Army reaches recruiting goal; U of A ROTC enrollment remains steady

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The U.S. Army has reached its recruiting goal for 2026 four months ahead of schedule.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the milestone during a commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Hegseth also said improvements are up across the joint force.

The Pentagon says more than 61,500 future soldiers have signed contracts, putting the Army at its goal four months before the end of the fiscal year.

In FY 2022 and 2023, the U.S. Army fell short of its recruiting goals. The Army's recruiting challenges have been well documented. According to the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, the military faces its most challenging labor market since the start of the all-volunteer force. The command also reports that 50% of young people say they know little to nothing about military service, while 71% do not qualify for military service because of obesity, drug use, physical and mental health issues, misconduct, or aptitude. In addition, 79% of recruits have a relative who served, and only 1% of the U.S. population currently serves in the military, while the veteran population continues to decline.

Here in Southern Arizona, military leaders say the region's strong military presence helps attract students to Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs at the University of Arizona.

U of A Army ROTC

Lt. Col. Rich Ingleby said Tucson's military ties are visible throughout the community.

“It's a very military-friendly town,” Ingleby explains, “every day, you have A-10s and F-15s flying over, that helps.” Ingleby is the Army ROTC commanding officer at the U of A.

Athena Kehoe

Ingleby says successful recruiting starts with well-trained recruiters and helping students find the path that best fits them.

“When a recruiter does that, they are more successful. More kids enlist, more kids actually ship to basic training, more kids actually stay in basic training, and go in through the army. So, we had to make an investment in our people," Ingleby says.

The University of Arizona's ROTC program includes Air Force, Army, and Navy units. Army and Navy ROTC programs typically begin the academic year with a little more than 100 students.

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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.