The National Guard has fallen about 30 percent short of recruiting in October and November leaving the guard 10,000 troops short of its authorized size. In response the guard is hiring 1400 more military recruiters — a near 50 percent spike. The Guard has also tripled its retention bonus. Meanwhile new Pentagon statistics show that more than 5,000 soldiers have now been charged with desertion from bases in the U.S. and overseas since the invasion of Iraq in early 2003. And a U.S. Army veteran who fought in Iraq has been hospitalized after a friend shot him in the foot. Police say the solider, 23-year-old Specialist Marquise Roberts had a friend shot him in order to prevent him from going back to Iraq to fight.