MILITARY PERSONNEL RECRUITING RESULTS FOR THE ACTIVE COMPONENT FIRST HALF FISCAL YEAR 1996
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy Fred
Pang announced recruiting results for the first half of Fiscal Year
1996. Through March 1996, all Services met their year-to-date
recruiting objectives and are optimistic they will meet recruiting
objectives for the entire year.
Recruit quality remains strong. Through March in both FYs 1995
and 1996, 94 percent of recruits were high school diploma graduates,
69 percent (compared to 70 percent at this time last year) of
recruits scored in the upper half of the Armed Forces Qualification
Test (AFQT Categories I-IIIA), while only one percent of new recruits
scored in the lowest acceptable category (AFQT Category IV).
New recruit demographics continue to show diversity in social
representation. Compared to the same period in FY 1995, the
proportion of Black recruits remains at 20 percent. The Army
continues to lead the way with a 25-percent Black accession rate.
Representation of Hispanic recruits continues to grow (10 percent, up
from 9 percent through March last year). The Air Force shows the
greatest change accessing 6 percent new recruits with Hispanic
ethnicity (compared to 4 percent at this time last year). The
representation of other minorities (i.e., American Indians, Asian-
Pacific Islanders, etc.) increased from 8 to 9 percent. Department-
wide, the proportion of female recruits decreased slightly to 18
percent, compared to 19 percent for the same period last year -- the
Air Force accessed the greatest percentage (26 percent). Compared to
last March, the proportion of female accessions in the Navy decreased
the most (22 to 16 percent). Due to constrained berthing
requirements, the Navy no longer recruits on a gender-neutral basis.
Pang emphasized that recruiting success is vital to the all-
volunteer force and to the Nation's security. Our biggest challenge
is maintaining the recruit quality that we have worked to achieve in
the last few years. To do this will require the continued support of
Congress and the American people for adequate recruiting resources.
Statistical summaries are attached.
FACT SHEET
MILITARY PERSONNEL RECRUITING STATISTICS FIRST HALF -- FY 1996
ACTIVE COMPONENT ENLISTED ACCESSIONS BY SERVICE
Total Numbers (Thousands)
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Non-Prior Service Prior Total Non-Prior Service Prior Total
Service Male Female Total Service Gain Male Female Total Service Gain
Army 22.6 5.8 28.4 3.7 32.1 25.3 6.6 31.9 1.7 33.5
Navy 17.4 4.9 22.2 1.0 23.2 19.1 3.6 22.7 1.4 24.1
Marine 13.8 1.0 14.8 0.3 15.0 13.1 1.1 14.3 * 14.4
Corps
Air Force 11.9 3.7 15.7 * 15.7 10.6 3.7 14.2 * 14.3
DoD 65.7 15.4 81.1 5.0 86.0 68.0 15.0 83.0 3.3 86.4
Recruiting Objectives (Thousands)
Non-Prior Service Prior Total Non-Prior Service Prior Total
Service Male Female Total Service Gain Male Female Total Service Gain
Army 22.6 5.8 28.4 3.6 32.0 25.6 6.0 31.7 1.8 33.4
Navy ** ** 22.2 1.0 23.2 19.1 3.6 22.7 1.4 24.1
Marine 13.8 1.0 14.8 - 14.7 13.0 1.1 14.1 * 14.2
Corps
Air Force ** ** 15.7 - 15.8 ** ** 14.2 - 14.2
DoD ** ** 81.1 4.6 85.7 ** ** 82.6 3.3 85.9
Percent of Objective
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Non-Prior Service Prior Total Non-Prior Service Prior Total
Service Male Female Total Service Gain Male Female Total Service Gain
Army 99 106 99+ 103 100 99 110 101 96 100
Navy ** ** 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Marine 100 104 100 - 102 101 104 101 100 101
Corp
Air Force** ** 99+ - 99+ ** ** 101 - 101
DoD ** ** 99+ 109 100 ** ** 101 101 101
Numbers in all tables may not add due to rounding.
* Less than 100.
** Air Force and Navy (FY 1995) recruit on gender-neutral basis; no
recruiting objectives by gender. Cannot compute DoD totals without
Air Force and Navy data.
- Neither the Marine Corps nor Air Force currently set Prior Service
objectives.
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA GRADUATE (HSDG) ACCESSIONS
(Non-Prior Service)
Total Number (Thousands)
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service Male Female Total Male Female Total
Army 20.9 5.7 26.7 25.3 6.6 31.8
Navy 15.7 4.7 20.4 18.4 3.6 22.0
Marine 12.9 1.0 13.9 12.9 1.1 14.1
Corps
Air Force 11.8 3.7 15.5 10.5 3.7 14.2
DoD 61.4 15.1 76.5 67.2 14.9 82.1
Percentage
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service Male Female Total Male Female Total
Army 93 99 94 92 97 93
Navy 91 96 92 92 96 92
Marine 94 98 94 95 98 95
Corps
Air Force 99 99 99 99 99 99
DoD 94 98 94 94 98 94
ARMED FORCES QUALIFICATION TEST (AFQT) CATEGORY I-III ACCESSIONS
(Non-Prior Service)
Total Number (Thousands)
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service Male Female Total Male Female Total
Army 21.9 5.8 27.7 24.6 6.5 31.1
Navy 17.4 4.9 22.2 19.1 3.6 22.7
Marine 13.8 1.0 14.8 13.1 1.0 14.1
Corps
Air Force 11.9 3.7 15.7 10.5 3.7 14.2
DoD 65.0 15.4 80.4 67.3 14.9 82.1
Percentage
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service Male Female Total Male Female Total
Army 97 99 98 97 99 98
Navy 100 100 100 100 100 100
Marine 100 100 100 100 100 100
Corps
Air Force 99 100 99 99 100 99
DoD 99 100 99 99 99 99
AFQT CATEGORY I-IIIA ACCESSIONS
(Non-Prior Service)
Total Number (Thousands)
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service Male Female Total Male Female Total
Army 14.9 4.0 18.9 16.6 4.3 20.9
Navy 12.2 2.8 15.0 12.9 2.1 15.1
Marine 8.9 0.7 9.7 8.5 0.8 9.2
Corps
Air Force 10.1 3.1 13.2 8.8 3.0 11.8
DoD 46.1 10.6 56.7 46.9 10.1 57.0
Percentage
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service Male Female Total Male Female Total
Army 66 70 67 66 65 66
Navy 70 57 67 68 59 67
Marine 65 74 65 64 68 65
Corps
Air Force 85 83 84 84 80 83
DoD 70 69 70 69 68 69
"HIGH QUALITY" (HSDG/AFQT I-IIIA) ACCESSIONS
(Non-Prior Service)
Total Number (Thousands)
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service Male Female Total Male Female Total
Army 13.2 4.0 17.2 14.7 4.1 18.8
Navy 10.5 2.6 13.1 11.3 2.0 13.3
Marine 8.4 0.7 9.1 8.0 0.7 8.7
Corps
Air Force 9.9 3.1 13.0 8.7 2.9 11.6
DoD 42.1 10.3 52.4 42.7 9.8 52.5
Percentage
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service Male Female Total Male Female Total
Army 59 69 61 58 62 59
Navy 61 53 59 60 55 59
Marine 61 73 61 61 67 61
Corps
Air Force 83 82 83 82 80 82
DoD 64 67 65 63 65 63
RACIAL DISTRIBUTION OF ACTIVE COMPONENT ENLISTED ACCESSIONS 1/
(Non-Prior Service)
Total Number (Thousands)
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service White Black Other Total White Black Other Total
Army 19.5 6.9 1.9 28.4 21.5 7.8 2.5 31.9
Navy 16.4 4.7 1.2 22.2 16.4 4.7 1.5 22.7
Marine 10.3 2.1 2.5 14.8 9.9 1.9 2.5 14.3
Corps
Air Force 12.3 2.3 1.1 15.7 10.8 2.2 1.2 14.2
DoD 58.4 16.0 6.7 81.1 58.7 16.7 7.7 83.0
Percentage
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service White Black Other Total White Black Other Total
Army 69 25 7 100 68 25 8 100
Navy 73 21 5 100 73 21 7 100
Marine 70 14 17 100 70 13 17 100
Corps
Air Force 78 15 7 100 76 16 9 100
DoD 72 20 8 100 71 20 9 100
1/ Racial definitions are consistent with Office of Management & Budget
(OMB) guidelines. "Other" represents Native Americans and Asian and Pacific
Islanders. Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race and are not defined
in this table.
GENDER DISTRIBUTION OF ACTIVE COMPONENT ACCESSIONS
(Non-Prior Service)
Total Number (Thousands)
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service Male Female Total Male Female Total
Army 22.6 5.8 28.4 25.3 6.6 31.9
Navy 17.4 4.9 22.2 19.1 3.6 22.7
Marine 13.8 1.0 14.8 13.1 1.1 14.3
Corps
Air Force 11.9 3.7 15.7 10.6 3.7 14.2
DoD 65.7 15.4 81.1 68.0 15.0 83.0
Percentage
Fiscal Year 1995 thru March Fiscal Year 1996 thru March
Service Male Female Total Male Female Total
Army 80 20 100 79 21 100
Navy 78 22 100 84 16 100
Marine 93 7 100 92 8 100
Corps
Air Force 76 24 100 74 26 100
DoD 81 19 100 82 18 100
