Lawmakers question SMA on Army recruiting progress as reforms unfold
By Davis Winkie
Jan 31, 02:02 PM
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer told Congress that the Army recruiting’s fiscal year 2024 performance is “up a little bit, but they’re not where they need to be.” That was incorrect. Weimer was responding to a question about fiscal 2023 numbers.
As the Army feverishly works to implement a raft of recruiting reforms, the service’s top noncommissioned officer testified before lawmakers Wednesday on the topic.
Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer, who spoke before a House panel focused on service member quality of life issues, touted the success of some of the service’s interim efforts, such as the Future Soldier Prep Course. The pre-training camp is designed to help hopeful soldiers improve their test scores or physical fitness so they can qualify for enlistment.
According to Weimer’s written testimony, the prep course graduated nearly 13,000 soldiers in fiscal year 2023. The Army will conduct long-term studies on career outcomes for its graduates, who have a slightly higher basic training completion rate than their peers, according to Weimer.
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2024/01/31/lawmakers-question-sma-on-army-recruiting-progress-as-reforms-unfold/