by TChris

As more potential recruits realize that joining the National Guard could lead to a nasty, life-threatening tour in a volatile Iraq, enlistment declines.

The sharp decline in recruiting is significant because National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers now make up nearly 40 percent of the 148,000 troops in Iraq, and are a vital source for filling the ranks, particularly those who perform essential support tasks, like truck drivers and military police.

General Blum said the main reason for the Army National Guard's recruiting shortfall was a sharp reduction in the number of recruits joining the Guard and Reserve when they leave active duty. In peacetime the commitment means maintaining their ties to the military with a weekend of service a month and two weeks in the summer.

The Guard is trying to entice enlistees with cash, but those who worry about a draft cannot be encouraged by today's news.