Missouri Is Test Site For New Guard Recruiting Idea

Is the military having such a difficult time recruiting new victims that is must resort to paying current members to convince young people to join? That's the plan the Army National Guard announced Monday it would begin testing in five states.

Missouri is one of those states, according to the Associated Press:

The Army National Guard believes its best recruiting tool is its members, and that's why it's willing to pay bonuses of up to $2,000 each to Guardsmen who persuade people to join.

The new recruiting initiative will be tested in West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa and North Dakota and is expected to be expanded nationwide in five months.

Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard, and West Virginia Adjutant General Allen Tackett announced the program Monday in Charleston.

Any Guardsman in the test states who recruits someone to sign up will receive a $1,000 bonus. Another $1,000 bonus will be awarded if the recruit passes basic training.

The initiative comes as recruitment nationwide is lagging for both the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army.

Anyone think the guard members will fight over who gets credit for a recruit? Anyone think guard members might push a kid into enlisting?