[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6255538,"mediaKeyId","3162304-f3d14010939943cb9eb8e4f6940bb2d2","parentId",3162304,"title","Services report recruiting gains but say childcare, housing and dining remain priorities as FY25 NDAA rules roll out","audioSeconds",2160,"startMs",869000,"endMs",3029000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3162304-f3d14010939943cb9eb8e4f6940bb2d2&start=869&end=3029","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3162304-f3d14010939943cb9eb8e4f6940bb2d2/thumbnail_869000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6255538/Services-report-recruiting-gains-but-say-childcare-housing-and-dining-remain-priorities-as-FY25-NDAA-rules-roll-out","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255538-70b792a00f063fae17260dd642a863a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770934336&Signature=UziRY7fju3yWNwyII7V8lct7VThMJk4V4yNeADai8uH3c1q8HkBS~V1ZpjyhKVUCEfhNGcWWazj0oMOJGPI-wB8AsEZZ6xvUILo6Thofy7Nxv1Y0BJA3F51fhbrZ4JgpwoX1P4X~Is58H8qUrKo9p74dFBX8Bu8VaZ5mltcjnYa96AObWpsSRfUUTjHJybwDsFE9qzNfrn4wsKLVoGJgXeGaHvLoorgOLyWxhTG16qIA85NOhWG1VauN4h5ab9bvid6Cd~g-1Jkl-hmgHDwFZs9NhXUVYhsIBGOD3myDau-kele7rfgO1GzYvDuIR0AlY0zYAyYE~~YVa5vswZCv7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Armed Services Committee","date","2025-05-01T01:14:01.157Z","article","Senior leaders from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force told the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel on a panel that recruiting and retention have improved but that quality-of-life reforms in the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act are still being implemented and unevenly felt by service members and families.

Lieutenant General Brian Eifler, U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, said, \"We are currently on glide path to surpass our goal without lowering standards,\" describing Army recruiting and a continued emphasis on barracks and housing renovations and dining facility updates as priorities tied to readiness.

Why it matters: Members of Congress and service leaders told the panel that improved recruiting will not be sustained unless service members and families see tangible improvements in housing, childcare, medical access and dining. Subcommittee members pressed witnesses for specifics about where changes are visible, where shortfalls remain and how the services are reaching junior enlisted personnel.

The services described a mix of progress and continuing gaps. Vice Admiral Richard Cheeseman, U.S. Navy Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Personnel, said the 10% junior-enlisted pay raise has been \"most welcome\" for sailors but warned it was funded for FY '25 only and must be sustained in future budgets. He credited streamlined medical waiver reviews, added recruiters and prep-course expansion with a historic Navy contracting year, saying the Navy \"exceeded our increased contracting goal by implementing real time data informed processes.\" The Navy also cites targeted efforts on housing, parking and internet access at key locations.

Lieutenant General Michael Borgschulte, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said the Marine Corps has \"exceeded\" recruiting goals and reached \"historic heights\" in retention, attributing gains to incentives and family-support programs while urging continued investment in barracks and childcare. Borgschulte described local, short-term fixes such as \"Operation Clean Sweep,\" where units receive funds to repair barracks pending larger construction programs.

Lieutenant General Caroline Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Personnel, said the Air Force has improved recruiting through higher recruiting manning, training changes and a strengthened delayed-entry program, and emphasized work to expand childcare options, community-based fee assistance and family childcare providers.

Catherine Kelly, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital, said the Space Force exceeded its FY24 enlisted recruiting goal by 4% and reported a guardian retention rate at an \"all time high of 96% today with a goal of landing at 92% by the end of this year.\" Kelly also highlighted a need for 24/7 childcare options for operators who work nonstandard shifts.

Members and witnesses stressed childcare staffing as a chokepoint: the Army briefed that some child development centers face manning at roughly 84% while services reported efforts to raise pay for direct-care providers and simplify credential portability for military spouses. Witnesses also described increasing the number of facilities (for example, the Army built what it called its largest CDC) and piloting pay and recruitment incentives for childcare workers.

Dining facilities and barracks were cited repeatedly. Representative Crank described reporting from Fort Carson of inadequately stocked dining facilities and asked how the subcommittee could help; Lieutenant General Eifler described forecasting failures tied to return of forces and said leadership corrected the problem. The Army and Marine witnesses said they are pursuing both long-term construction and short-term refurbishment to address living conditions.

The panel repeatedly linked quality-of-life measures to recruiting and retention. Several witnesses asked Congress for steady, predictable funding and timely appropriations to avoid continuing resolutions that complicate planning. The chair suggested a communications push to make service members and families aware of the changes enacted under the FY25 NDAA.

Looking ahead: Witnesses said they will continue to implement FY25 NDAA-authorized reforms and to seek exemptions or targeted hiring authority where staffing shortfalls impede services such as childcare. Members said they will monitor execution and consider legislative or budgetary follow-up as needed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","20250430: MLP Hearing: Military Department Personnel Chiefs: Personnel Posture","oneSentenceSummary","Senior leaders from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force told the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel that recruiting and retention are improving, but implementation gaps remain on quality-of-life provisions in the fiscal year 2025 NDAA — especially childcare, housing, dining facilities and barracks.","taxTitle","Armed Services: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1833,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6255533,"Lawmakers press services to fix medical-waiver process after recruits and academy nominees are barred",347,4500000,4847000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3162304-f3d14010939943cb9eb8e4f6940bb2d2&start=4500&end=4847","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3162304-f3d14010939943cb9eb8e4f6940bb2d2/thumbnail_4500000.jpg","/articles/6255533/Lawmakers-press-services-to-fix-medical-waiver-process-after-recruits-and-academy-nominees-are-barred","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255533-d4e476d4bf618c6afe3bd4a33b721933/orig.mp4?Expires=1770934336&Signature=aXCVUz4hxqvOpT2ZhLxdjRSpfCDLfO0Q2qQZOwy59i8xvjl2CkGW6gTHaoZhZ2ysctzEKziwSXAVWtSsXqqXtYY76qUae7mRXW70oXa7Ws01oKfQNb4arzqjouHKQJgRBPfZnYaXGwBN-daL4iLMGu~~lugsBfKQn6Poxxg2yi8ZYcfNdnBbGknkJ6NFd4QAU7tehYvQNf2HunfUmgWSghgN~gOFmtjeB7Ncta7EAiEvyETj8Ksn-bA98z7WIolhH7JzO7~CU~jp47aGfmPrP6~-rJQBVFVBiSmMx2rUTMydWgxdzkw-d65llKFWN5mDJAB7hiSvJ9RlxB5ASfCPTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A bipartisan line of questioning at the House Armed Services Subcommittee focused on what members described as inconsistent and sometimes punitive medical‑waiver decisions that prevent otherwise qualified applicants from joining the services or attending service academies.

Representative Sara Jacobs recounted a case in which a young applicant was denied admission to a service academy and an ROTC scholarship because a childhood medical notation for attention issues appeared in his record. \"We ask these kids to ask for mental health help and then we penalize them,\" Jacobs said, and she pressed the services to reform the medical review process.

Lieutenant General Brian Eifler, U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, acknowledged the problem and attributed some cases to electronic records: \"The blessing and the curse of MHS Genesis allows us to see everything,\" he said, noting that records of remote or childhood conditions often trigger waiver requirements even when the condition is not current.

Why it matters: Members said the waiver process can deter recruits, penalize those who sought medical help, and is applied inconsistently across services and accession routes. Witnesses from the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force all said the waiver system has become cumbersome and that services use waivers broadly to admit candidates where appropriate, but they acknowledged the need to streamline and harmonize criteria.

Vice Admiral Cheeseman said the Navy has increased waivers and is taking a risk‑tolerant approach in many cases; \"If we think the sailor ... poses no risk to themselves or the team ... then we're going to waive the condition and bring them on board,\" he said. Marine and Air Force witnesses echoed calls to simplify waiver handling and to reduce barriers when past, minor incidents do not correlate with later performance.

Members asked the services to provide consistent guidance and to work across DoD to reduce unnecessary barriers created by longitudinal records. Witnesses committed to follow-up briefings and to refining waiver criteria; members signaled they will continue oversight and consider legislative fixes if changes are not forthcoming.","Members pressed service leaders over inconsistent medical-waiver decisions and the role of electronic health records in disqualifying otherwise qualified recruits; witnesses acknowledged the waiver process is cumbersome, variable across services and being reviewed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6255535,"Witnesses warn hiring freeze and voluntary reductions risk gaps in civilian workforce, slowing sexual‑assault prevention hires",448,3147000,3595000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3162304-f3d14010939943cb9eb8e4f6940bb2d2&start=3147&end=3595","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3162304-f3d14010939943cb9eb8e4f6940bb2d2/thumbnail_3147000.jpg","/articles/6255535/Witnesses-warn-hiring-freeze-and-voluntary-reductions-risk-gaps-in-civilian-workforce-slowing-sexualassault-prevention-hires","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255535-2a3be52dccdf0db4f36c7d6171283efc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770934336&Signature=EqkVLIoBXRPxZphcfGOfLmI1f0lsiJ-qYo2VeMjixjzzDQH7KK1MILwmka-ueaYQsfJd5jQddDTsPpSXc0SMsnLf74dE6mLOA0~p9Yzd7pFkppjpY92zzD9iW8MGnrA6DC21TEpIq3J9~TL24w~SUGfbd7jYgtNzAkqtYJssGgoG8AdRRM5m24J9r98SEGPM6aw2WI-v4o2AJL8YGI8ZWA95JsT9DdyKHj7Nv1Ci49bWJGTjXakMjVreSGR9aSQ8OR8uc9-4dApiz~CyUmQQGo5GHjeLbmEBmxRRiIP3bAYjRecbWTWVeKU4QBxdVzTEjCgtPZzYxiIdkeqfVJG96w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senior military leaders told the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel that voluntary reductions and a hiring freeze in the civilian workforce create an operational risk for the services and are hampering efforts to hire prevention professionals called for by the Independent Review Commission (IRC) on sexual assault.

\"We had about 16,000 sign up\" for the voluntary program, Lieutenant General Brian Eifler, U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, said, describing the Army's initial response to the Department of Defense voluntary reduction program (DRP) and the need to analyze impacts before cuts are made.

Why it matters: Military commanders and members warned the loss of experienced civilian staff could increase workloads for uniformed personnel, complicate continuity in schools, pay systems, childcare and prevention programs, and slow implementation of IRC recommendations designed to professionalize sexual-assault prevention and response.

Members and witnesses gave service-specific estimates of likely workforce reductions and described efforts to mitigate mission effects. Admiral Richard Cheeseman said about 10% of the Navy's workforce participated in the DRP in his enterprise and that he was \"very concerned about my force development pipeline, how it will affect the school houses, and how it will affect our pay systems going forward.\" The Marine Corps reported roughly 1,600 civilian participants and said the Marines’ lean civilian-to-uniform ratio creates an \"outsized impact.\" The Air Force witness said the department expects to lose roughly 12,000 civilians and the Space Force estimated about a 10% reduction in its small civilian cohort.

Members pressed the witnesses on the integrated prevention workforce called for by the IRC: \"The hiring freeze is slowing down our ability to hire integrated primary prevention workforce right now,\" the Air Force witness said, and the Navy witness said the hiring pause is \"slowing down our ability to hire\" those professionals. The services reported using exemption authorities where possible and integrating prevention teams at installations, but they said the hiring freeze remains the largest near-term constraint.

Witnesses emphasized that some functions have been exempted from cuts (for example, certain childcare roles) and that services are asking for targeted exemptions to maintain critical prevention and family-support functions. They asked Congress for predictable budgets and, in some cases, authority to use alternative hiring mechanisms or exemptions to maintain critical capacity.

Next steps: Service leaders said they are analyzing where gaps will appear, seeking exemptions for critical jobs, reorganizing to mitigate shortfalls and will brief Congress on the impacts. Members said they will continue oversight and urged the services to quantify mission risk and staffing shortfalls for follow-up action.","Senior service personnel told the House subcommittee that voluntary separations under the Defense Reduction Program and a hiring freeze are likely to cause gaps in civilian ranks, complicating readiness and delaying implementation of the Integrated Primary Prevention workforce called for by IRC recommendations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Services report recruiting gains but say childcare, housing and dining remain priorities as FY25 NDAA rules roll out

Lawmakers press services to fix medical-waiver process after recruits and academy nominees are barred

Witnesses warn hiring freeze and voluntary reductions risk gaps in civilian workforce, slowing sexual‑assault prevention hires