Secretary of the Army Pete Geren stands proudly with members of the Minnesota National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion (left to right) Master Sgt. John Schwartz of Woodbury, Minn.; Master Sgt. David Eustice of Janesville, Minn.; Lt. Col. Jacob Kulzer of Brooklyn Center, Minn.; and Maj. Stephen Burggraff of Centerville, Minn., during the Secretary's visit to the State Capitol building for the Minnesota Army Family Community Covenant signing ceremony, June 16. The Battalion exceeded its annual National Guard Bureau mission of 1,352 enlistments in March, resulting in a historical record-breaking year in production. This production year also introduced the "Active First" program and Minnesota has been leading the way. The month of May resulted in the battalion achieving their assigned mission of 1,800 and the battalion is currently hovering above the 2,000 enlistment mark. When Lt. Col. Jacob Kulzer, the battalion commander, was asked what he can attribute the success to, he replied that it is the result of the hard work and dedication of his Soldiers to aspire to be the best. Additionally, he attributes the competency of his senior Non-Commissioned Officers, outstanding support of the state leadership and close relationships with the supported units within the 34th "Red Bull" Infantry Division.