‘Historic Recruiting Numbers’: DOD Recaps First 100 Days Under Hegseth And Collaboration With DOGE

The Department of Defense (DOD) is touting the first 100 days under Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying there were advances in recruitment, border security, and cost-cutting reforms in collaboration with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“Tuesday marked President Trump’s 100th day in office,” said Sean Parnell, assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and senior advisor, during the Weekly Sitrep video, which highlights department activities each week.

Military Retention And Recruiting

By February, all five military services — the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force — exceeded their recruiting goals over what they had done a year earlier, Parnell said.

“Due to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, the U.S. military has seen historic recruiting numbers in all branches of service,” Parnell said.

“It’s been decades since we’ve seen this kind of recruiting in the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Air Force.”

Border Enforcement, Overseas Operations, And The COVID-19 Vaccine

Pentagon officials also highlighted what they called aggressive border enforcement measures, saying that they deployed 11,900 troops to protect the Southwest border. Border crossings, they added, are down 99.99% compared to former President Joe Biden’s first 100 days.

U.S. forces have also engaged abroad in an intensified campaign against Iran-backed Houthi militants.

“[Centcom] strikes have hit over 1,000 targets — killing Houthi fighters and leaders and degrading their capabilities. The mission has been hugely successful thus far,” Parnell said.

Additionally, the DOD has begun reversing one of the Biden administration’s most controversial policies: the dismissal of service members who refused the COVID-19 vaccine.

Cost Savings Through DOGE

Pentagon officials said that collaborating with DOGE has led to significant fiscal reforms.

“In collaboration with DOGE, we’ve found nearly $6 billion in potential savings for reinvestment within the Department of Defense,” Parnell said.

Those savings, Parnell said, include major spending cuts finalized in April. Hegseth signed orders to cut $5.1 billion in wasteful DOD programs, including consulting contracts, information technology services and business process consulting.