By The Numbers: 15 May 2023
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The number of military recruits who were given waivers to enter service in fiscal 2022, the highest percentage in at least 10 years," according to a story in MilitaryTimes -- Need for accession waivers soars amid historic recruiting challenges.
The article noted that "in the face of historic recruiting challenges, the military’s recordkeeping is spotty."
Data provided by the Office of the Secretary of Defense in November 2022 doesn’t match figures provided by the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force in March 2023. The Army refused to provide the information for this story.
In November, the Pentagon told Military Times that 22,623 recruits with no prior military service had waivers approved in fiscal 2022, out of a total of 130,346 prospective service members. That means around 17% of incoming troops were accepted with caveats for their health, prior misconduct, drug use, dependents or tattoos.
That’s about 6 percentage points higher than the rate in 2013, after the percentage hovered around 12% for much of the past decade, according to Pentagon data.
1 in 6
The number of military recruits who were given waivers to enter service in fiscal 2022, the highest percentage in at least 10 years," according to a story in MilitaryTimes -- Need for accession waivers soars amid historic recruiting challenges.
The article noted that "in the face of historic recruiting challenges, the military’s recordkeeping is spotty."
Data provided by the Office of the Secretary of Defense in November 2022 doesn’t match figures provided by the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force in March 2023. The Army refused to provide the information for this story.
In November, the Pentagon told Military Times that 22,623 recruits with no prior military service had waivers approved in fiscal 2022, out of a total of 130,346 prospective service members. That means around 17% of incoming troops were accepted with caveats for their health, prior misconduct, drug use, dependents or tattoos.
That’s about 6 percentage points higher than the rate in 2013, after the percentage hovered around 12% for much of the past decade, according to Pentagon data.