Army Guard hits 350,000 end strength

Members of the 106th Aviation Illinois Army National Guard

The Army National Guard has exceeded its end-strength goal of 350,000, the first time the component has hit that mark since September 2003.

Guard officials credit its success to a bigger recruiting force, the Guard Recruiting Assistance Program, fatter bonuses, and various types of marketing and advertising.

The Guard struggled in fiscal 2005 to meet recruiting goals, finishing the year at 80 percent of its annual goal of 63,002. That same year its end strength shrank by 10,000 soldiers.

Read the rest at Army Times

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