[US] National Guard

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Any thoughts or experiances regarding the National Guard? I'm sorta considering it to get $$ for college, though I realize it's quite a committment. Has anyone here done it or know someone who has gone through it?

Of particular interest would be NJ Nat'l Guard, but any experiances would be beneficial.

[solypsist]

enjoy iraq. i'll meet you there.

[Redleg]

Any thoughts or experiances regarding the National Guard? I'm sorta considering it to get $$ for college, though I realize it's quite a committment. Has anyone here done it or know someone who has gone through it?

Of particular interest would be NJ Nat'l Guard, but any experiances would be beneficial.

My knowledge is slightly dated - but the Guard can be a decent income especially toward helping out for college. (I payed for my education working 40 hours a week, Reserve Drill pay, and the Reserve GI Bill)

You get your monthly drill pay, and the Montgremy (SP) GI Bill. Its worth looking into.

If your going to enlist in the Guard - go to the unit that you want to join and enlist with the unit recruiter.

Other then that the more recent members of the guard at the org will have to respond.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

enjoy iraq. i'll meet you there.

I hear the weather's nice.

In all seriousness, I am aware of the likelihood of deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Seriousness aside, maybe I'll see Tehran.

If your going to enlist in the Guard - go to the unit that you want to join and enlist with the unit recruiter.

OK. Any particular reason or does it increase the chances of being in that unit?

[solypsist]

in all seriousness, i will probably be there way before you do, so i'll have to take a raincheck on meeting you in the green zone.

I hear the weather's nice.

In all seriousness, I am aware of the likelihood of deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Seriousness aside, maybe I'll see Tehran.



OK. Any particular reason or does it increase the chances of being in that unit?

[Redleg]

OK. Any particular reason or does it increase the chances of being in that unit?

Well in 1984 when I enlisted in the Utah National Guard - it ensured that I got the MOS and the unit that I enlisted into the guard for. Again I think this might be dependent upon the state, or the Guard Bureau might of made this standard practice sometime in the mid 1980's not really sure - like I stated my information is somewhat dated.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

My good friend from these forums, rotorgun is part of it

He was in active duty in the 1980's too. Fine man he is. Great friend.

[spmetla]

The college assistance is very nice. The GI Bill with kicker helps me a lot and my state only covers half the tuition for University but it's better than nothing. Need to do six years for Kicker program.

Do you have any idea about what you want to do in the military, combat arms? pencil pusher? communications, medical? Once you get an idea find out when the next weekend drill is for whichever nearby unit does what you want (recruiters can help with that) and just go to one sometime and talk with the guys there try the old timers and the young guys and talk with them yourself, not with the recruiter there so that they'll be more down to earth and not pressured to make it better. Seeing as most units have been cycled to Iraq once be sure to ask about it and what they did there (no need to get an MOS you might not get to do). And also be sure to ask when they expect to be deployed again.

If you do decide to go in just remeber that the Army needs you. Be sure to ask about enlistment bonuses for you MOS and other ones you were considering (it varies from job to job). And do what I didn't know about and didnd't do request Airborne and/or Air Assault school. The National Guard gets slots all the time but because NGsmen have families, jobs, and schooling they tend to not put in for these special schools and if you're gonna be gone for basic might as well be willing to do a few more weeks for these schools (you get paid in the mean time) and they add promotion points which are of course good.

And if you by any chance were in JROTC in highschool be sure to tell the recruiter. Depending on the length of time you had of JROTC you could enlist at a higher pay grade and while that doesn't make much difference for the weekend drills for the annual training and the of course basic training and AIT plus any special schools it'll add up to a lot of money.

And as for Iraq Soly, the winter and fall time aren't all that bad but the summer as you would expect is terrible. Even the Texans here would be complaining. If for some reason you're doing a babes of Iraq tour be sure to let us know!

[Divinus Arma]

If you plan on serving our military, then assess whether you are willing to die and kill. If you only want the college money, then you are joining for the wrong reasons. College money has been a nice benefit, but I was intent most on service. I stood ready to die in the 'Stan. I stand ready to die still.

Be sure you join for the right reasons, APG. If you do join for the right reasons, then the military will be the greatest experience of your young life. I regret very little and owe much to my service.

[Major Robert Dump]

I was in the Oklahoma National Guard over 10 years ago.

My first piece of advice is to go regular army. Your chances of getting deployed are no better or worse, and if you join the guard and get deployed you are going to get screwed out of bonuses that you would recieve had you gone regular to begin with. Once you go active the pay is all the same, but as regular you will also have better options for re-enlistment, more opportunities for promotions and you will have better base privelages.

Basically, what I'm saying, is that all the perks of being a "part-time soldier" are pretty muchn gone as you won't be a part time soldier and will likely get deployed. You might as well go full time, and the drill sergeants wont screw with you for being an NG. I encountered a lot more unprofessional, out of shape soldiers than I would have had I been regular, and the drills were an absolute drunken joke, although these things are much less likely to be tolerated now since we are in a war.

Second, don't set your mind on an MOS (and dont sign anything!)until you go take your physicals at the processing cetner, because if it turns out you are colorblind or have inconsistent hearing or something or other it will knock you out of 90% of the MOSs, for example after my ASVAB I had my pick of any MOS I wanted (the test guy said I missed one question)...but, I'm severly colorblind as i found out at the MEPS center, and had like 20 jobs to choose from after all was said and done, no combat, no driving, no medical, 31C seemed better than desk jockey or mess so I went radio monkey.

If you join as a junior in HS you can go to boot camp on summer break like I did, then do AIT the next summer. If you join after HS you may or may not go directly to AIT after boot, depending on your MOS. Some guys get 3 weeks off, some head off the next day. At boot camp and AIT you can be expected to be called a "No Go" a lot, i.e nat gaurd =NG=No Go, yes army humor is a real hoot.

TBH I have no idea how they pick where you get stationed anymore because I wans't active duty much, and never left the Ft. Sill/LAwton area, although we did have to drill at other state armories on occasion.
Probably the coolest thing about NG when I was in is that if I coudlnt make a drill because of school or family obligations, they were willing to let me make it up during the week and other weekends at the armory and on assignments at Ft Sill, which was a hell of a lot more enlightening and productive than the normally scheduled drills. the T-Birds of LAwton was/is an MLRS outfit, so there wasn't a lot to do for a 20 man signal platoon, in fact, the kitchen crew had more heads than us.

If I could do it all over again, I'd have picked Army from the get-go

[Devastatin Dave]

Go full time, noneof that week end warrior crap since you'll get screwed probably have to go full time guard anyway. Join the Air Force, the facilities are better and we're just simply better than all those sub-human military branches!!! Take that all you grunts, jarheads, and squidheads out there!!! Chair Force!!!

[Vladimir]

enjoy iraq. i'll meet you there.

I think I would enjoy that . The problem with the Guard is that quality varies by state and unit more than it does on Active Duty. I was in the Guard and I highly recommend it. If you're some far left anti-war radical or some "kill everyone with a turbin" type, I recommend you sit this one out. The money helps and you'll meet a lot of good people. Just make sure you hang out with them more than the scumbags.

[rotorgun]

Hi Ya'll, Rotogun here.

I went in the Army reserves for about two years back in 1977, Infantry no doubt. Glad I did that, but as I wanted to find a skill more in demand in civilian life, I changed over to Aviation when I went into the regular Army in 1979. I served for about eight years or so. I sometimes wish I had stayed, but as I was a married man, I decided to do the National Guard thing because it allowed me to still serve my country while maintaining a family life. I still love it even though there are some aspects of the job which are a downer.

I advise all young people, male or female to serve their country for at least one three year tour. You don't have to join the Army, perhapds the Navy or tha Airforce would suit you. I also think that active duty is the way to go. Then go in the reserves if you want to later. Definately go away from home too. It's the best way to mature, and become more wordly. You will learn that there are all kinds of great people from all over this great country that are not so different from you. If I had it to do over, I would still do the same thing.

As far as going to war goes, that's part of the job. As the cowboys say "If you show up for the pancakes, you'd better stay for the work." Going in for the benefits is one thing, but that is cold bacon when the bullets are flying. I am against much of this war personally, but will do my part without reservation if sent. Perhaps I'll see some of you in Iraq, Afghanastan or Iran (God Forbid!). As others have pointed out, do it for the right reasons and you'll get a much better experience out of it.

Good Luck if you decide to serve.

PS: @ Alexanderofmacedon: thanks for the nice compliments

[Divinus Arma]

I agree with Devastation Dave. If you want an easy ride just to pay for college, then go in the air force. The boot camp is a joke and they have mountains of money. The air force is more like a highly structured corporation than a military organization. Very little discipline, very casual, no stress. A good choice for a military career with all of the benefits and far fewer risks (with some excpetions of course).

[spmetla]

As everyone else here said and I'll emphasize as well. Be sure you're signing up for the right reasons. We had some whiners in our unit when we got deployed to Iraq and they really irritated everyone with their "I signed up for college money I didn't want to go to war" bit. And if you can afford to put college on hold for a few years do what everyone else here said, go Active Duty Army. When National Guard units deploy they get either get fairly safe jobs (Guarding bases with low threats and rare combat) or crap jobs (gate duty, chow hall guard, PX guard, escort the local nationals picking up trash duty) and this is all even more likely if you're not in a combat arms branch as well.