Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein, outgoing head of Air Force Recruiting Service, says the service is on solid footing after rebounding from a post-pandemic slump, meeting its 2025 recruiting goal three months early.

While the current administration has taken credit, experts note the turnaround was already in motion and caution that long-term challenges, like declining youth eligibility, still loom.

“There's no doubt that every administration, Republican or Democratic, is going to try to take advantage of moments that occur on their watch to highlight and bolster their agenda,” says Alex Wagner, adjunct professor in Maxwell's Washington programs and former assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs.

“What I would say, though, is that Hegseth's team's lack of depth and understanding the complexity of the recruiting enterprise, combined with a lack of leadership in key political positions, has made it easy for them to believe that what occurred on their watch was their doing,” Wagner says.

Read more in the Military.com article, “Outgoing Air Force Recruiting Commander Says Service Is on 'Solid Ground' After Pandemic Slump.”