Army National Guard recruiting is up

WASHINGTON, March 12 (UPI) -- After a three-year drought in recruiting, the Army National Guard has started 2006 with its best new-member numbers in 13 years.

Officials say that's due in large part to a new program where current Guardsmen can make up to $2,000 if they recruit someone else.

The 26,000 soldiers signed up since the start of the 2006 fiscal year five months ago is 7 percent above the Guard's goal, The Washington Post reports.

And although the first part of the year is usually the most productive for recruiting, Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said he "absolutely" believes the Guard will reach its 350,000-member enlistment target.

Since 2003 the Guard has posted the worst recruiting numbers of all military branches.

So far this year it has nearly exceeded even the Army.

Blum said this was due to the face to face recruiting of current members, especially those just returning from Iraq.