- Enrollment decline this year appears to be state by state, not nationwide.
- Guardsmen are frequently called upon to fight wildfires in the West, respond to hurricanes disasters and deploy for overseas combat tours.
- Officials tell the Associated Press the number of soldiers retiring or leaving the Guard each month in the past year, compared to those coming in, has resulted in total annual loss of roughly 7,500 service members.
- Shortfall is result of several factors, largely a combination of recruiting shortfalls and an increasing number of soldiers not reenlist.
