Recruitments for Wisconsin National Guard Down Nearly 50% From Organization's Goal

Monday, March 20th, 2023 -- 10:01 AM

(By Rob Mentzer, Wisconsin Public Radio) Recruitments for the Wisconsin National Guard are down nearly 50 percent from the organization's goal, and have fallen below already-strained 2022 levels.

According to Rob Mentzer with Wisconsin Public Radio, Lt. Col. Shannon Hellenbrand told Wisconsin Public Radio's "The Morning Show" that the Guard is struggling to meet its recruiting goals. The Guard has about 6,500 soldiers in the state, with unit armories in 70 communities.

In 2022, the Guard had a goal of enlisting 950 new soldiers. It enlisted only 577. Its goal for 2023 is 1,064 new soldiers. At the current pace it will miss that goal by about 50 percent, according to data Hellenbrand provided.

The trend is not unique to Wisconsin. Nationally, the U.S. Army fell short of its 2022 recruitment goals by about 25 percent, or 15,000 soldiers. Hellenbrand said the Guard limits recruits by age, physical fitness and "moral and legal standards," all of which can be intimidating for some potential recruits. 

"We have tough training requirements that are both physical and mental," Hellenbrand said. "We also have really rigorous enlistment standards." And of course, in addition to providing services in Wisconsin, the Guard can also be called upon to serve abroad, or sent to the southern border.

The state of Wisconsin's economy likely plays a role, too. The Great Recession led to a national surge in enlistments into the U.S. Army and Navy. At a time of historically low unemployment rates in Wisconsin, more people are finding work outside of national service.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.