For the fourth year in a row, the New York Army National Guard (NYARNG) is outpacing recruiting numbers compared to more than four dozen of its counterparts.
The NYARNG has exerted prowess in both recruiting and retention since 2022, with an assigned strength of 11,700 recruits for the 2025 fiscal year that concluded Sept. 30—representing 113% of the force’s authorized strength of 10,342 soldiers, with authorized strength based on the number and type of units in a military force. This puts New York’s numbers at the top of the heap, beating out 53 other states and territorial National Guards from Washington D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Numbers for NYARNG reflect higher national recruiting numbers overall, for not just regional National Guards but all five military services. From November 2024 to the end of August 2025, the Department of War announced its strongest recruiting performance in 30 years as fiscal year-to-date accessions reached 106% of active-duty targets.
The Army National Guard and the Air National Guard combined to enlist almost 50,000 new members the past fiscal year as of September 2025, increasing National Guard strength to over 433,000 members and fulfilling what officials called one of the most successful recruiting years in over a decade.
“Young Americans are eager to serve,” Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, also National Guard Bureau chief, said in a statement. “Today’s recruits are seeking long-term value, and the National Guard delivers through career training and hands-on, practical experience in more than 200 career specialties.
“The guard provides a path to service that offers balance with civilian careers and allows our soldiers and airmen to live locally and serve globally,” he said. “We’re not just preparing new recruits to serve; we’re preparing them to lead and succeed.”
The U.S. National Guard deferred to NYARNG for comment.
‘Breaking Records’
Data shared by Eric Durr, spokesperson for New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, with Military.com shows New York’s ascendence this decade in terms of recruiting new members and keeping them.
The NYARNG’s ranking is based on multiple weighted metrics. Data as of Sept. 30 and reviewed by Military.com includes the percentage of enlisted accession, weighted at 60%; the percentage of officer/warrant accession, weighted at 10%; the percentage of retention, weighted at 20%; and the percentage of attrition, weighted at 10%. All metrics and percentages are combined for a weighted overall achievement.
In NYARNG’s case, its enlisted accession for FY25 was 139.76%; its officer/warrant accession was 132.23%; its percentage of retention was 142.67%; and its attrition goal was 13.21%. The overall weighted percentage was 134.29%.
The attrition percentage was the only category that did not meet the highest standard cited between 0 and 11.9%, falling short by approximately 1.3%.
At the conclusion of the 2022 fiscal year, the NYARNG was the only state Guard in the country to exceed its recruiting goals—bringing in 1,210 new enlisted soldiers that year, surpassing a goal of 1,175 soldiers.
The NYARNG achieved a score of 118.12 percent for the 12 months from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023
“The Department of War has put the previous [Biden] administration’s social media strategy to shame,” Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson said in a September statement. “We’ve surpassed every social media benchmark set by the previous administration. We’re breaking records, setting a new standard for engagement, and we’ve only just begun.”
Reaching the Youth
It’s unclear how the correlation between the U.S. government’s recruiting efforts contributed directly to New York State’s numbers.
In March, the Army National Guard launched a marketing campaign called “Uncommon is Calling,” aimed to attract younger recruits who could contribute in part-time capacities during emergencies or crises while also doing other things like being an entrepreneur.
The Army National Guard consistently provides information online about opportunities for potential recruits, be it an enlisted soldier or commissioned officer, and the benefits associated with such roles that with them can help recruits with enlistments bonuses, education and training including tuition assistance, and health care.
“The branding refresh of ‘Uncommon is Calling’ brings a fresh perspective to the unique dual mission of the Army National Guard,” Army Col. Timothy Smith, chief of the Army National Guard’s Strength Maintenance Division, said in a statement. “The campaign highlights the most uncommon, exciting and meaningful part-time job out there: serving in the Army National Guard.”
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