Great Lakes, Ill. - Aug 2019: Recruits participate in the sit-up portion of the Navy Physical Readiness Test in the Atlantic Fleet Drill Hall at Recruit Training Command, Aug. 1, 2019. More than 35,000 recruits train annually at the Navy's only boot camp. (Navy photo by MCS 1st Class Chris Williamson) The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
By: FEDweek StaffFaced with an extreme shortage of new sailors, the Navy has raised its maximum recruiting age to 41 from 39. Navy Times, which broke the story, reported that the service would require these older recruits to report for basic training before their 42nd birthday. Divers, SEALs and members of other special communities are still maintaining lower maximum recruiting age limits.
The story noted that the Navy now accepts the oldest recruits of any armed service. The Army’s limit is age 35; the Air Force, 40; and the Marine Corps, 28. It also reported that the Navy enlisted 33,442 new sailors in fiscal year 2022, which ended Sept. 30. The figure represents only 42 more enlistees than the service’s stated goal for the year. The Navy also missed its goal for recruiting active-duty officers during 2022 by 200.
Service officials believe recruiting of both officers and enlisteds during fiscal 2023 could be even more difficult. Citing a September news release by Navy Recruiting Command, the story noted that the service had tapped out its Delayed Entry Program (DEP) pool to the point where the number of prospective sailors in it is “critically low.”
The Navy recently offered enlistment bonuses up to $50,000 and college-debt repayment as high as $65,000 to potential new talent, Navy Times reported.
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