ARLINGTON, Va. - During Fiscal Year 2007, the Army National Guard exceeded its congressional end strength goal for the first time in more than three years, and the Air National Guard just missed its annual goal by 746 Airmen.
The Department of Defense announced these achievements at a press conference at the Pentagon Oct. 10 when it released the recruiting and retention statistics for the National Guard as well as for the nation's active and reserve components.
The Army Guard reported its 2007 fiscal year end strength at 352,707, which surpasses its congressional end strength goal of 350,000, a bar it had not surpassed since May 2004.
The Army Guard grew in its last two fiscal year end strengths by 19,530 Soldiers.
"It's the largest growth in the Department of Defense since the draft era," said Lt. Col. Gregg Bliss, recruiting and sustainment branch chief for the Army Guard. "It's been a tremendous year, not in just recruiting, but in retaining Soldiers and reducing our losses to go almost 3,000 over our end strength."
The Air Guard nearly reached its end strength goal of 107,000 Airmen with a reported strength of 106,254 or 99.3 percent of its goal. It also came close to its retention goal of 9,915 by retaining 9,639 Airmen, or 97.2 percent. The Air Guard reached 93.3 percent of its recruiting goal.
"The Army Guard, I think, is a particularly important success story," said the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, David S.C. Chu, who called attention to the Army Guard's achievements in recruiting high school diploma graduates.
Nearly 92 percent of the Army Guard's non-prior service recruits have high school diplomas. Bliss said that number surpassed the DoD's goal.
Bliss said that as well as recruiting quality Soldiers, the states adjutants general and Army Guard leaders kept good Soldiers in the Guard. The Army Guard's retention numbers for the fiscal year show it also surpassed its goal by retaining 140 more Soldiers above a targeted 37,578.
"When Soldiers reenlist at a rate 100 percent above the fiscal year [goals], we think it's a good indication that involved parties are doing a good job taking care of Soldiers and their families," said Bliss. "We owe a great deal of gratitude to our unit leaders, because when it comes to reducing losses, it is largely a command climate and leadership function."
Another contributing factor, said Bliss, was the Army Guard's unique team of recruiting and retention NCOs who have a mission to recruit new Guard members, retain existing Guard members and reduce attrition.
"Consider it a three component mission: recruit, retain, and manage losses," said Bliss, "but the ultimate goal is to meet or exceed our end strength and ensure whatever capabilities might be needed when called upon."
During FY07, the Army Guard also reinforced some of its successful recruiting and retention programs, including the Guard's Recruiting Assistant Program (GRAP), which provides bonuses to recruiting assistants when referred Soldiers enlisted and finish basic military training, and the Freedom Salute campaign, which recognizes Soldiers, families and supporters with a special ceremony and awards including certificates, coins and encased flags honoring their service in Operations Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom.
"Really, employing some of the fundamentals of recruiting allows us to be successful," Bliss said.
The Guard initiated its "Active First" program this October, which teams the Army Guard with the active duty Army. Recruits, who choose this program, go on active duty for a period of 30, 36 or 48 months and are eligible for a $20,000 bonus when they return to the Guard. They could receive up to $60,000 between initial and returning bonuses.
"We think it's a good not only to help the Army man their force, but it allows us to bring good Soldiers back into the Guard with good experience," said Bliss.
As part of the Air Guard's fiscal year "107K" campaign, it expanded eligibility for enlistment, re-enlistment, prior-service and officer affiliation bonuses and expanded its GRAP eligibility to retired personnel.
The Air Guard also launched a 24/7 "live" operator call center where prospective applicants are provided information are connected to a recruiter at their interested locations.