The United States military is seeing its biggest recruitment surge in more than a decade, and it’s no mystery why. After years of watching the Biden administration turn our armed forces into a woke Marxist social experiment, President Donald Trump’s bold, unapologetic America First vision is inspiring the country’s young patriots to step up to serve.

The Army in particular is crushing it. As of mid-April, the military’s largest branch had already enlisted more than 51,000 recruits, or roughly 85 percent of its 61,000 recruit target for fiscal year 2025. At this point in 2024, the Army had hit just 64 percent of its goal. For the first time in years, there’s a real groundswell of young people eager to join up. The kids are alright, and they’re answering the call. Here’s why.

First, let’s talk leadership. When Trump won last November, it sent a shockwave through the heartland. Young Americans – especially the working-class and middle-class folks who’ve always been the backbone of our military – saw a Commander-in-Chief who doesn’t bow to the woke mob and exudes the confidence and strength that Americans have always admired.

What liberals fail to understand is that young people don’t join the military for endless diversity seminars or to learn how to use “preferred pronouns.” They’re signing up to fight for the United States of America and test their mettle alongside the toughest men and women in the country.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gets it. He’s out there saying what we’ve all been thinking: the military needs warriors, not activists. His pledge to ditch the DEI nonsense and focus on lethality is resonating. As Hegseth put it, “America’s youth want to serve under bold & strong ‘America First’ leadership.” Damn right they do.

Hegseth is also walking the walk – on multiple occasions, the Pentagon chief has ditched the suit and tie for gym shorts and a T-shirt to train with enlisted troops.

Second, the military is also getting smart about who they’re recruiting and how. The Army’s Future Soldier Preparatory Course in particular is a game-changer. It takes young folks who might not meet the strict physical or academic standards – thanks to a society hooked on junk food and failing schools – and gives them up to 90 days to get in fighting shape. Over 13,000 recruits went through it in 2024 alone, and it’s paying off. The Army’s not lowering standards; they’re giving patriots a chance to meet them. That’s the kind of practical, results-driven approach we need.

Third, the military under Trump is ditching all the “woke” nonsense that was a recruitment killer. For years, we heard critics (including me) warning that injecting politics into the military—pushing Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, and other divisive left-wing nonsense – was driving away the very people who’d otherwise serve.

Surveys showed only five percent of young people cited “wokeness” as a reason not to enlist, but that’s because most don’t articulate it that way. They just know they don’t want to join an institution that feels more like a liberal college campus than a fighting force. It’s no surprise that Army recruiting ticked up when it ditched “diversity”-themed ads in favor of more traditional recruiting strategies that emphasized toughness and grit.

With Trump and Hegseth signaling a return to mission-first values, the results are obvious, and the data backs it up. Enlistments started climbing in mid-2024, well before the election, as the Army overhauled its recruiting enterprise. But the post-election surge? That’s the Trump effect.

Finally, there’s something deeper at play: a hunger for purpose. Today’s youth are bombarded with TikTok, endless consumerism, and a culture that glorifies weakness. But deep down, they crave meaning – something bigger than themselves. The military offers that.

Recruits are coming from families who see service as a path to personal accomplishment, discipline, and opportunity. And with the Army streamlining enlistment processes and expanding training capacity, it’s easier than ever for them to say “yes.”

Don’t get me wrong – challenges remain. Only 23 percent of young Americans are physically, mentally, and morally fit to serve without waivers. Obesity, mental health issues, and a broken education system are real hurdles. The civilian job market is also fierce, offering tech and trade jobs that compete with military benefits. And yes, the demographic cliff in 2026, when the college-age population drops, is looming.

But the momentum is undeniable. Women are enlisting at record rates – nearly 10,000 in 2024 alone – proving this isn’t just a “white male” surge, despite what some cynics claim.

This surge isn’t just about numbers; it’s about a cultural shift. Young Americans are rejecting the victimhood mentality and embracing the warrior ethos. They’re inspired by a president who projects strength and a Pentagon that’s getting back to basics. As someone who served 32 years, I’ve never been prouder to see the next generation step up. The military’s back, baby, and it’s because America’s youth are ready to fight for the greatest nation on Earth.

Let’s keep the pedal to the metal.

Rob Maness is a retired Air Force Colonel, a former wing and squadron commander, veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, a survivor of the 9/11 Pentagon Attack, Graduate of the U.S. Navy War College and Harvard Kennedy School, a former U.S. Senate Candidate, Chairman of GatorPAC, CEO and Owner of Iron Liberty Group LLC, and Host of the Rob Maness Show on WorldViewTube.