Latest news with #FutureSoldierPreparatoryCourse
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Army hits its annual recruiting goal in eight months
The Army has surpassed its recruiting target for this fiscal year, exceeding a goal that was already significantly higher than it has been in the past. 'Yesterday, the United States Army met its fiscal year 2025 recruiting goal four months early, welcoming more than 61,000 new recruits,' Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll testified before Congress on Wednesday. The fiscal year runs through Sept. 30. Driscoll credited the 'focus on a return to warfighting and lethality' for the Army's recruiting success, though several practical changes to how the Army finds new soldiers have played a key role in the surge of newcomers, lawmakers said. Driscoll noted that the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, which prepares potential soldiers for basic training, has helped recruits who were 'right on the edge' of meeting the service's physical and academic standards enlist. 'It seems when I was at the Future Soldier Prep Course that the ones who wanted to join were at the very front edge of their careers, were excited to join in a time where they thought they could contribute to the safety of their community by being on the front lines of keeping Americans safe.' As of May 30, a total of 10,465 soldiers have moved from the Future Soldier Preparatory Course to Initial Entry Training this fiscal year, said Maj. Christopher Robinson, a spokesman for Training and Doctrine Command. The Army expects to have 25,000 soldiers in the Delayed Entry Program when the 2026 fiscal year begins, Driscoll said. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George noted that the 'most productive' recruiting months of the fiscal year are still ahead. He added that the Army is trying to make improvements to technology for recruiters and reducing how many forms recruits have to fill out while in-processing. 'It was something like 670 forms that had to be filled out and we've reduced that to below 10, and it's now going to be in a database,' George said. The last time the Army hit its annual recruiting goal in the first week of June was back in 2014, Lt. Col. Jeff Tolbert, a spokesman for Driscoll, said in a news release. The Defense Department's 'Rapid Response' X account posted a Fox News story about the Army's recent recruiting success along with a quote: 'They call it the TRUMP-BUMP.' However, the rebound in Army recruiting began before President Donald Trump was elected in November. The service met its fiscal year 2024 goal of 55,000 new soldiers a month before the election after missing its recruiting target for the previous two years. The Army also announced in October that it would increase this fiscal year's recruiting target by 6,000 soldiers. Currently, there is not enough data to either prove or disprove that more Americans are joining the Army as a result of Trump's reelection, said Katherine Kuzminski, director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington, D.C. 'We began to see the turnaround in Army recruiting beginning last August as a result of efforts put into place in 2022-2023,' Kuzminski told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. 'The Future Soldier Prep Course played (and continues to play) a large role in that success — yielding 25% of last year's recruits and keeping up the momentum into this administration.' A major factor that is driving the Army's recent recruiting success is the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, Kuzminski said. About 13,200 recruits joined the Army through the course in fiscal year 2024. The Army has also taken steps to professionalize its recruiters, and the service's 'Be All You Can Be' recruiting campaign may have appealed to parents and other adults who can influence whether young Americans join the military, she said. Unemployment rates, however, are not contributing to the Army's recruiting success, Kuzmiksi said. The rates have remained fairly consistent at around 4.2% from 2024 to 2025. Driscoll acknowledged that the Army still faces some challenges to recruiting, noting that the service's MHS Genesis System, which has been criticized for disqualifying potential recruits for minor health issues, is 'inadequate.' Project 2025, the policy blueprint produced by the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, D.C., recommended that the Army suspend using the system because it causes 'unnecessary delays and unwarranted rejections.' 'The Genesis program in and of itself is a classic example, I think, of the Army being part of a solution that is siloed and ineffective and inefficient,' Driscoll said. 'And it's probably going to be a better solution to go out and grab a tool that is used in areas in the commercial sector.' Driscoll said that the Army has started using the commercially available Salesforce platform and has seen 'incredible results.' He added that 'in a perfect world,' the Army would be able to use a system like Salesforce along with a generative artificial intelligence model to determine, 'Hey, is this a kid who got an inhaler when they were 12-and-two months and never used it, vs. someone when they were 17-and-a-half actively was using an inhaler.' UPDATE: 06/04/2025; this story was updated with figures about the Army's Future Soldier Preparatory Course for fiscal year 2025. Navy SEAL Team 6 operator will be the military's new top enlisted leader Veterans receiving disability payments might have been underpaid, IG finds Guam barracks conditions are 'baffling,' Navy admiral says in email Navy fires admiral in charge of unmanned systems office after investigation The Pentagon wants troops to change duty stations less often
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here Are All the Big Cuts and Changes Coming to the Army
The Army is heading for a major reorganization that includes eliminating at least 2,000 positions -- a combination of civilian and troop roles -- and cuts to planned purchases in various drone and vehicle programs that are considered outdated, according to internal documents reviewed by Senior Army officials outlined the plan to top officials across the force earlier this month, the documents show. The undertaking amounts to one of the Army's most significant structural transformations in decades. The service's aim is to streamline the force while investing in emerging technologies that Army officials say are critical to preparing for modern conflicts, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Read Next: From Star Wars to Golden Dome: Trump Pushes US Missile Shield Despite Funding and Technology Hurdles "Every role must sharpen the spear or be cut away," Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Gen. Randy George, the service's top officer, said in a joint memo to the force earlier this month. The plan calls for eliminating 1,000 Army staff roles in the Pentagon and nixing various air cavalry squadrons -- specific units were not listed -- along with combining and deactivating other units that will result in reducing personnel. For example, U.S. Army Japan Headquarters will combine with the 4th Multidomain Task Force, with the total size of that element being cut by 170 positions. As for hardware, the Army plans to end purchases of the Gray Eagle drone and reduce purchases of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle by $498 million, in addition to other cuts, according to the documents. All commands will be directed to reduce temporary duty funding by 20%, and the service will slash funding for collective training barracks by $346 million. Those barracks are typically living quarters for major training exercises, basic training and various schools. However, it was still unclear what the changes could mean for the total size of the Army. The plan outlines reductions to "responsibly balance end strength" in pursuit of a "leaner, more lethal Army." The Army declined request for interviews to add context to the cuts. The service is still juggling multiple options for how many soldiers it plans to keep in its formations, with unfinished plans for cuts. In the meantime, it has already imposed limits on soldiers' reenlistment options. Major cuts may need to be made to pay for President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defense system, which is expected to cost at least $175 billion, and cuts would likely have to come from the Army, which is the largest component of the Pentagon. Meanwhile, recruiting has seen a dramatic upswing in 2025. That follows two years of targeted reforms including the introduction of the Future Soldier Preparatory Course. The prep courses, which help candidates meet academic and physical standards, have played a key role in revitalizing the Army's pipeline, bringing in one-quarter of its enlistments last year. Next year, the service plans to invest more in the program, adding the capacity for an additional 189 trainees -- the program right now has the ability to graduate 23,500 recruits into basic training annually. As part of the plan briefed to officials, the Army will also shift away from electric vehicles and fuel-saving programs, stripping all research from those efforts. Electric vehicles have often been scoffed at by Republicans for their feasibility on the battlefield, though traditional fuel logistics are incredibly expensive and complicated, and large diesel trucks are usually very loud and not conducive to reconnaissance or low-profile operations. "No more climate change worship. No more electric tanks," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in April at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. "No more woke bull----." Here are more major cuts and changes planned by the Army: Cut funding for Army Prepositioned Stocks by $337 million. Reduce funding for the Defense Language Institute by $30 million. Cut the budget for the Army Geospatial Center by $50 million. Cut various virtual reality training programs by $52 million. Cease procurement of TOW wire-guided missiles equipped to vehicles and tripods for base defense. Terminate the pursuit of "anti-idle" technology for vehicles, which would automatically cut power to vehicles during extended idling as a means to save fuel. Create a skill identifier for robotics and autonomous systems-related training. 56th Theater Fires Command will combine with 2nd Multidomain Task Force, with a reduction of 10 positions. 18th Field Artillery Brigade will combine with 5th Multidomain Task Force; 20 positions will be cut. 4th Infantry Division's armored brigade combat team will transition to a Stryker Brigade Combat Team. 3rd Cavalry Regiment will transition from Strykers to Abrams tanks, becoming an Armored Brigade Combat Team. Three unnamed Army National Guard units will be converted from Armored Brigade Combat Teams to Mobile Brigade Combat Teams, which are effectively standard infantry formations but with the new Infantry Squad Vehicle. Additionally, two National Guard Stryker Brigade Combat Teams will also convert to Mobile Brigade Combat Teams. All Army Reserve Air Cavalry and Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigades will be deactivated. All MEDEVAC units will move from 15 aircraft capacity to 12. Army Training and Doctrine Command and Futures Command will combine into a single entity. About 400 positions will be cut. Cancel the planned activation of two reserve artillery units. Cancel the planned activation of three reserve electromagnetic warfare companies. Move 4th Battalion, 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to Fort Bliss, Texas. Shut down the 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade and 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade. Army Reserve will get two High Mobility Artillery Rocket System battalions and three HIMARS batteries. Establish Western Hemisphere Command by combining U.S. Army North, Forces Command and U.S. Army South; 339 positions will be eliminated. Related: Soldiers Face Tougher Reenlistment Rules as Army Plans Troop Reductions
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Army prep course jeopardized health of recruits, IG says
A federal watchdog criticized the Army for breaking with its own requirements when it admitted trainees to a fitness course despite their dietary makeup not meeting the course's requirements. The Defense Department's Office of Inspector General found the Army's Future Soldier Preparatory Course — which contains a fitness component named the Assessment of Recruit Motivation and Strength 2.0 Pilot Program, or ARMS — accepted recruits with body fat percentages higher than the approved amount. In doing so, the Army endangered their wellbeing, the IG's office said in a Feb. 18 advisory. 'Of the 1,181 trainees who attended the ARMS 2.0 pilot program from February 12, 2024, through May 22, 2024, 14 percent (163 trainees) exceeded the allowable 8 percent above the body fat composition limit for initial entry, with the highest being 19 percent,' the report said. The Defense Department lists body fat composition limits as 20% for men and 26% for women. The IG also found that the Army Training Center and Fort Jackson, South Carolina, failed to provide trainees with consistent medical guidance as they shed weight. Regular services should've included 'metabolic and cardiovascular screenings, weekly assessment by a registered dietitian, or medical clearance before moving to basic training,' per the report. Medical personnel shortages partially led to these shortcomings, the report acknowledged. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command maintains that they monitor trainees weekly and help ensure the safety of recruits shedding weight by providing cardiovascular and metabolic screenings, according to a statement from department spokesperson Maj. Chris Robinson. Army wants all troops on new fitness program by 2032. How's it going? Individuals with a higher body fat composition were at an increased risk of 'adverse medical consequences,' in part due to the limited medical counsel, according to the report. The command surgeon for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and the medical director at Fort Jackson admitted in 'internal communication[s]' that the weight-loss program contained increased health risks, including the potential for death, the report said. Gen. Gary M. Brito, commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, responded to the IG's findings in December 2024. He took issue with both the report's claim that there was an improper record of trainees' medical services and that trainees didn't receive screenings and dietitian evaluations. Brito also disagreed that internal communications at U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command indicated trainees had experienced risk of death while trying to lose weight quickly to meet body fat percentage standards. Instead, Brito described the correspondence as detailing comorbidities. Based on their findings, the IG recommended the Army investigate how trainees who were above body-fat requirements were admitted into the ARMS program in the first place. The Army agreed with the recommendation. The IG also recommended that the Army better manage staff and resources available for the pilot program to ensure that the medical service requirements of the program are met. 'Gen. Brito has requested that the U.S. Army Audit Agency (AAA) perform an audit to determine the root causes, review corrective actions, and assist the Army in addressing the DoDIG recommendations,' Robinson said. This comes amid what is reportedly a positive year in recruitment for the Army, which is expected to meet its enlistment goals for 2025 despite difficulties with doing so in the years prior. In January, then-Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told The Associated Press the service was expecting to bring in 61,000 new recruits by the end of fiscal 2025.
