Marine Corps Achieves FY26 Recruiting Mission, Secures Strong Start for FY27

Oct. 2, 2026 | By Jim Edwards, Marine Corps Recruiting Command |

Marine Corps Recruiting Command exceeded its fiscal year 2026 recruiting mission across every component and category, leading a historic, departmentwide rebound in military enlistments.

Defying national trends and proving that the appeal of elite service remains unmatched, the Marine Corps' relentless recruiting force accessed 31,250 enlisted Marines, 1,672 officers, and 3,503 prior service reserve Marines in FY26. Notably, Marine recruiters maintained the Corps' legendary high-quality standards, exceeding War Department accession baselines in all categories.

This achievement directly aligns with the department's emphasis on the value of service.

"Our success this year is a testament to the disciplined execution of our elite recruiting force on the streets of America," said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Walker M. Field, Marine Corps Recruiting Command commanding general.

"Likewise, it is emblematic of the legion of young Americans who are choosing, of their own volition, to serve this great nation of ours. The few young Americans who earn the title of Marine espouse the rare trifecta of physical, intellectual and moral fortitude to become elite warriors."

While recruiting duty remains challenging, the landscape in FY26, to include honoring the nation's 250th birthday, was the most favorable in the past five years. Driven by a high volume of interested applicants and paired with historically strong retention rates across the Corps, Marine recruiters not only met their goals; they aggressively positioned the service for the future. 

Remarkably, the Marine Corps Recruiting Command has already contracted more than half of its entire FY27 mission, establishing a resilient, ready recruiting pool.

"Our Marines have performed superbly, and they represent our Corps with pride and honor," said Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Jesse J. Dorsey, Marine Corps Recruiting Command sergeant major.

This sustained success aligns with and is accelerated by what the secretary of the Navy calls the department's "fight for the narrative," a unified public messaging strategy that ensures the American people understand the unmatched career, educational and professional value of military service.

Marines to Support NATO Security Initiative in Baltic Sea

Oct. 1, 2026 | By Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Scott Schmidt, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa |

A specialized team of Marines deployed to Europe will be redirected to the Baltic Sea region to support the NATO-led enhanced vigilance activity Baltic Sentry. 

Approximately four dozen Marines assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, will operate alongside Finland's Coastal Brigade to provide advanced expeditionary surveillance and tactical reconnaissance capabilities. The activity is designed to enhance maritime domain awareness to protect critical undersea infrastructure and support overall security in the region. 

Baltic Sentry represents a highly integrated collective defense effort. European allies lead the effort under Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum and Allied Maritime Command, with the U.S. Marine Corps serving in a supportive, enabling capacity. 

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Daniel Shipley, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa commander, said the operational design is a premier example of European allies spearheading regional maritime security while the U.S. projects highly specialized, agile force multipliers. 

"Our participation in Baltic Sentry demonstrates the dynamic agility of the Marine Corps to rapidly project specialized capabilities where they are most effective," he said. "Working side by side with our Finnish allies strengthens our collective readiness, ensuring we can operate seamlessly as a cohesive, lethal team to deter hybrid threats in the Baltic littoral." 

The rotation will leverage the unique capabilities of reconnaissance Marines, including small unmanned aerial systems and littoral sensors, to feed vital data directly into the shared NATO common operational picture. 

"The experience, skills and systems of the U.S. Marine Corps are perfectly suited for supplementing our situation picture and supporting our monitoring of the Baltic Sea," said Finnish Navy Capt. Johan Tillander, Finland Navy Command chief of operations. 

Maintaining stability along Europe's critical maritime choke points protects the physical and economic security of the transatlantic community. As a defensive vigilance activity, Baltic Sentry underscores the alliance's immediate readiness, technological adaptability, and collective resolve to deter and decisively defeat any threat to regional stability.

Between Jumps: The Work Behind a 2-Hour Airborne Mission

Oct. 2, 2026 | By Dana Rosso, Alaska National Guard |

Inside the King 98 — a call sign for an HC-130J Combat King II — loadmasters prepared for another group of jumpers while the aircrew set up the next approach. 

A completed parachute drop meant finishing a checklist, rerigging the static-line retrieval system and checking it again. As the King 98 climbed, the crew gathered wind data to determine where the next jumpers should exit.

"The biggest change between each pass, especially the static-line jumps, is the rigging," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Gunia, a loadmaster assigned to the 211th Rescue Squadron, Alaska Air National Guard. "We have to rerig our static-line retrieval system."

The crew put that preparation into practice during a Sept. 23 mission over Malemute Drop Zone at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska. In less than two hours of flight time, the crew supported active-duty Army and Air National Guard parachutists at three altitudes, deployed free-fall parabundles and practiced visual and instrument landing system approaches at Elmendorf Field.

The jumpers included pararescuemen assigned to the 212th Rescue Squadron and active-duty Army paratroopers assigned to the 4th Quartermaster Company, 725th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division.

The two groups' parachute systems required different approaches. The Army's static-line systems offer limited steering, so the aircrew has to calculate a release point based on winds, aircraft speed and the time jumpers need to exit. The pararescuemen's more maneuverable parachutes gave them greater ability to steer toward the target.

"The stricter drop parameters for the Army jumps compared to the 212th highlight the importance of coordinating and planning carefully with two different users with different demands," said Air Force Capt. Tyler Dent, a 211th Rescue Squadron combat systems officer.

That coordination began the day before the flight. The aircrew and jumpers planned the mission. Once aboard, the loadmasters reviewed the aircraft's setup with the jumpmasters to resolve any remaining questions.

During the drops, Gunia and other loadmasters counted jumpers who were standing and connected to the static line, checking for any differences against the briefed plan. Between static-line passes, the loadmasters rerigged the cable and winch used to retrieve deployment bags after jumpers exited. Gunia said the system could also retrieve a jumper being towed behind the aircraft if the jumper could not be released.

"Experienced crews can complete this in under five minutes," Dent said, "and in that time the crew in the front end is evaluating winds and setting up for their next approach."

The mission called for Army static-line jumps at 1,000 feet, pararescuemen static-line jumps at 3,000 feet and military free-fall jumps at 10,000 feet. During climbs, the aircrew leveled off periodically to collect wind data. Lower-altitude winds closely matched the forecast, but the winds at higher altitudes differed enough for Dent to update his calculations.

Light winds at 10,000 feet presented another challenge. Releasing near the center of the launch acceptability region, the area where jumpers could exit and still reach their intended target, would place the free-fall jumpers almost directly above that point. During the run-in, Dent and the pararescuemen jumpmaster discussed moving the release farther north so the jumpers could see the target and steer toward it.

"We elected to release on the outer ring of the [launch acceptability region] to allow the jumpers to make good visual contact with the [intended landing point] and put them in a position to drive toward it rather than wheeling down from directly overhead," Dent said.

The adjustment demonstrated how coordination between the flight crew and jumpers shaped each pass. 

"Everyone needs to be on the same page to make everything happen," Gunia said. "If there are issues or confusion, we pause the checklist and do not proceed until it is cleared up."

Navy High-Speed Wi-Fi Reaches Milestone for Global Unaccompanied Housing

Oct. 2, 2026 | By Commander, Navy Installations Command Headquarters Public Affairs |

The Navy's initiative to provide free, high-speed Wi-Fi to all Navy-owned and -operated unaccompanied housing is 90% complete, with the service now available in 865 of 962 buildings since the rollout began in November 2025. 

The program, a partnership between Commander, Navy Installations Command and the Navy Exchange Service Command, continued its worldwide expansion with service going live across bases throughout the continental United States, Europe, Asia and the Pacific region. 

Driven by a dedicated focus on improving the quality of service, well-being and operational readiness of sailors, the effort ensures warfighters remain connected to family, support networks and educational resources while stationed abroad and in the United States.

"Reliable connectivity is an important part of sustaining the force and ensuring sailors have the support they need to remain ready and resilient," said Navy Vice Adm. Scott Gray, deputy chief of naval operations for sustainment. "This milestone demonstrates the Navy's continued investment in the infrastructure and services that enable our people to focus on the mission, wherever they serve." 

Navy Vice Adm. Brad Collins, Navy Installations Command commander, said the command will sustain the initiative's momentum through completion and continue pursuing improvements across the shore enterprise. 

"Across 71 installations, our responsibility is clear: deliver the safe, resilient and reliable shore infrastructure and services sailors need to succeed," he said. "Completing this Wi-Fi initiative remains a priority, and we will build on this progress to raise the standard of service, strengthen quality of life, and ensure our shore enterprise keeps pace with the needs of a ready naval force." 

The remaining 10% of unaccompanied housing facilities located in isolated regions, such as Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti and the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the central Indian Ocean, are scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2027. 

The program continues to offer filtered free Wi-Fi and subsidized high-speed upgrades without long-term contracts or termination fees in full compliance with the Military Honor and Decency Act of 1996. 

Program managers report network operations continue to run smoothly, and sailors experiencing connection issues are encouraged to contact the service provider help desk for immediate support. For more information on the program and availability, sailors can visit www.navymwrsinglesailor.com.