The US Coast Guard has surpassed its fiscal 2025 recruiting goals, setting records not seen since 1991.
The service recruited 5,204 active-duty enlisted members. This is 121 percent of the US Coast Guard 2025 target of 4,300, the second year in a row that it met its target.
Aside from recruitment, the service also swore in 371 new officers and 777 reservists, exceeding targets across all components. Recruitment expansion included seven new offices nationwide in Miami, Los Angeles, Long Island, Austin, Grand Rapids, Cincinnati, and Davenport.
Acting Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday highlighted the surge as a reflection of both public interest and the service’s ability to attract top talent.
“We aren’t just growing, we are building the workforce of the future,” he said.
Enlisted recruits begin their careers at Training Center Cape May in New Jersey, while officers are trained and commissioned at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
Modernization Efforts for Coast Guard Members
Recruiting success is part of a broader modernization initiative under Force Design 2028, which aims to expand the US Coast Guard’s personnel by 15,000 members by 2028 and enhance readiness across missions.
This initiative includes developing the Coastal Sentinel next-generation maritime surveillance capability, which integrates real-time data from multiple sensors using artificial intelligence to improve situational awareness and operational decision-making.
The coast guard is also modernizing its human resources systems to streamline onboarding, career tracking, and personnel administration, incorporating AI-driven processes to better manage talent and workforce planning.
In addition, training pipelines are being upgraded at both the Coast Guard Academy and training centers to provide early exposure to cyber, intelligence, and unmanned systems, ensuring personnel are prepared for multi-domain operations.
