KY National Guard Exceeds Recruiting Goal

By Kentucky Public Radio

Frankfort, KY – The prospect of having to serve in war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq is not deterring some young Kentuckians from enlisting in the Army National Guard. The Guard hoped to bring total troop strength to 72-hundred, but Brigadier General John Heltzel says they exceeded the goal by 72. "If you look at the history of recruiting in Kentucky, the last five years is nothing short of miraculous. And it's Kentuckians stepping forward doing what Kentuckians do best, volunteering for service to the commonwealth and the nation."

Heltzel says more than 13-hundred recruits signed up. The state still has around 700 Guard personnel in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. Since 2003, 16 Kentucky National Guard soldiers have lost their lives in war zones in southwest Asia.