Fiscal year (FY) 2022 Navy recruiting completed on October 3, with the Navy reaching its goal in enlisted active duty recruiting, while falling short of its goals in reserve enlisted and both active and reserve officer recruiting. FY22 has been a highly challenging recruiting environment, with competition for top talent fierce within the branches of the Department of Defense and the private sector, where major corporations have begun offering incentive packages to compete with the military. As all branches of the military have struggled to make mission, the Navy implemented multiple initiatives in order to accomplish their accession goal.
The Navy finished FY22 with the following numbers:
- FY22 Goal Actual
- Enlisted (Active) 33,400 33,442
- Officer (Active) 2,507 2,298*
- Enlisted (Reserve) 7,400 5,442*
- Officer (Reserve) 1,360 982*
*Preliminary numbers, which may change slightly based on Sept. 30 activity.
“We’ve completed a very challenging year, and I am very proud of the tremendous efforts our Recruiters gave to bring in the nation’s top talent and build the future of the fleet,” Rear Adm. Alexis “Lex” Walker, Commander, Navy Recruiting Command said. “The coming year promises to be even more challenging, as we are not starting the year in as strong a position as FY22. In order to achieve our mission goals this year, we will need an all-hands-on-deck effort, not only from our recruiters, but from throughout the active and reserve fleet, our retired Navy veterans, and our community leaders around the country who are centers of influence in the lives of the young people we are trying to recruit. We are going to do everything within our power to ensure that our recruiters are empowered and have the assets they need in order to accomplish the mission.”
While the enlisted active accessions reached their mission goal, this came at a heavy price. The Navy entered FY22 with a relatively healthy Delayed Entry Program (DEP) pool and finished the year with the lowest DEP pool in 40 years. DEP allows future Sailors to be contracted to join but remain on hold before shipping off to Recruit Training Command (boot camp). The goal of the program is to acclimate future service members to the military environment, military rank structure, history, customs and courtesies and to improve their physical fitness prior to shipping out. It also allows the military flexibility in when they ship future service members to regulate the flow of future Sailors to boot camp and follow on training schools.
Draining the DEP pool to critically low levels brings many new challenges for the upcoming year. Around a third of those remaining in DEP are future Sailors who are seniors in high school, who cannot ship until after graduation in May/June 2023. So the Navy is expected to be in a contract-and-ship posture, where future Sailors are shipped to boot camp within weeks or even days of contracting to serve. This posture is expected to persist through FY23.
The goals for FY23 are below:
- FY23 Goal
- Enlisted (Active) 37,700
- Officer (Active) TBD*
- Enlisted (Reserve) 8,100
- Officer (Reserve) 1,732
*Active Officer goals are usually released during the first quarter of the FY
In an effort to bring more future Sailors into the DEP pool, the Navy has been offering multiple incentives to generate a greater interest in naval service among qualifying applicants. In August, Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) announced enlistment bonuses up to $50,000 and student loan repayment up to $65,000. This offers the opportunity for future Sailors to earn a substantial sum as they begin their careers. The loan repayment program remains in place for FY23, and the bonus structure for the start of FY23 is posted at this link, with a maximum bonus remaining $50,000.
“The maximum current enlistment bonus is $50,000, and the maximum loan repayment is $65,000,” said Walker. “They are not mutually exclusive, so if a future Sailor maximizes both, that adds up to a life-altering $115,000, and the opportunity to serve in the world’s finest Navy.”
In addition to bonuses and loan repayment, leadership throughout the Navy is engaged in helping to improve Navy recruiting numbers. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro has begun sending letters to high school principals to promote military service and to foster school access for recruiters. These initial letters will be followed up with a letter from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command (CNRC) to further foster a relationship with these centers of influence.
CNRC also began the “Every Sailor is a Recruiter” (ESAR) program in July. The goal of the program is for U.S. Navy Sailors all over the world to share their positive experiences of naval service with qualifying applicants and provide referrals based upon these interactions.
“Every Sailor has a voice, and it’s not just up to recruiters to represent the Navy back at home, but it is their duty to share their experiences and inspire people to serve their country,” Master Chief Navy Counselor Gerald Allchin, NRC National Chief Recruiter said. “Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I know first-hand how rare it can be in non-fleet concentration areas to hear anything about the Navy. So, I tell my shipmates to share your stories!”
This program will be a force multiplier and will make the Navy more competitive in today’s challenging labor market. Navy leadership is currently determining the best way to recognize and award Sailors that provide referrals who ultimately join.
To address Reserve recruiting shortfalls, the Navy altered its recruiting command structure this summer, standing up Navy Recruiting Reserve Command (NRRC) to specifically tackle these challenges. Part of this restructure’s focus is on Canvasser Recruiter (CANREC) professionals. They make up 65% of NRRC and carry a critical portion of the NRRC enlisted goal and 100% of the officer mission goal.
“Our success depends upon CANREC professionals, and I am continually amazed at their commitment,” said CAPT Karen Muntean, Commander of NRRC. “These individuals are Selected Reservists (SELRES) and civilian professionals who have committed themselves to joining our challenging recruiting charge. Their role is to recruit for the reserve mission, educate active duty, civilians and veterans on the benefits of serving in the Navy Reserve, and partner with military and industry organizations.”
CNRC consists of a command headquarters, two Navy Recruiting Regions, NRRC, and 26 NTAGs that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations around the world. Their mission is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Cody Anderson, Commander Navy Recruiting Command
