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U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft from the Montana and Connecticut Air National Guard, currently assigned to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, park side by side at Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, July 3, 2019 On the tarmac of the base. These units are currently deployed here to provide tactical airlift to the Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Capt. Stephen Hudson/Released)
The Montana National Guard honored the first members to receive checks through its Recruitment Incentives Program on March 1 in the Capitol Rotunda in Helena.
The National Guard Referral Incentive Program offers a $1,000 reward to airmen, soldiers and veterans who recommend someone to join the Montana National Guard.
Maj. Gen. Pete Hronek, Montana’s adjutant general, said one of his primary responsibilities is to ensure the Montana Guard has enough trained and ready troops to carry out state and federal missions.
He said they currently have 494 vacancies.
Hronek said their total strength is about 3,700 troops.
During a ceremony on March 1, Hronek was awarded the title of Senior Master Sergeant. Carrie Walter of the 120th Airlift Wing received a check because she was the first Airman to be recruited into the National Guard.
Walter said her recruit, the daughter of a friend, knew Walter was in the Guard and asked for a tour and they discussed their options.
Her recruit, currently a senior at CM Russell High School, is already in the Army but will enlist this summer for initial training.
The Guard also planned to present a check to the Billings soldier for being the first to be recruited into the Guard, but his trip was rerouted due to weather.
The program launched on October 1, 2023, initially offering $500 but later increasing to $1,000.
Hronek said referrals for an additional 17 Army, eight Air Force and one veteran are being processed and will be released once enlistment is complete.
Eligible recommenders are current members of the Montana National Guard and below the rank of colonel and all honorably discharged Montana resident veterans.
Hronek said in an interview with The Electric that current members or veterans often talk about their Guard experiences, but this incentive helps further encourage them to help with recruiting efforts.
Hronek said recruiting has always been a challenge for an all-volunteer force and that recruiting efforts have evolved over the years, away from traditional recruiting offices and toward social media and more direct appeals.
Recruitment incentive programs can help them build connections, he said, because people want to feel like they’re part of a team.
The 120th Airlift Wing is preparing to transition to new aircraft in the near future.
Last fall, the Montana Air National Guard was selected to receive eight C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, following a multi-year effort to modernize the C-130H models the service currently flies.
Hronek said the environmental assessment for the 120th aircraft has been completed and the Guard is working on the construction plans needed for the new aircraft as well as plans to train crews on the new airframes.
The Air Force said last fall that the upgrade would require pilots and loadmasters to obtain new flight qualifications to transition to the new aircraft.
Hronek said he expects it will take two to three years for them to fully transition to the C-130J.
The Guard is also developing options for Montana Guard Governor Greg Gianforte to support operations along the southern border.
Hronek said the Texas governor has requested support from other states and Gianforte will decide how they will provide support based on the options the Montana Guard presents to the governor.
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