Air Force and Space Force hit recruiting targets five months early

The Air Force and Space Force say they have hit their active-duty recruiting targets five months ahead of schedule, contracting 32,000 new Airmen and Guardians for the current fiscal year. Nearly 25,000 recruits have already shipped to basic military training, with the remainder scheduled to start by Sept. 30, according to the services.

Leaders credited a deep bench of future enlistees waiting to train. The Air Force Accessions Center reported the largest Delayed Entry Program in more than a decade, with 18,000 recruits holding training dates. The DEP lets applicants enlist and postpone basic training for up to a year while they prepare and secure job reservations.

“The Air Force and Space Force continue to set records, build momentum, and consistently exceed their recruiting goals,” said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. “By reaching our annual target five months early and maintaining the largest DEP in over a decade, we are seeing a truly inspiring pipeline of dedicated volunteers who are eager for their chance to serve. Now, we take up the task of growing them, training them, and maintaining that talent across the services.”

The Space Force said it has exceeded its fiscal 2026 recruiting goal and has met its targets every year since the service’s 2019 launch. More than one in five new Guardians hold a college degree, and the first Space Force Recruiting Squadron, established last year, helped sustain the pipeline that produced 730 active-duty accessions.

The Air Force said it met its goal to enlist 32,750 active-duty Airmen. Officials pointed to upgraded recruiting technology and nearly 400 additional recruiters brought on since 2023 as key factors.

To compete for high-demand skills, the Air Force is offering eligible recruits bonuses of up to $40,000 for critical roles in maintenance, cyber and special operations.

The early finish underscores a sharp turnaround from the recruiting headwinds that dogged the Defense Department earlier in the decade, when a tight labor market and sliding propensity to serve challenged enlistment efforts. With a larger pool of recruits in the pipeline, the services now face the task of moving thousands through training and into operational units over the next several months.