Amid broader leadership delays and recruitment challenges, the United States Navy falls short of recruitment goals for this fiscal year.

In a recent announcement, acting Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, revealed that the service has fallen short of its recruitment goals for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.

The shortfall amounts to approximately 7,000 sailors, marking a significant gap in the Navy’s personnel numbers for the year. However, Admiral Franchetti also noted that despite the challenges, there has been an improvement in recruitment month by month compared to the previous year.

At the start of the fiscal year, the Navy had anticipated an even larger gap, projecting a shortage of about 13,000 sailors. This recruitment challenge has been characterized as a “war for talent” by Admiral Franchetti. It underscores a broader issue within the US military regarding recruitment, with several factors contributing to the difficulties faced by the Navy.