Maintaining Small Business Support in Times of Increased Army National Guard Utilization An Impending Crisis
Abstract
Approximately 40% of American troops in Iraq today are citizen-soldiers. The continued and unprecedented use of the Army National Guard (ARNG) to fight the war on terrorism abroad while simultaneously supporting natural disasters at home is having a significant impact on small business support across America. To date there has been little resistance from the business community. However the tide is about to turn unless substantial tax and financial incentives are provided to employers that offset the temporary loss of these dedicated Americans. Workforce strains and financial pressures on employers due to continued Guard utilization could ultimately translate into increased discrimination of ARNG members in the workforce. Personnel readiness of the ARNG is at substantial risk unless these issues are addressed at the highest levels of Department of Defense (DOD) and Congress. This thesis will examine the reasons for erosion in small business support for the ARNG the impact on recruiting and retaining soldiers incentives that would entice business leaders to hire Guard members and recommendations on how to improve grassroots support in the business community.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 13, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA449856
Entities
People
- Tracy L. Settle
Organizations
- United States Army War College