Jessica Pennington sat across the desk from Staff Sgt. William Cooper, a Helena recruiter, where she pored over literature describing the benefits of joining the service.

The 17-year-old Helena High School student, who hadn't told her parents what she was thinking of doing, agreed to join the Montana National Guard and work as a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic, a military occupation known as 63-Bravo.

"I hope it makes me a little more mature, and that going through basic training makes me grow up a little bit," Pennington said last week, well after her parents signed the papers approving her enlistment. "I hope I achieve what I want in becoming a shop teacher."

Like many Montana youth, Pennington was attracted to the Guard's incentives, such as money for college, adventure and a chance to learn new skills. Her new job fits well with her plans to attend MSU-Northern, a financial impossibility, she said, if not for the military.

Given the nation's dour economy and growing unemployment rate, recruiters have seen their share of steady business, if not a modest increase, in people looking to join the service.

Signing bonuses, health benefits and a steady job immune to layoffs and other economic woes are proving to be strong incentives. Next to the auto industry and the U.S. Congress, one recruiter said, the Army offers the best retirement package in the country.

Master Sgt. Duane Deshner, superintendent of recruiting and retention for the Montana Air Guard, said more people than usual inquired about military service in 2008, a year remembered for its housing meltdown, the loss of at least 2 million jobs, and a doleful performance on Wall Street.

Given the times, Deshner said, the need for additional income may be driving a growing interest in the military as a job. It offers stability in a time where uncertainty rules the workforce.

"I do foresee that the longer this economic crisis continues, we'll definitely see some increased business," said Deshner. "We're getting a lot of information seekers already."

Despite the war in Iraq and a shift in focus to Afghanistan, the military, at least in Montana, has succeeded in attracting new recruits, retaining its veterans and ultimately growing its force.

Maj. Barry Gilman, recruiting and retention officer for the Montana Army Guard, said that during 2008, the state welcomed 1,500 new soldiers into its ranks. At the same time, the Guard's retention rates have remained stable, meaning fewer people are leaving the service.

The combination has helped the Montana Guard grow its ranks to historic highs. Gilman said 2,719 soldiers are currently enlisted in the state Guard - the most in 12 years - and there's still room to grow.

"That's kind of the story line," said Gilman. "If we weren't taking care of our soldiers, and if our soldiers weren't happy, we wouldn't be at this point."

Gilman said the Montana Guard will look to grow its force to 3,000 men and women by 2012, making it one of the largest employers in the state. If the positions are allotted and approved by the National Guard Bureau, it would also represent the largest volunteer force in recent Montana history.

The timing, some say, couldn't be better.

"It's an all volunteer force of citizen soldiers who want to serve their state and nation," said Gilman. "That's our greatest ally for recruiting - it's word of mouth."

Kent Tidwell, public affairs chief for the Army's recruiting battalion in Salt Lake City said Montana has always been a hotbed for recruiting.

With more people looking for work in a weakened job market, recruiting in the state is up around 5 percent, or roughly 10 to 15 recruits over last year, he said.

"We've done pretty well recruiting," said Tidwell. "Part of it is the economy and part of it is other stuff. With the economy down, it has helped."

Last January, a study released by the National Priorities Project, a nonprofit Massachusetts research group, found that Montana continually ranked among the top two states nationally for Army recruiting, battling it out for the lead spot with Alabama.

But while the numbers for 2008 haven't been released, NPP also found that only 58.2 percent of regular Army recruits in Montana held a high school diploma in 2007. The Army was criticized for lowering its recruiting standards to meet quotas, which it missed in 2005 but made in both 2006 and 2007 after implementing changes to keep pace with the demands of an ongoing war.

Capt. Rufus Shumate, an Army recruiter in charge of Montana's western half, said the overall mission to sign qualified recruits in Montana remains challenging.

"Not that we've tried to keep our numbers up by accepting just anybody, but we've been able to waive some minor criminal offenses," he said Friday. "But with the economy in a downward spiral, we'll go back to being more selective to those we recruit. It makes our mission more challenging."

Aside from the auto workers and Congress, he said, the Army's retirement package is "second to none." That, he added, makes it enticing for laid-off Montana workers who are looking to provide for their families.

"Up in Kalispell, with the lumber industry drying up, you do see a lot of the older generation coming in who are interested in going into the Army Reserves," he said. "They're very motivated and they're very easy to work with. They're more committed because they usually have a family they're worried about feeding and taking care of."

If the strong recruiting trends continue, the military could actually run short on vacancies. That could lead to waiting periods to enlist, or fewer job vacancies needing to be filled.

"With the economy going downward, the incentives and bonus programs will start going away because everyone is going to want a job that's secure," said Shumate.

On the Montana Air Guard side, Deshner said the effect could also be the same.

"Now is the time for people to join because we do have openings," Deshner said. "People's ability to join in the future may be more difficult as those positions fill up."

Reporter Martin Kidston:

447-4086 or

mkidson@helenair.com