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Wyoming National Guard briefs committee; lawmakers ask staff to draft referral and reenlistment bonus bills
Summary
The Wyoming Military Department described force structure, deployments and a long-running recruitment slide; the committee directed staff to draft separate bills for a referral (recruiting) bonus and a retention (reenlistment) bonus after the department requested increases to reach end-strength targets.
Adjutant General (Brig. Gen.) Charles Porter and National Guard leaders briefed the committee on current force structure, deployments and a plan to restore end strength, and asked legislators to consider revising recruiting and retention incentives.
Porter said the state’s National Guard force structure stands at roughly 1,600 soldiers on the Army side and about 1,380 on the Air side, and that about 95–96% of the National Guard budget comes from federal sources. He said several units are currently deployed and that deployments and post-COVID personnel trends have reduced state strength over recent years.
To address shortfalls Porter reviewed a referral bonus the legislature had funded previously ($500 per successful recruit) and asked the committee to consider increasing it to $1,000 and expanding eligibility to include retirees and veterans. He said other states (North Dakota) that raised their referral bonus saw measurable strength gains. Porter and recruiting leaders told the committee they believe raising the level and expanding eligibility would increase enlistments and help restore unit readiness. The department also proposed a state reenlistment/retention bonus aimed at personnel approaching an end-of-term date to keep trained servicemembers in state formations.
After discussion committee member Representative Geringer moved—and the committee approved—requests for staff to draft two separate pieces of legislation: one for a referral/recruiting bonus and one for a reenlistment/retention bonus. Representative Larson and others supported drafting two distinct bills rather than combining the ideas.
Porter also briefed members on the Air National Guard’s selection to receive C-130J aircraft, the timeline the department has received for aircraft arrival (the department said aircraft on ramp are expected early in 2028), and expected personnel and maintenance changes when the wing transitions to the J model.
Ending: The committee voted to ask staff to draft separate referral and reenlistment bonus bills; the department will provide supporting comparative data from other states and cost estimates for the proposals when staff prepares drafts.
