Pentagon says female military recruitment is up in all service branches: Report

Pentagon officials on Tuesday said female military recruitment is up in all services in fiscal year 2025 so far, and military recruitment in general is ahead of schedule.

The Pentagon has not released detailed information on female recruitment in each service so far, but told Fox News approximately 7,260 more women have enlisted in the military this fiscal year than in the same period of the 2024 fiscal year. The number has increased from 16,725 in 2024 to 23,985 now.

"The media’s narrative that the female recruitment numbers have either fallen or stayed the same under [Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth and President [Donald] Trump is 100% Fake News," a defense official told the outlet. "Leadership matters and women are excited to serve under the strong leadership of Secretary Hegseth and President Trump."

The numbers come after the Army announced in June that it had surpassed its overall recruitment goals for the year four months early by enlisting 61,000 soldiers. The Army's goal this year was more than 10% higher than the 55,000 recruitment target for 2024.

The achievements come after the Army failed to meet its recruiting goals in 2022 and 2023, ABC News reported.

The increase in female recruitment also comes after Hegseth faced backlash over his comments about women serving in combat roles in the military. He later clarified that women should be allowed to serve the same roles as men as long as they met the same exact standards. 

"The bottom line is this administration and Secretary Hegseth has prioritized lethality and mission readiness over political pandering," Florida GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna told Fox News. "That’s exactly why women, and men, all across the country are more trusting of their leadership and more willing to serve."

Luna served in the Air Force for a total of six years, first joining at the age of 19. She spent five years on active duty. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.