DHS Game-Changing Recruitment Paid OFF With THESE Numbers!

This information was disclosed in a memo from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The DHS memo, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, indicates that the U.S. Coast Guard's recruitment numbers are flourishing. This growth has enabled the military branch to fully utilize assets that were previously underutilized or entirely neglected during the Biden administration.

May 13, 2025

The memo criticizes the Biden administration for failing to meet Coast Guard recruitment targets for three consecutive years. During this period, ten cutters were decommissioned, and nearly 30 Coast Guard stations were temporarily deserted.

The memo states, "Under the Biden administration, the U.S. Coast Guard had its hands tied behind its back. Recruitment goals were not met, and our Coast Guardsmen were hamstrung and overwhelmed while cartels smuggled humans and illicit drugs through our maritime borders."

However, the tide appears to have turned with recruitment now surging, enabling the Coast Guard to perform its mission to its fullest capacity. In the fiscal year 2025, the Coast Guard has recruited over 4,700 new members, which is an increase of 1,200 compared to the same period last year. The Coast Guard is on track to surpass its recruitment goal for the year.

The Coast Guard has now "deployed a surge of cutters, aircraft, boats, and specialized forces to key areas surrounding the U.S. maritime border," the memo adds, emphasizing that these assets are now being used to their full potential.

The memo credits President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for the Coast Guard's success, stating, "President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem issued orders to the U.S. Coast Guard to surge assets to key areas, and the results speak for themselves. Billions worth of illicit drugs have been seized, human smuggling has ground to a halt, and recruitment is skyrocketing."

The Coast Guard has already seized 11% more cocaine in FY 2025 than it did in FY 2024, according to the memo. Since Trump's inauguration, the military branch has intercepted 148,000 pounds of cocaine and marijuana, with a street value exceeding $1.5 billion. In addition to drug seizures, 870 illegal aliens allegedly involved in drug trafficking have been apprehended since January 20.

Retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, a senior fellow at Defense Priorities and a two-time Bronze Star recipient, shared his insights on the matter. He suggested that the decline in military recruitment during the Biden administration was due to its perceived "woke" stance and the top military brass's focus on politics over national defense.

Davis told Fox News Digital, "They're like, 'We just don't feel like we can trust these guys,' and so they're proving it by not joining up. And one of the bigger things was, the guys who have been in, guys like me, for example if someone asked us, Do you think we should join up? I would have said No. I didn't trust the military leaders and I didn't trust the administration."

However, Davis believes that the situation is changing under Trump's administration. He said, "Trump said he brought [Secretary of Defense Pete] Hegseth in to bring back the warrior culture, to bring back accountability and merit promotions, etc., as opposed to any quotas or criteria, and that really appealed to all those folks that were not signing up."

Davis also highlighted Trump's appeal to potential military members due to his commitment to avoid engaging the United States in what he terms "stupid wars."

Davis concluded, "And he says he doesn't want to get into stupid wars. He wants to get the one in Russia over with. But as long as Trump stays on this path of bringing peace and not sending people out to fight dumb wars, then I think you'll see the numbers keep rising." This cautious optimism reflects the early stages of Trump's second term, and the ultimate impact of his foreign policy positions remains to be seen.