Wyoming National Guard seeks more troops; committee backs referral and reenlistment incentive bills

Major General Greg Porter, adjutant general for the state of Wyoming, told the Joint Military Committee on Aug. 18 that the Wyoming National Guard faces near-term readiness and manpower pressures as deployments continue and the guard responds to new federal requests for support.

The committee voted to sponsor two bill drafts from the military department: 26LSO30, expanding and increasing the Guard member referral incentive; and 26LSO31, creating a Wyoming National Guard reenlistment/extension bonus program with a $1,000 referral bonus appropriation and a $1,000,000 reenlistment appropriation as proposed (and subsequently adjusted in committee debate). Both measures passed committee sponsorship votes after amendments and debate.

Porter opened the update by introducing his staff and emphasizing national trends he said affect Wyoming: an administration draft of a national defense strategy and foreign military modernization that he said change the urgency for domestic readiness. He also summarized personnel effects of recent and planned deployments including Guard support to immigration enforcement (about 15 personnel for logistics and transport tasks under Title 32) and upcoming National Guard deployments of the 150th Airlift Wing and other units.

Discussion of recruitment and retention centered on two bills. Talise Hansen, staff attorney, LSO, explained 26LSO30 would: expand eligibility for referral bonuses to veterans and military department employees, require that a referring recruit complete initial processing before payout, double the referral bonus from $500 to $1,000, and extend the program sunset to 07/01/2028 while directing a $250,000 general fund appropriation (committee later amended that appropriation to $163,000). Hansen also presented 26LSO31, a reenlistment bonus program authorizing up to $5,000 reenlistment or extension bonuses, reporting requirements for the military department, rulemaking authority, and a $1,000,000 appropriation (no statutory sunset in the draft; the committee debated but did not adopt a sunset amendment).

Lawmakers pressed the department for evidence and targeting plans. Representative Nicholas and others asked for the analytics behind force-structure targets and how many recruits are needed; Porter cited a target force-structure increase from roughly 1,586 to about 1,653 and said the Guard needs roughly 300 additional soldiers and 100 airmen beyond baseline estimates. Porter told the committee that Wyoming’s propensity to serve is high but that post-deployment separations usually spike attrition. He said the referral program has produced 123 referral bonus payments in prior years (total cost previously about $61,000) and that the reenlistment incentive would be targeted to mid‑career personnel who lack federal bonus coverage.

Committee members debated fiscal trade-offs and program design. Representative Larson and Representative Nicholas raised concerns about broad eligibility language that could include senior administrative employees and asked for rulemaking or statutory limits to prevent unintended payouts. Senator Pappas and others argued the state is “catching up” to other states — several states use $1,000 referral bonuses — and that relatively modest state investments can preserve federally funded missions and local economic benefits tied to guard presence.

After page-by-page work and amendments, the committee: amended 26LSO30 to lower the requested appropriation from $250,000 to $163,000 and voted to sponsor the bill (roll call: 13 aye, 1 excused). For 26LSO31 the committee added conforming language ("reenlistment or extension") and approved the draft as amended with an appropriation of $1,000,000; an attempted limitation to a single-use bonus failed and proposed reductions to the appropriation did not pass. The reenlistment bill passed the committee sponsor roll call (11 aye, 1 no, 2 excused).

Committee members directed the department to provide additional materials requested during questioning — including more detailed analytics behind force-structure targets, a clearer breakdown of how state bonuses would interact with federal incentives, and proposed rule language or statutory language narrowing eligibility if the committee wants to restrict senior administration staff from automatic eligibility. Porter said he and his staff would provide follow-up data and engage the governor’s staff and federal advocates about reimbursement concerns tied to ad hoc federal missions.

Members emphasized oversight and fiscal scrutiny ahead of the next budget cycle: several lawmakers noted Wyoming’s declining revenues and said any appropriation will face close review during the session. Porter and staff said they favored rulemaking flexibility for targeting reenlistment bonuses but were open to explicit statutory limits if the committee prefers.

The committee closed the discussion by sending both bill drafts forward under committee sponsorship to be assigned for further processing and amendment in the legislative process.