US Coast Guard Recruits 5,445 in FY2026, Largest Enlisted Class in Nearly 40 Years
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 8
US Coast Guard Recruits 5,445 in FY2026, Largest Enlisted Class in Nearly 40 Years
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 8
Summary
5,445 active-duty recruits joined the Coast Guard in fiscal 2026, beating its target for a third straight year and marking the service’s biggest enlisted class in nearly four decades.
346 active-duty officers were commissioned—the second-highest total in Coast Guard history—as the service pushes to expand ranks for a larger fleet and heavier mission demands.
Four new recruiting offices in Miami, Long Island, Austin and the Netherlands helped widen the talent pipeline, with leaders citing stronger interest in Coast Guard service.
$400 million will go to modernizing Training Center Cape May, the Coast Guard’s only enlisted basic training site, to handle the larger intake.
The hiring surge supports Force Design, a modernization plan that aims to add at least 15,000 military personnel by the end of fiscal 2028.