Navy Smashes 2026 Recruitment Goal and Rights a Biden Wrong

Jul 30, 2026
Victoria Manning
Restoration Responds | Military & Defense

45,000 new recruits and 108 COVID-mandate discharges reversed, as merit replaces social justice agendas.

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman just released some great news for the Navy. The U.S. Navy met its recruitment numbers three months ahead of its target date, even with higher goals than 2025. The Navy's 2026 recruitment numbers stand at 45,000 sailors, 5,000 more than 2025.

Navy leaders also announced the return of 108 sailors wrongly separated under President Biden over the COVID shot mandate.

Under the Trump administration, Americans are eager to serve their nation again.

How We Got Here

  • Under the Biden administration, the military couldn't meet recruiting numbers even after they lowered goals.

Military-Recruiting-Data

  • Biden decimated the military with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion agendas that demoralized troops, pitting them against one another. The Biden administration embedded racial goals in recruitment practices. Plus, over 8,000 service members were involuntarily separated from the military for COVID vaccine refusal.
  • President Trump got to work to undo Biden's disastrous policies. He directed reinstatement of service members wrongly discharged and directed merit as the standard for recruitment rather than immutable characteristics.

Why It Matters

  • America relies on a strong military to defend against its enemies. For decades, countries like Iran have chanted "Death to America." Our nation must take those threats seriously.
  • If the world views America as weak, it creates global destabilization. While the U.S. shouldn't be the world's police force, deterrence is achieved by speaking softly and carrying a big stick.
  • Biden weakened the nation's defense forces, but Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has turned them back into strong warriors, not social justice activists.

The Bottom Line

The Navy's recruiting surge and the reinstatement of wrongly separated sailors mark a clear turnaround from the demoralization and dysfunction of the Biden years. By prioritizing merit over politics, the Trump administration is rebuilding a Navy that Americans are proud to join and that adversaries have reason to respect. A strong, focused military isn't optional in a dangerous world—it's the surest path to peace through strength.

Victoria Manning is a Senior Investigative Researcher for Restoration News specializing in education freedom, immigration, and military issues. She is the author of Behind the Wall of Government Schools. Victoria served 8 years as an elected school board member and has a master’s degree in law. She also brings the perspective of a military spouse to her reporting.

Email Victoria HERE

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