Current trends in the population of the United States such as obesity, drug use, and decreased willingness to serve are decreasing the pool of eligible recruits. The decreased pool of eligible recruits means a greater portion of those eligible to serve are needed to sustain the force. Increasing popular support for the military contributes to the likelihood that eligible people decide to serve. The Army National Guard (ARNG) is the best-postured military formation to ensure popular support for all armed services. The ARNG has almost 17 percent of the total armed forces' members and is located in over 600 more communities than all other Services combined. However, as the operational tempo of the ARNG increased, the ARNG has not placed enough focus, emphasis, or consideration on ensuring popular support. The current ARNG population does not adequately represent the total United States' population. The gap between these populations will likely create less support for the military over time and a degraded ability to maintain the All-Volunteer Force (AVF). This monograph investigates the current population demographics in the ARNG. The monograph then compares demographics of the ARNG and the US population to understand one challenge facing the ARNG. Utilizing identified discrepancies, the monograph proposes an operational approach to address this challenge.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)