My Turn: National Guard facing crisis
As predicted, our global war on terrorism is starting to take its toll on National Guard recruiting and retention efforts. In fact, the Guard is facing critical manpower shortages, even as deployments to Iraq continue apace.
Recruiting results for October and November, 2004 fell far short of stated goals. The October goal was 3,675 new recruits, but only 2,546 joined the Guard. The November goal was 7,600, but only 5,448 signed up.
These plummeting recruiting numbers pose a huge challenge for the National Guard: how to fill its ranks with enough soldiers to sustain our military commitments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
As of this writing, figures for how well the Guard is meeting its retention goals are not available. However, it is reasonable to assume that this challenge will grow as well.
After all, seasoned soldiers, especially noncommissioned officers, are the backbone of the military. They are also individuals, with families and friends. Members of the Guard are citizen-soldiers, in the finest sense of that term. They have civilian jobs, professions, and interests, all of which must be considered in their re-enlistment decision. Frequent, protracted deployments are likely to weigh heavily and negatively on their retention.
The National Guard’s manpower problems reflect its changing role, from a home-front force to a front-line force. Currently, about 40 percent of the 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq are reservists, which include the Guard.
That could rise to 50 percent or higher as new units are called up to deploy in 2005 and 2006.
The National Guard has responded to these problems by announcing big increases in enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses. For example, new recruits who sign up for six years will receive $10,000, a 66 percent increase over the previous $6,000 bonus. The Guard is also tripling re-enlistment bonuses, offering $15,000 to those who re-enlist, and to active troops who sign up with the Guard for six years.
Clearly, the National Guard is banking on spending its way out of this manpower crisis. The money earmarked for the recruiting and retention bonuses is part of incentive programs costing nearly $300 million that are included in the 2005 Defense Authorization Act.
Just as clearly, the Guard’s success in meeting its massive manpower challenges hinges on issues and events far beyond its control. They turn, for example, on what happens in Iraq, before and after the elections, and what all that means for U.S. military presence there.
“Political success,” whatever that means, could pave the way for a timely exit by U.S. troops. Political failure, however defined, could precipitate drastically different, potentially dire results.
The stakes are high, not just for the National Guard, but also for the nation it has sworn to protect and defend.
Thomas B. Vaughn is a Warren County columnist.