U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies before the House Armed Services Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on April 29, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was questioned about the Iran war for the first time Wednesday before Congress.
While testifying about the military’s budget request, he said the military is seeing a 30-year record in recruiting.
Military recruiting record
What they're saying:
"I think something that obviously the media doesn’t want to cover and doesn’t want to talk about is the historic, record-breaking surge in recruiting in our ranks," Hegseth said Wednesday. "We’re meeting recruiting goals halfway through the year. Under Joe Biden, Americans didn’t want to join the military. We couldn’t get it. Now we have to turn people away and push them to the next fiscal year."
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The backstory:
The Air Force said earlier this month on social media that it reached its 2026 goal of recruiting 32,000 five months ahead of schedule.
And the Department of War said last year its recruiting goals were exceeded by each branch in 2025:
- The Army had a goal of 61,000 recruits and attained 62,050, totaling 101.72% of its goal.
- The Navy had a goal of 40,600 recruits and attained 44,096, totaling 108.61% of its goal.
- The Air Force had a goal of 30,100 recruits and attained 30,166, totaling 100.22% of its goal.
- The Space Force had a goal of 796 recruits and attained 819, totaling 102.89% of its goal.
- The Marine Corps had a goal of 26,600 recruits and attained 26,600, totaling 100% of its goal.
Dig deeper:
The military had been seeing enlistment shortfalls for a number of reasons, including COVID-19 restrictions locked down public events, fairs and school visits that recruiters relied on to meet with young people, and a competitive job market, according to The Associated Press and The Military Times.
Business Insider reported the Trump administration has attributed the rebound to increased confidence and patriotism among young people.
By the numbers:
The military wants to grow by a reported number of 44,500 troops next year, according to Hegseth’s remarks and the budget documents.
"That’s why this budget grows our force by almost 50,000, ultimately, additional troops into the force that we believe we can recruit," Hegseth added.
War in Iran
Meanwhile:
During the testimony, a Pentagon official told Congress the war in Iran has cost an estimated $25 billion and counting.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from Secretary Hegseth’s testimony before congress given on April 29, 2026. Background information was taken from The Department of War, The Military Times and Business Insider reporting, and Air Education and Training Command. This story was reported from Detroit.