For the 26th month in a row, the U.S. Navy met it's recruiting goals. In the last 12 months, the navy has signed up 41,976. A year ago, the goal was 48,000 recruits. But so many sailors unexpectedly re-enlisted that the number of new recruits needed eventually came down to 41,000. For the next twelve months, the navy is looking for 41,200 recruits. That number may go up if the U.S. economy continues to improve. A booming civilian economy, not the prospect of combat, has been the greatest threat to meeting recruiting goals.