LINCOLN -- The Montana National Guard landed on the 20 yard-line of the high school football field here Tuesday, embarking on a recruiting mission aimed at bolstering the Guard's ranks.

The thump of the helicopter's rotors created a buzz in the school of 215 students. Getting just one of those students to enlist would make the mission a success.

But with the country embroiled in a foreign war, and with soldiers serving out longer deployments, convincing new recruits to join the National Guard hasn't been easy.

Kathy Heisler, who greeted the Guardsmen in the end zone, has worked at Lincoln School as an administrator and counselor for 22 years. The school's juniors and 17 seniors, she said, are examining their post-high school options.

For some, a trip to college might be in the works. For others -- those looking for college money and vocational training -- joining the National Guard remains a viable option.

"With the price of education going up, joining the service is getting more popular," Heisler said. "And the kids want to support their country."

But the Montana National Guard has competition. Just outside the senior classroom hang posters for the University of Montana, the University of Wyoming, and North Idaho College. There's a flier for art school and a sign that reads, "School's out! Now what?"

Just down the hall, current students walk past pictures of Lincoln graduates. In many previous classes, young men posed for their senior portrait in their military uniforms, and those pictures hang on the wall.

"We can recruit 17-year-olds who are juniors in high school," said Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Hopkins, a recruiter with the Montana National Guard. "It's the only branch of service you can join at 17."

Hopkins, who's been recruiting for less than two years, has a quota to enlist two soldiers each month. Overall, the Montana National Guard looks to enlist 430 soldiers this year.

But with the country at war, with longer deployments and with the stop-loss program keeping soldiers in the service past their contract date, convincing new soldiers to join isn't easy. In fact, Hopkins said, it has created new challenges.

"The students are just as eager to join as they ever were," Hopkins said. "But their parents have more apprehensions."

Hopkins and his fellow recruiters are encountering more than apprehensive parents. The stop-loss program, enacted earlier this year to keep the U.S. military at strength, has reduced the recruiting pool and forced the Army to find new ways to fill its ranks.

"A lot of the time, we'd get a lot of guys coming off active duty who would join the Guard," Hopkins said. "But stop-loss has cut that back."

So the Montana National Guard has stepped up its recruiting efforts, employing some old concepts while embarking on new ones. Flying helicopters into school yards remains an effective recruiting tool, piquing the interest of potential soldiers.

Grade by grade, Lincoln School students climbed aboard the helicopter where they pulled the cyclic and tapped the instruments. Some asked where the guns were. Others asked how fast it flew.

"This is more effective than other things we do," said Maj. Scott Smith, the public relations officer for the Montana National Guard. "You're seeing a new emphasis on the recruiting mission in the state. That's why we're here. We're changing our focus and we're getting out more."

Aside from creating a higher visibility, the Montana National Guard has created a new Recruit Holding Company. When a student enlists in the Guard, Smith said, he may have to wait several months before heading off to boot camp.

The holding company, described as a mini-training camp, gives that recruit hands-on experience as he waits for basic training. It also works to maintain his military interest.

"We focus on those young people who have not been to basic training, or the schooling for their military specialty," Smith said. "It helps tailor the recruit for the service. When they go to basic, it won't be the first time they've made a bunk."

Hopkins said the program also reduces the number of recruits who wash out of basic. Put one way, it's training for basic training.

"It makes it so the kids are more confident," Hopkins said. "They literally excel when they get to basic."

Recruiting at small Montana schools like Lincoln has proven lucrative for the state Guard. In smaller towns, Hopkins said, a higher percentage of students are likely to sign up at a young age. In contrast, their city counterparts tend to wait longer.

"We get the kids from smaller schools when they're a junior in high school," Hopkins said. "Many times, they're looking for a way to get out of town."

Each recruit, regardless of where he comes from, must pass a physical fitness test and score a 31 on the ASVAB. The highest possible score is 99, Hopkins said.

The test, which consists of eight timed sections, scores in areas of math, English, general science, and mechanics, among other things. It's the most widely used multiple-test battery in the world, according to the company that produces the exam.

"We're looking for intelligent, well-rounded individuals," Hopkins said. "The adage, 'Join the army or go to jail,' doesn't hold true anymore. The army is a place for smart people."

Reporter Martin Kidston can be reached at 447-4086, or at mkidston@helenair.com