Congress has historically been very interested in the recruiting and retention of personnel in the nation's Armed Forces, as maintaining a fully manned and capable workforce is a key component of military readiness. Congress exercises a powerful influence on recruiting and retention goals through its establishment of personnel strength levels for each of the Active and Reserve Components. However, the future recruiting and retention environment is less clear. There are both "quantity" and "quality" goals for the enlisted force. Active Components

The recruiting data presented in Table 1 below show that all of the Active Components met their enlisted accession quantity goals in both FY2013 and FY2014. The two principal DOD quality benchmarks are the percentage of non-prior service enlistees who are high school diploma graduates (HSDG) and the percentage that score above average on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT Categories I-IIIA). In fact, over the past few years, the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force have experienced the highest recruit quality levels achieved since the beginning of the All-Volunteer Force in 1973. Of these individuals, 92% had high school diplomas (above the DOD benchmark of 90%) and 72% scored above average on the Armed Forces Qualification Test or AFQT (well above the DOD benchmark of 60%). Army recruit quality in FY2011-FY2013 was nearly the same as FY2010. In FY2004, 97% of Marine Corps recruits were high school diploma graduates and 69% scored above average on the AFQT. Reserve Components

The recruiting data presented in Table 3 show the performance of the Reserve Components in meeting their enlisted accession quantity goals in FY2013 and FY2014. All of the Reserve Components met their quality goals in FY2013 and FY2014. It is unclear whether the recruiting shortfalls experienced by the Army Reserve are specific to that organization or portend broader recruiting issues, as occurred in the first half of the last decade when the Army Reserve and Army National Guard experienced recruiting problems two years before the active Army. Reserve Component recruiting has been generally strong in FY2009-FY2014, although the Army Reserve has experienced difficulties in meeting its quantity goals in the past several years, and both the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve are just above the DOD benchmark with regards to above-average AFQT. There were also declines in recruit quality during this period. This allowed it to slightly exceed its authorized end-strength by FY2007, and to significantly exceed its authorized end-strength in FY2008 and FY2009. In FY2003, two Reserve Components failed to meet one or both of its quality goals. Attrition rates measure the percentage of people who leave in a given year, rather than the number of people who stay. Reserve Component retention goals establish a maximum attrition rate or "ceiling" which should not be exceeded. They are stated in percentage terms and are not broken out by career phase. As a result, the services all reported excellent recruiting and retention results in the early 1990s.
Congress has historically been quite interested in recruiting and retention of personnel in the nation's Armed Forces, since maintaining a fully manned and capable workforce is a key component of military readiness. This report provides a brief overview of the recruiting and retention results for Active and Reserve Component enlisted personnel during FY2013 and FY2014.
Recruiting and Retention Metrics
Recruiting performance for enlisted personnel is principally measured in terms of meeting quantity and quality goals. Quantity goals are based on the projected need for new personnel each service must bring in over the course of the year to meet its congressionally authorized end-strength. There are two principal quality goals: at least 90% of new recruits should be high school diploma graduates and at least 60% should score above average on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT). Quality goals are only for recruits without any previous military service ("non-prior service"). Retention performance for enlisted personnel is principally measured by meeting one or more quantity goals. For the Active Components, quantity goals are based on career phase (for example, initial term, mid-career, and career) and are stated in numerical terms. For the Reserve Components, retention is tracked via overall attrition rates, which measure the ratio of people who leave in a given year. Reserve Component retention goals establish a maximum attrition rate or "ceiling" which should not be exceeded. They are stated in percentage terms and are not broken out by career phase.
Overview of FY2013 and FY2014 Results
In FY2013 and FY2014, all of the Active Components achieved their recruit quantity goals and recruit quality was high. Nearly all new recruits had high school diplomas, and about three-quarters scored above average on the Armed Forces Qualification Test. Recruit quality in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force in these years has been near the highest levels experienced since the beginning of the All-Volunteer Force in 1973; Army recruit quality, as measured by high school diploma graduates, has been quite high as well, although above-average scores on the AFQT are just slightly above the DOD benchmark. Retention has remained strong for most of the services, although the Navy experienced modest shortfalls in both years. Most of the Reserve Components met or exceeded their quantity goals while quality remained high. The Army National Guard was slightly below its quantity goals in both of these years, while the Army Reserve experienced more substantial shortfalls, contributing to a decline in its personnel strength. Recruit quality for the Reserve Components has been fairly strong, although above-average AFQT scores for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve have hovered just slightly above the DOD benchmark of 60%. Several of the Reserve Components exceeded their attrition ceilings, although the margins were modest. The Army Reserve finished FY2014 about 3.3% below its authorized end-strength, indicating a need for stronger recruiting and retention in the future. It is unclear whether the recruiting shortfalls experienced by the Army Reserve are specific to that organization or portend broader recruiting difficulties to come.