The Air Force brought on 33,645 new airmen in fiscal 2016, including enlisted, officers, chaplains and health professionals, the most since the Vietnam era.

In a Thursday release, the Air Force Recruiting Service called the number of assessments "historic" and said they helped the Air Force build its end strength from roughly 311,000 to about 317,000 personnel.

And the 31,761 enlisted airmen recruited last year smashed through the Air Force's previous projections.

READ MORE