Navy Predicts Challenging Future Recruiting Environment, On Target to Hit Retention Goals - USNI...

The Navy’s latest budget proposal will cut more than a thousand sailors from the sea service, a reflection of a difficult recruiting environment that defense officials predict will only get worse.

The Navy should make its recruiting goals for active-duty sailors this year, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told Congress on Wednesday. But in the long term the Navy expects to see more challenges in meeting those numbers, especially when it comes to recruiting sailors with cyber expertise, Gilday said.

By the end of September 2023, the Navy’s end strength is asking for a decrease of more than 1,300, according to projections released in the sea service’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget request.

The Navy’s end strength plans to be relatively stagnant between FY 2021 and 2023, with a slight reduction each year. As of September 2021, the Navy’s end strength was 347,677, with an average strength of 352,633, according to the budget projections.

This September, the end strength is predicted to decrease to 347,484, with an average strength of 351,177.