The National Guard, facing a recruiting shortage that is affecting every branch of the military, is looking to incentivize would-be recruits with the promise of healthcare, in addition to educational and financial benefits.
Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters at a roundtable event on Tuesday that the idea of providing healthcare to members of the guard would help the roughly 60,000 members who are currently uninsured.
MERCENARY GROUP SEEKING 1,500 CONVICTED FELONS TO FIGHT IN UKRAINE, US SAYS
“When we look at recruiting and retention and the ability, really, the most important aspect of that is the ability to be ready whenever we’re needed. Healthcare is absolutely critical to making that happen,” he said, noting that there “can be gaps in coverage” when a member of the guard goes from their civilian employer’s healthcare coverage to the military’s provider.
<mediadc-video-embed data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1663708848070,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"0000016b-0e59-daea-a7ff-0f5fee2e0002","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1663708848070,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"0000016b-0e59-daea-a7ff-0f5fee2e0002","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"rawHtml":"
var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_63273227", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"1098424"} }); rn","_id":"00000183-5cc6-db7f-abfb-fef758fb0000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video EmbedHistorically, the educational benefits that come with joining the guard have been “one of the main reasons” people joined, he said, explaining that current guard members can use their federal tuition and the GI bill benefits, while they cannot claim independent student status, like active-duty service members, which comes into play in obtaining federal financial aid.
The other incentives Hokanson referenced include ones to financial aid more accessible for members of the guard and bonuses for referrals.
“We could really help make every single guardsman or recruiter by paying them a bonus for anybody that they bring into the organization that’s able to complete their military training,” he said.
The guard expects to be about 6,000 members short of its current fiscal year end goal of 336,000, Hokanson added, noting that “the reason why this is a concern is obviously if you look at last year and the years prior … we have always met our authorized end strength, and it’s probably due to a myriad of factors that affect all services.”
Various defense officials have cited the pandemic, the ongoing labor shortage, and an increasing unfamiliarity between civilians and those in the military as contributing factors to the persisting recruitment problems.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Over 80% of those that do come in usually have an immediate family member or relative or friend that is in the service. So there’s a little bit of good news and bad news,” he continued, adding that “there’s a lot of people that may not have that exposure to the military, which may be a great choice for them, to help them develop leadership skills, training, or just opportunities that they may not have otherwise.”
