The U.S. Coast Guard enlisted 5,445 active-duty recruits in fiscal year 2026, the service’s largest incoming class in nearly four decades and its third consecutive year of beating recruiting targets, according to figures released by the Coast Guard.
The number marks a steady climb: 4,422 recruits in 2024, 5,204 in 2025, and now 5,445 in 2026. The service also commissioned 346 active-duty officers, the second-highest officer total in its history.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin credited the surge to renewed public interest in military service. “These record-breaking recruitment numbers prove that the call to serve still resonates deeply across our country,” Mullin said in a statement. “I am incredibly proud to stand beside these new Coast Guard men and women who have stepped up to defend our homeland. They represent the very best of who we are, and we are going to make sure they have the tools, the training and the support to get the job done.”
To build on the gains, the Coast Guard opened four new recruiting offices this past fiscal year, located in Miami, Florida; Long Island, New York; Austin, Texas; and the Netherlands.
Coast Guard Vice Commandant Adm. Tom Allan pointed to the results as evidence of broader appetite for service. “We surpassed our recruiting goals because Americans are ready and willing to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard, conducting exciting missions that deliver results our Nation needs,” Allan said. “This momentum is about more than numbers; it is about being the world’s best Coast Guard and building the workforce America needs. We are proud to welcome our newest members and grateful to our recruiters for continuing to deliver exceptional results.”
New Money for Training Infrastructure
To keep pace with the growing number of recruits, the Coast Guard has awarded a $400 million contract to modernize Training Center Cape May in New Jersey — the largest shore construction award in the service’s history. Cape May is the Coast Guard’s only basic training center for enlisted recruits, and the upgrades are meant to handle the expanding intake.
The recruiting push is tied to the service’s Force Design modernization initiative, which aims to grow the Coast Guard’s military workforce by at least 15,000 members by the end of fiscal year 2028 to support a larger fleet and rising mission demands.
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