6%
14.7%
14.9%
14.8%
14.9%
15.0%
14.9%
Hispanic
Army enlisted force
10.9%
11.3%
11.5%
11.6%
11.7%
11.9%
12%
12.1%
13%
13%
n/a
Army enlistments
13.2%
13.3%
13%
12.3%
12.4%
12.8%
12.8%
13.4%
14.1%
13.7%
14.8%
QMA
12.3%
12.3%
12.4%
12.6%
12.8%
13%
13.4%
14.5%
15.0%
15.6%
15%
Caucasian
Army enlisted force
56.2%
57.2%
58.2%
59.5%
60.7%
61.1%
61.1%
60.7%
60%
59%
n/a
Army enlistments
65%
65.2%
67.1%
67.4%
67.1%
65.6%
64%
62.1%
61.1%
60.8%
56.6%
QMA
68.2%
68%
67.8%
67.5%
67%
66.7%
66.1%
65.1%
64.4%
63.8%
64.5%
Asian Pacific Islander
Army enlisted force
3.4%
3.7%
3.9%
3.6%
3.3%
3.3%
3.5%
3.7%
4%
3%
n/a
Army enlistments
4.3%
4.8%
4.2%
3.9%
3.9%
3.6%
4.6%
5.1%
4.6%
4.5%
5.1%
QMA
5.1%
5.1%
5.1%
5.1%
5.1%
4.8%
4.9%
4.8%
4.9%
5.0%
4.9%

(Table reflects Regular Army (Active) Enlisted Force and Total Enlistments)

QMA - Qualified Military Available
QMA is the total 17- to 24-year-old youth population (28.8M), not including institutionalized and those in military service, minus unauthorized immigrants and minus non-HSDG (High School Diploma Graduate) not enrolled in high school or an equivalency program.

What percentage of recruits are women?

FY 01

FY 02

FY 03

FY 04

FY 05

FY 06

FY 07

FY 08

FY 09 FY 10 FY 11

FY 12

FY 13

Active Army

21.6%

20.3%

20.0%

19.1%

18.2%

17.2%

15.9%

16.28%

16.7% 15.8% 16.3%

14.6%

16%

Army Reserve

27.0%

26.5%

27.7%

25.0%

26.67%

24.4%

24.0%

29.15%

27.7% 28.6% 26.0%

23.5%

26%

How many recruits enlisted from each state?

Click here for the chart of Army and Army Reserve accessions by state (FY 11-13).

Does any region of the country provide more recruits than the others?

USAREC successfully recruits in all regions of the United States. The All-Volunteer Army is significantly over-represented for accessions from the South Atlantic and West South Central. Over a third of Army enlistments (38.0 percent) are from these two areas, yet they account for just under a third of the Qualified Military Available population (31.3 percent).

  • The Army is under-represented for enlistments from the New England, East North Central, and Mid Atlantic Divisions: 26.9 percent of Army enlistments are from these areas, while containing 32.3 percent of the qualified youth population.
  • Army enlistments in the remaining Census Divisions (Mountain, West North Central, East South Central and Pacific) are generally representative of the youth population in those areas.

Return to top of page


Enlistment benefits

What is the average enlistment bonus?

Below are the average enlistment bonus amounts by fiscal year
for active Army and Army Reserve accessions without previous military service (NPS).

Active Army:

FY06 = 49,717 NPS w/ average bonus of $12K

FY07 = 38,702 NPS w/ average bonus of $16.5K

FY08 = 46,927 NPS w/ average bonus of $18.3K

FY09 = 47,401 NPS w/ average bonus of $13.3K

FY10 = 30,936 NPS w/ average bonus of $5.9K

FY11 = 22,115 NPS w/ average bonus of $3.5K

FY12 = 11,191 NPS w/ average bonus of $4.2K

FY13 = 1,917 NPS w/ average bonus of $10.3K

Army Reserve:

FY06 = 14,927 NPS w/ average bonus of $8.8K

FY07 = 16,126 NPS w/ average bonus of $13.3K

FY08 = 21,681 NPS w/ average bonus of $19.5K

FY09 = 17,125 NPS w/ average bonus of $19.5K

FY10 = 11,349 NPS w/ average bonus of $11K

FY11 = 13,030 NPS w/ average bonus of $7.3K

FY12 = 9,611 NPS w/ average bonus of $5.6K

FY13 = 6,952 NPS w/ average bonus of $7.7K

 


Army enlistment

What is the cost per accession?

The USAREC Regular Army "Cost per Accession" for FY 12 was about $22,300.

NOTE: This cost includes Military Personnel Army (MPA) funding for Army College Fund, Enlistment Bonus, Military Pay (all Military support personnel, but not the actual recruit), Loan Repayment Program, and Operation and Maintenance Army (OMA) funding for Civilian Pay, Advertising, Recruiter Support, Military Training, Automated Data Processing (ADP) (including OPA funding) and Communications. It does not include recruiting facility lease costs.

What is the average term of service for new recruits?

Below are the average terms of service for active Army and Army Reserve accessions without previous military service for fiscal years 2005-2013.

Active Army: Army Reserve:
FY 13
47 months
71.8 months
FY 12
47.7 months
71.8 months
FY 11
47.5 months
71.8 months
FY 10
47.7 months
71.9 months
FY 09
47.9 months
71 months
FY 08
47.9 months
71.1 months
FY 07
47.9 months
71.5 months
FY 06
47.5 months
71.6 months
FY 05
47.7 months
71.6 months

Return to top of page


Citizenship

Do you accept for enlistment individuals who are not U.S. citizens?

To be eligible for enlistment in the Army or Army Reserve, an individual must be an American citizen or lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence [10 United States Code, Section 3253(c), 8253(c)].
Recruiters cannot assist people in coming to the United States or assist them in getting permanent resident status. They can work with people who already have permanent resident status or who can show they are in the process of receiving permanent resident status.
Offices of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can provide information concerning entry as a resident alien.

Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (MAVNI)
On 25 November 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates authorized the services to conduct a one year pilot program to bring in up to 1,000 (DoD-wide) legally present non-citizens to help meet critical personnel needs in health care and foreign languages and cultures.

The Army welcomes all opportunities to enlist qualified recruits who wish to serve our Nation. This pilot program is an avenue to broadening eligibility for Army service to meet two of our most critical personnel needs. Well trained and U.S. licensed medical practitioners provide quality care to Americans across the country every day. Many work in veterans hospitals treating Soldiers and their families.

Non-citizens living here who are native speakers of foreign languages the military considers critical can greatly aid the Nation’s defense, thus helping preserve freedoms and opportunities available to all.

The pilot program became effective Feb. 23, 2009. The pilot program for non-citizens with critical language and cultural skill was originally limited to the New York City Recruiting Battalion, and expanded to the Los Angeles Battalion May 4, 2009. The program expanded to include Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas Battalions effective Aug. 25, 2009. The pilot program for non-citizens with medical skills is open nationwide.

The program was originally scheduled to end Dec. 31, 2009. It was temporarily extended until Feb. 28, 2010. An additional extension through April 30, 2010, was approved.

USAREC recruited 455 MAVNI during FY 09 from 38 different states including Washington, D.C.
We recruited 334 MAVNI during FY 10.

We did not recruit for enlisted MAVNI in Fiscal Years 11 or 12.

As of Oct. 1, 2012, MAVNI reopened to allow enlistment and future appointment in the Army and Army Reserve for certsain legal non-immigrant aliens with authorized health care professions and foreign language abilities. In FY13 we recruited 560 MAVNI.

Interested enlisted applicants should be directed to www.goarmy.com/info/mavni.
Health care professionals may register at www.goarmy.com/info/mavni/healthcare.
Applicants enlisting under this pilot will be further informed they are eligible to process for expedited naturalization upon arrival at Basic Combat Training.

How many non-citizens enlist in the Army?

Non-Citizen Accessions

FY

# Non-citizens RA/AR

% NPS Accessions RA/AR

2002

3,290/847

4.4/4.2

2003

3,433/895

4.9/4.2

2004

3,468/939

4.8/5.8

2005

2,499/781

3.4/4.3

2006

2,492/882

3.5/4.4

2007

2,332/564

3.5/2.8

2008

2,611/861

3.8/3.8

2009

2,547/789

4.0/4.0

2010
3,722/699
5.3/5.3
2011
2,615/732
4.2/4.4
2012
2,352/623
3.9/4.7
2013
3,161/701
4.7/5.1

(USAREC does not have data prior to FY 02)

Do you recruit outside the United States?

No. Recruiting activities are not authorized in foreign countries other than those authorized by law (Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of Palau (RP), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI)) or through agreements under Status of Forces, or on military installations (Europe, Japan, Korea, etc.).

We do not conduct any recruiting activities on behalf of the United States Army in either Canada or Mexico. We cannot enter either country to recruit. We also cannot advertise outside the United States.

Some Native American tribes in Canada have dual citizenship as a result of treaties between the United States and Canada. However, they must come into the United States, to the nearest U.S. Army recruiting station in order to begin the enlistment process.

Does enlistment qualify recruits for citizenship?

Non-citizens who enlist in the Army can apply for citizenship on an expedited basis. Citizenship is not guaranteed, and if it is not granted, the applicant could be discharged. If citizenship is granted, it can be revoked if the individual fails to serve honorably at least five years.


Recruiting Command

How many Soldiers serve as recruiters?

At the beginning of FY 13, Recruiting Command had a total of 7,872 active Army and Army Reserve Soldiers assigned as recruiters.

The table below reflects the total required recruiting force (RRF) assigned at the beginning of each fiscal year (Oct. 1). This number does not include special mission recruiters, such as warrant officer, medical and Special Forces recruiters.

FY
Total assigned
2009
9,703
2010
8,778
2011
8,845
2012
7,896
2013
7,872

 

How many recruiting companies and centers are there?

Recruiting Command comprises five enlisted recruiting brigades, a medical recruiting brigade and a special operations recruiting battalion. Each brigade commands up to eight recruiting battalions within its geographic area for a total of 44 battalions. Each battalion commands the recruiting companies in its area.

More than 260 recruiting companies provide the tactical control of approximately 948 recruiting centers nationwide.