December 2022 — MHCE Newsletter
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30 | <strong>MHCE</strong> - News www.mhce.us DECEMBER <strong>2022</strong> EDITION<br />
Navy to Accept Recruits with Lowest Test Scores as<br />
Recruiting Goal Grows<br />
The Navy unveiled new guidelines Monday<br />
that allow the service to enlist thousands of<br />
sailors with entrance test scores that fall into the<br />
lowest aptitude percentile allowed by military<br />
standards as it faces a higher recruiting goal,<br />
according to a notice from Navy Recruiting<br />
Command reviewed by Military.com.<br />
Under the program, the service can recruit and<br />
contract up to 7,500 prospective sailors this year<br />
who fall under what the military calls "Category<br />
IV" recruits, or high school diploma-holding<br />
applicants who score within the 10th and 30th<br />
percentile on the Armed Forces Qualification<br />
Test, or AFQT. Up to 20% of this year's activeduty<br />
enlisted pool could fall into the lowest<br />
allowable aptitude percentile.<br />
The military has struggled with recruiting this<br />
year and, while it appears that the Navy is in<br />
calmer waters compared to its sister branches,<br />
namely the Army, the sea service squeaked by<br />
last year's active-duty enlistment goal by just<br />
42 sailors. Now, it's been handed a goal that has<br />
been increased by more than 4,000 applicants,<br />
and the pressure to get prospective sailors to<br />
raise their right hand is high.<br />
"As we continue to navigate a challenging<br />
recruiting environment, changing the AFQT<br />
requirement removes a potential barrier to<br />
enlistment, allowing us to widen the pool of<br />
potential recruits and creating opportunities<br />
for personnel who wish to serve," Cmdr. David<br />
Benham, spokesperson for Commander, Navy<br />
Recruiting Command, told Military.com via<br />
email Monday.<br />
The notice, which was posted on social media<br />
and confirmed by the Navy, was effective as