INDIANAPOLIS — More than 20 years ago, Andy Zartman was recruited into the Indiana Army National Guard. Now, the Hancock County man is leading the Guard’s recruiting efforts across the state.
Lt. Col. Zartman recently took command of the Indiana Army National Guard’s recruiting and retention battalion, placing him in charge of more than 1,500 citizen-soldiers. It’s a mission he plans to succeed at by continuing the Guard’s community-focused approach toward enlistment.
The battalion Zartman leads works to ensure the Indiana Army National Guard maintains its readiness levels at about 11,000 members. It encompasses both Army National Guard recruiters across the state as well as the recruit sustainment program of about 1,100 members, which Zartman formerly commanded and which prepares newly enlisted soldiers for basic combat training and their Guard careers.
Zartman called Indiana Army National Guard recruitment steady over the past couple years and said he sees it increasing.
“We have a young recruiting force, but they’re vibrant and they’re from their communities,” he said.
Placing recruiters in areas they’re from is an effective strategy, as they’ve already established trust with the community, he continued.
“And they know what works in the community,” he added. “What works in Greenfield, Indiana, may be very different from what works in New Albany, Indiana, down by Louisville or up in Lake County, in Hammond, Indiana.”
They know what the best recruitment methods are, Zartman said, whether it’s investing time and energy in billboards, or social media, or at high schools or the local diner.
Staff Sgt. Joseph Gabbard, a Greenfield-based Indiana Army National Guard recruiter, said social media is useful for recruiting efforts, as outreach can be tailored to specific locations and age groups.
One of the biggest obstacles recruiters have faced lately has been the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Life is very different than it was in February of this year, so there’s a lot of challenges to overcome there,” Zartman said.
It has complicated access to high schools, he continued, but recruiters are working with education leaders to find creative solutions.
“The biggest thing I can affect is getting the recruiters fully resourced, trained and comfortable engaging in their communities,” Zartman said.
Challenges, just like recruiting strategies, vary from community to community, too.
“The more adept these folks are, they’ll be successful anywhere,” he said.
Zartman said he admires the way the Indiana Army National Guard trains its members and allows them to return to their communities, which they’ll be able to serve in the event of a weather disaster or COVID-19, for example.
“It’s good for the individual, because they get a lot of opportunity,” Zartman said, “but it’s also good for the community too.”
Nearly 160 Indiana Army National Guard members live in Hancock County, about 85 of whom live in Greenfield.
Gavin Rose, who grew up in Greenfield and graduated from Greenfield-Central High School this summer, made his decision to join the Indiana Army National Guard in March. He was motivated by his family’s background in the military as well as the educational benefits he’ll receive by being a citizen-soldier.
“I’m going to be getting 100% of my school paid for by the National Guard,” he said.
Rose plans to attend Ball State University and major in finance or business administration. He intends to work in finance for the Guard and pursue a career as an accountant. After about 10 weeks of basic training, he’ll transition to about nine weeks for his financial management technician training. His Guard unit is in Muncie, the same city as Ball State.
Rose said he chose the National Guard over other service branches because of its flexibility.
“Being able to come back and be in your community while still being in the National Guard, that’s huge for me,” he said. “Still being around Indy, that’s going to be a huge plus, and being able to see family too.”
Rose’s reasons for joining the Guard are similar to Zartman’s more than two decades ago, when he said he was a 17-year-old farm kid from north-central Indiana whose father told him to find a way to pay for college.
“And here I am, 23 years later, much different than I would have been had I not joined the Indiana National Guard,” Zartman said.
He enlisted in 1998 as a truck driver and went through the National Guard Bureau’s Officer Candidate School in 2002.
Zartman took command of the recruiting and retention battalion from Lt. Col. Adam Tscherne, who had commanded it since April 2019.
Brig. Gen. Dale Lyles, adjutant general of the Indiana Army National Guard, expressed his confidence in Zartman in a news release.
“Andy is an invaluable leader to our organization,” Lyles said. “People are the backbone and foundation of everything we do. Andy will be on the front line ensuring the Indiana National Guard has the best Hoosiers to fill our ranks.”
Zartman is also a combat veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and has served in Guard units throughout the state. During this military career, he has earned the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge and Silver Spurs with 1st Squadron, 152nd Cavalry Regiment in 2019.
He lives in Hancock County with his wife, Stacie, and their three children, Ellie, Isaac and Levi.
