Air National Guard summer incentive includes $7,500 bonuses

The Air National Guard has launched a “Summer Surge Incentive,” offering $7,500 bonuses as part of its strategy to transform recruiting and retention.

The bonuses are paired with three-year enlistment contracts to secure reenlistments and recruit airmen looking to transfer from active duty or the Air Force Reserve.

“It is all part of an effort to continue reaching individuals seeking purpose, growth and the opportunity to make a lasting impact,” Air Force Col. Mark Williams, director of recruiting and retention for the Air National Guard, said in a statement. “As the Air National Guard recapitalizes and modernizes its force to meet the needs of tomorrow, we must also evolve how we recruit and retain the talent our missions require.”

Other aspects of that evolution include modernized marketing and outreach, and a more collaborative approach to recruiting.

The Air Guard also launched an enterprise-wide “Guard What Matters” campaign and empowered local marketing teams with a 179% increase in funding while also transitioning wings to a data-driven funding model in lieu of a fixed allocation model.

The Recruiting and Retention command’s marketing branch also created a “Collaborator” program comprising social media influencers chosen to provide training, promotion and development support to recruiting teams and wings.

The Air Guard also hopes to overcome state-level isolation by deploying top-producing recruiters to help struggling wings and by encouraging the sharing of digital content, recruiting campaigns and community engagement ideas across all states.

“As we approach the end of the fiscal year, every accession and every retained airman matters,” Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James Chubb, chief of the Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention Accessions Branch, said in a statement. “By consolidating accession and retention incentives into a focused campaign, we encourage immediate action from qualified applicants while helping commanders retain experienced Airmen.”