Army National Guard Prepares for 2030 By Army Lt. Col. Rob Perino, National Guard Bureau | OCT. 17, 2022
DARNG’S PRIORITIES People Readiness Modernization Reform Partnerships
DARNG’S INITIATIVES #1: Posture the ARNG to Field MDO Capable Divisions #2: Transition the ARNG Staff and 54 S/T/DC from an Analog to a Digital Culture #3: Shape the ARNG of 2030 #4: Posture ARNG BCTs to Arrive at CTC Rotations at Higher Readiness Levels
them in other activities, and for many of those months, we were not even drilling as units. And so, I think it’s natural that with lost connec- tion, we lost the ability to recruit.” Army Maj. Gen. John Harris, adjutant general of the Ohio National Guard, agreed, adding that because the Army Guard has readiness centers in more than 2,400 communities, it’s in the best position to solve the recruiting problem. “We know the challenges of America,” said Harris. “I think we have an obligation, more than anyone else, to ensure our ranks are represen- tative of our communities.” Harris said the Army Guard must take a nuanced approach to under- standing all factors that contribute to an individual’s propensity to serve. “I just don’t accept that propensity to serve is decreasing,” said Harris. “We can’t think of this ‘propensity’ issue as a monolithic challenge that we can’t overcome. It’s very important that we dissect it and get after solving it.” Harris said he believes those factors include a decline in direct military ties in American families, stringent recruiting and vaccine requirements, and negative public perceptions about the risks of military service.
WASHINGTON – Army National Guard leaders held a discussion forum during the annual Association of the United States Army meeting in Washington to discuss how the Army Guard plans to attract new talent and modernize alongside the Army. The panel, led by Army National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, examined recruiting and retention efforts, division alignment, adap- tation to digital culture, climate resiliency and how they affect overall modernization efforts. Recruiting constraints and adaptive strategies dominated the 90-minute discussion. The Army Guard fell short of its fiscal year 2022 recruiting goal by about 12,000 recruits, leaving the Army Guard more than 6,000 people below its authorized end strength of 336,000. “I am very confident that through the work and leadership of our ad- jutants general that we’re going to be able to turn this around very quickly,” said Jensen. “I’m a strong believer that recruiting is about connections.”
Jensen said the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the ability to make those connections.
“During the COVID years of 2020, 2021, we really lost connection with young men and young women across America,” he said. “We didn’t have access to them in high schools, we didn’t have access to
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