{"id":76860,"date":"2022-09-21T17:57:43","date_gmt":"2022-09-21T17:57:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/09\/21\/recruiting-and-retention-issues-also-affecting-the-national-guard\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:56:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:56:57","slug":"recruiting-and-retention-issues-also-affecting-the-national-guard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2022\/09\/21\/recruiting-and-retention-issues-also-affecting-the-national-guard\/","title":{"rendered":"Recruiting and retention issues also affecting the National Guard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The National Guard is going to be about 9,000 troops short on its end-strength goal for the year, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told reporters Tuesday, citing one of the organization\u2019s toughest recruiting environments in recent memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That mirrors challenges seen in the Air Force<\/a> and Army<\/a> overall this year, as the services struggle to balance recruiting and retention across their active duty and reserve components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Recruiters] have told me pretty much unanimously, in every location I go to, just how difficult the current recruiting challenges are that they\u2019re facing,\u201d Army Gen. Dan Hokanson said. \u201cFor many of them, it\u2019s unprecedented in their time as a recruiter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like the active duty side, leaders point to low unemployment and a shrinking pool of potential recruits, due to high physical fitness and behavioral standards, as well as a drop in interest in serving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Guard is exploring a few ways to change that up. Chief among them, offering free health insurance to all of their members, mirroring active duty medical benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\t