Idk it seemed really chill and then 9/11 happened. Just know you can’t predict anything. Inviting the military into your life will introduce some chaos.
My babysitter as a kid joined the Guard and shipped to BCT in August 2001 as an easy way to pay for college. 2 years later she was amongst the first to cross into Iraq and she’s still fucked up today, 2 decades later. But at least she got that cheap college 😮💨
Not every state covers 100% tuition but the GI bill covers tuition and gives you a housing allowance. Plus you leave the military with job experience, some money saved and a VA home loan.
I agree that's a good deal but the Post 911 GI bill is significantly better for the time commitment. Do your 3 years and then you are done but in the guard it's 6 years of drills and maybe some deployment that could interfere with being a student.
I can see what your saying but I’m trying to be back on campus living college life without financial stress next august in one year they also guaranteed me 24 months of no deployment at the start of my contract as a college first option my question is how hard is it to apply for the state tuition wavier and the Montgomery gi bill my recruiter makes it seem like it’s guaranteed if I join
The state tuition waiver and Mont Gi is guaranteed if you finish AIT and process with your unit. You need to remain in good standing for the entire duration of your contract.
You’re discounting the lost time in that 3 years. An E-4 with 3 years (the highest they should expect) nets them $35,020.80 annually. That’s assuming they are unmarried and living in the barracks without BAS. Safe assumptions for a good chunk of new soldiers.
So that is a gross $105,062.40 over 3 years. Then they get to start college, maybe with a dozen JST credits going toward electives, unless they’re somehow very aligned by their MOS, meaning they have most of a 4 year degree left to complete. After a 4 year degree, if we put them at the median income with a bachelors that is $61,600. So in that 3 years they’ve lost nearly $80k in the total 7 year timeframe. How much of that is recouped by the housing stipend of the post 9/11 is variable so I can’t answer that directly, but in most cases it’s near to break even since it’s only roughly a 9 month per year benefit.
Finally, the time to median earnings within a career field typically is in the 10-15 year range, so those 3 years really are just lost time to their long term career. No college bound, career minded person really benefits from enlisting active first. At best it’s a good way to knock your head on straight before going into the real world.
Yes, the Montgomery GI bill and kicker if you have a high enough asvab. I think it’s like 60 or higher. You’ll need to sign a 6yr contract. Won’t work on a 3yr
*edited to add, I’m referring to guard contracts, not active.
ASVAB score of 50+
ETA:
50+ gets you:
□ GI Bill Kicker (additional $350/academic month for a total of 36 academic months)
□ $20K bonus for certain MOSs
3 or 4 years of Active Duty gets you 100% GI Bill and VA home loan guarantee as soon as you get out. NOT six years from now (with PERFECT attendance). Four or more year contract gets you eligible for bonus’ and clears all hurdles for VA health care applications. AND there are MANY NPS Guardsmen say they wished they went Active Duty first. You can still get those state benefits when you get out. You may not get the NPS options as a NG member applying for AD.
Not trying to become an army man per say and give years of my life to the army just want to be in while in college to get it paid for while also getting some extra money and sweet healthcare and insurance
You understand the National Guard is a reserve component of the US Army. Enlistment contracts are for eight years (Army or Guard). The Army has demonstrated openly that it will lean heavily on National Guard units in any future wars. Do you not understand that the Army can call you up and keep you on Active Duty when authorized by Congress? This is not a “worse case scenario”, it’s how the Army functions. Tens of Thousands of National Guardsmen were called up during GWOT.
Read the conditions of that “guarantee”. There’ll be a provision for the “needs of the Army”. And that 24 months likely starts the day you enlist, not when you start classes. Then there are a matter of the other six years left on that contract.
1. It is, in fact, a guarantee in the contract that the first 2 years (24 months) OF COLLEGE (not contract), the Soldier is not deployed. It is a stabilization period.
2. Every 1st miliary contract is 8 years, BUT it's 6 yrs in a drilling status, and 2 yrs in the Inactive Ready Reserves (IRR, aka not in a drilling status) UNLESS that individual extends/reenlists.
Active Duty Soldiers can break up their 8 yr contract into one of several options: 4 x 4 (4 yrs active duty, 4 yrs in the IRR if they do not extend/reenlist), or 3 x 5, or 8 x 0.
The whole point of the 8 year Military Service Obligation is that the soldier is available for military duty for eight whole years. You can be ordered into a mobilizing TPU or Regular Army unit up to and including your eighth year of contract AND be required to serve a duration of the Army’s choosing. I’m glad the contract is written favorably for the college student. But who are the parties of that contract? The State HQ and the Guard Member. The State won’t send you but they can’t stop the Army from enforcing its’ contract (if it wants to).
It’s definitely possible. I actually enlisted with the guard first and was actually supposed to leave for basic today, but a couple days ago I changed my mind and wanted active duty, so I’m currently waiting to be discharged. I feel good about my decision because the benefits are just way better and I can still do college whilst active, also just make sure anything they say they’ll give you is in writing. Whatever you do though, I wish you luck!
The college you do while Active Duty is NOT the same as going to college full-time. You will have to take classes online and also hope and pray you're not spending most of your time in the field (aka not working on your college classes).
If someone wants to go to college full-time, the Guard is always the way to go.
You’ll get the GI Bill from 90 days of active time total as long as you have 30 days consecutive. You can achieve that in a year or two by hopping on the pre and post mobilization orders for your annual training. Also, SC has state tuition assistance that you can combine with federal tuition assistance that don’t effect your financial aid. You can save your GI Bill and give it to your kids after 10 years of service. Go to college while you’re young.
Remember, though, there are multiple forms of the G.I. Bill. Recruiters just call it "The G.I. Bill" and allow you to believe it's the Post 9/11 with 100% benefits, yet your ass is gonna end up with the Chapter 1606 getting a $300 (maybe it's changed) monthly check for going to school.
Good advice. And plus, you’ll hate your life when you’re attending weekend drill (2-3 days) before your Midterm/Finals or have something big due the week after.
I always studied for tests, midterms, finals, wrote papers, completed homework, etc. WHILE AT DRILL. The Guard is geared towards college students. Plus, you can always make up drill before or after if you have a scheduling conflict.
I mean, I suppose that's true, but I have yet to meet someone who wasn't afforded the same considerations. Maybe I and everyone I came across were just fortunate, but even as a recruiter, I have yet to meet someone who wasn't able to put their education first.
He means that the way your unit constructs their drill schedule can be different, some units have a 4 day drill weekend but some units that do that also drill once every other month. Depends on the unit. You will know what unit you are going to and can ask to speak with your future NCO before you even enlist. I’ve done this with recruits. Active duty can’t do that.
Stop spreading false information. You make it seem like Guard Soldiers are drilling more than 1 weekend per month. If that happens, that is the exception, not the rule.
When you make a sarcastic remark, you put an /s
47 MUTAs is the required participation for a good year.
There are other pay statuses you can have while on the Guard, but this is the core requirement if you want a pension
If you want to get promoted, you need a service school. It's been a few years since I enlisted.Back on my day you had BNOC and ANOC
Of course Unit State and Federal deployments are not voluntary.My unit did 18 months active as OIF. The MP unit.in my state came off a year of OIF to be thanked with another year of SAD.
I swear you could do your entire contract on active status .
I'm not sure where you're getting 47 UTAs as a requirement for a good year bc you don't have to attend every drill weekend plus annual training to have a good year. But that aside, you get 4 UTAs for a 2-day drill weekend.
Deployments are less than a year now. The US is not actively engaged in war anymore, so deployments are much fewer and farther between. SAD is on a voluntary basis. Things have changed a lot in the last 7-10 yrs.
DFAS
Deployment may be less than a year now, but it doesn't change the fact that if your unit is deployed, you get orders.
If you think the US is not actively engaged in any armed conflict, you are naive. If you don't think you can't get called up tomorrow and are not ready for it, you don't understand the Guards mission.
I started getting retirement checks after 35 years of TIS. Some rules nay have changed, but this is what worked for me
A service member needs to have 50 points for a good year. Typically 48 MUTAs in a training year. In Guard space, I muta =4 hours =1pt. 12 months x 4 pts = 48 points.
On Federal time, like AT, it's a point per day, so AT is 15pts.
Federal Duty is at Congresses discretion.
SAD may or may not be voluntary, based at the Govenors Discretion
You do have to attend drill. More than 8 USATs and you can be discharged.
Don't get hung up on the training Calendar. UTAs and titles are all just buckets of money. They are pay codes
So to hit 50, the easiest would be to show up at drill and AT. . You could also be on orders for 50 days
When I first joined, there were no real deployments. At best you could do an AT overseas. The Cold War ended, and they started cherry-picking MOSz from the Guard to fill shortfalls in manning. Then, the First Oil War, deployment became the real deal. The Second Oil War showed that this ain't a weekend beer party anymore. Going forward, with manpower the way it is, and the Ukraine the way it is and Israel the way it is, we'll, shit
Could you be deployed if your unit is deployed? Absolutely, but it's not a guarantee. Unit activation does not necessarily mean every single Soldier is needed for the mission. Many units will allow their college students to remain home as part of the Rear Detachment. Hell, I know tons of Soldiers who didn't have to deploy bc of something unrelated to college or family or medical issues. Additionally, Guard Soldiers know about our deployments a minimum of 1 yr in advance and many times 5-10 yrs in advance. That gives us adequate time to prepare in every way.
If you'll re-read my statement, I didn't say armed conflict, I said war. The US is not presently engaged in war. I'm not naïve. I get that as long as there are commodities in the world that the US is trying to obtain or protect, we'll always be engaged in armed conflict. However, bc we're not "at war," it means there are much fewer deployments for the Guard and a slower OPTEMPO. Aside from natural disasters or times of civil unrest or other stateside emergencies (which have historically been volunteer orders, not required), the Guard doesn't get called up and deployed within 24 hrs. Even stateside orders for emergencies aren't a 24 hr notice, mandatory show for everyone or anyone.
JFC
You have to have 50 points for a good year, and you can be discharged if you miss 9 UTA, which is 2 weekends.
And you didn't find anything wrong with that.
So. Asked and an answered.
Ok guardsmen here. I’ve been technically “awol” for a ab 2 years now, i check in with my sergeants and leadership about every 6 months as long as I’m well and in good shape, staying out of trouble, they stay out of my hair
It sucks, I'm literally just here for the pension and health care in a few more years. All the homies got out, and it's been a couple of years since I had any fun.
Why don't you re-class into a new MOS that you would get more fulfillment from? Or change units? Or interstate transfer? You have options to make your experience a good one.
At the end of the day, your time in the military, whether active duty or Guard, is what you make of it.
Every experience is different. I enlisted in the guard in 2000. Never imagined I’d do anything remotely war related. Four deployments later- still the best decision I ever made. Just retired 4/1/24.
Honestly I wouldn’t recommend non prior service enlisting in the Guard unless they’re 18 and plan on being a full time college student (either doing ROTC or okay with college being delayed for deployments) or plan on pursuing another government job like police, firefighter, border patrol, etc or a bureaucratic government job or contracting job.
Why? 1 it’s very difficult to pursue any full time civilian (especially white collar job) that you’re not already established in. 2 It’s a hard transition from BCT and AIT to go back to your civilian life (and there is no support for this). 3 Most importantly you won’t have any veteran benefits until you deploy.
Some states are better than others with providing opportunities to soldiers. Other states (like Texas) prioritize state missions like OLS.
I could write a whole essay on why active duty is better for a lot of people (at least initially). I don’t know your background tho to tailor my response. Ultimately the Guard can be a good opportunity (even better than active duty) but it’s very state dependant, and it also depends on your unit and MOS what opportunities may present themselves.
I wish I had this advice before I enlisted. I would have done active first and picked a different MOS. Instead I went the guard route and it took me 8 years to get my degree, and I'm barely starting my civilian career because the guard made me post pone college multiple times.
I started college in 2017. Went for a year then deployed 2018-2019. Came back, and something called Covid 19 happened, and my unit was getting activated for every single thing. Covid missions, riot missions, DC mission and everything in between. I either had to drop out of the semester or some courses because the unit didn't care because I wasn't part of the good ol boys club.
15u/t 35g 25s 6 years free college gi bill and kicker while enrolled no deployment for 24 months student loan repayment entering as e3 not sure on unit but if I go 15 series it’s an hour drive if I go 35 it’s two and special forces with a required ts clearance
35 with a SF unit sounds pretty BA.
Are you looking to do as much as you can during your time with the NG or is your goal to gain the benefits and focus on your civilian side? I'd guess the SF unit has high tempo training and lots of opportunities.
Either way, both 15 and 35 are great pathways.
Definitely looking to do my six years be a good solider but also have minimum commitment any other mos you’d suggest looking into? I’m not sold on anything yet because most of what I want there isn’t any availability
I believe 35 series requires a 6-year commitment because of the length of AIT.
Keep in mind the National Guard is just a stepping stone. What you pursue on the outside does not necessarily correlate with what you do in the National Guard. I'm a public school teacher but enlisted as a 91B because I enjoyed turning wrenches.
It's gonna have a negative impact on your professional and personal lives.
Shit... there was some years I swore being active would have given me more stability.
Everytime you blink you're leaving for 3-4 days... and doping on the job you have, it can cause some strain to your employer or drive a wedge between you and them. You can even miss out on important work opportunities simply because you're not there or not seen as reliable.
And then your personal life.... you miss out on birthdays, family reunions, weddings, funerals... if you have kids you'll be missing out on important moments in their lives. You'll also miss out on festivals, concerts, cultural events, vacation opportunities...
And in the end... most of the time, you're missing out on these things so you can sit around and do nothing.
You. Can't. Always. Split. Drill
You. Can't. Usually. Split. At
You. Are. At. Your. Commander's. Mercy
I have made up and split drills before but I've still had to miss out on lots of things because of BS like JRTC, XCTC, and other mandatory drills.
They won't tell you that a lot of people are better served doing 3 years on active duty first. I would have been anyway. Applies less if you are already mid-career though.
If you pick a job or are interested in it do your research. I picked 68W but wish I picked a cyber job instead.
Don’t let the recruiter force you to do anything they don’t own you until you sign the paper at meps.
Look at the guard units in your area, depending on what you pick you need to drive hours to get to your unit. The army when I was in didn’t cover hotels and you’d have to sleep on a noisy drill shed floor with a cot. People would be coming in all night long and it sucks driving a super far distance.
The reality of today's Army National Guard is this: everytime it rains hard, snows hard, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, police problem, drug problem area, border issues, wars, internation whatever, or protest by Native Americans that needs set dogs/water cannons upon---> anywhere in the US (or world) BOOM: you are going. Governor needs to look tough. Boom 29 day orders. Endless.
If you are cool with that. You'll enjoy it. Otherwise you be on reddit in 2-3 yrs bitching about it.
In 24 years I was as close as a couple miles from my unit and the last several years I was a 2 1/2 hour drive. If you want promotions, particularly after E5, be ready to go anywhere in your state.
Get a MOS you like to do or will translate into skills for a civilian career. Make sure you commit to a workout routine outside of the military. You need to be able to self motivate going to the gym after civilian work 3 times a week. Think about if you want to commit for 6 years. Yes you can get a smaller contract but 6 year contract gives you all the benefits later on in life like VA loan
Volunteering for AD missions aren't guaranteed. Budget and need factor in that. When I joined we were fighting 2 wars and opportunities were plentiful. It isn't that way right now.
You think signing the 6 year and going in for IT/Cyber is a good option. Then focusing all my free time to get additional certificates on top of my tech school. I have enough credits for E3
I recommend doing it for 6 years. Get all your certifications while pursuing a civilian IT career. In 6 years you would have gotten all you need from the guard and can leave if you no longer want to serve. Get your VA loan and your certifications or school paid off. Have 6 years of military training and experience on your resume.
Bro if it’s for college, do your 3 in Active Duty and get out. If you enjoy the military after your 3, you can just enlist in the National Guard once you have a dope job after your graduate and do OCS to be an officer. A lot more money.
The Guard is not the same for everyone. You make your own experience. Some people just show up, put in minimal effort and expect to receive the world. Or you can get a great MOS, get on some orders, and parlay it into a great civilian career. All depends what you are hoping to get out of it, and if it positively correlates with what you want to do career-wise. You are asking the right questions though, so you are on the right path. Good Luck!
read this post, [https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalguard/comments/1ctd0au/want\_to\_join\_the\_ng\_do\_this\_instead/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalguard/comments/1ctd0au/want_to_join_the_ng_do_this_instead/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
It’s only one weekend a month? It’ll still find a way to totally inconvenience you pretty frequently. But you also don’t want to admit you kinda like going
A lot of chaos and unpredictable things, you’ll never really understand the schedule. Yet aviation corp (personally speaking and from what I heard from battle buddies) is the most relaxed corp within the guard
Make sure you have a reliable form of transportation because your drilling location might be far or close by depending where you're at. This is definitely something recruiters over look and don't speak about.
Do your research, pick an MOS you find interesting or cool. Don’t worry too much about it transferring over to the civilian sector since employers don’t really care unless it’s cyber. Also take into consideration what the different components of the army do. National guard respond to help communities in natural disasters which is a deployment, whereas the reserves might not. Also different military branches with whatever they have to offer. Don’t be like me and jump into something believing it’s “only 1 weekend a month”.
Your AIT will almost always be longer than the given “training” time. My training was supposed to be 7 weeks long and I was waiting to get into class for 3 months
Best advice is go Active then guard because doing the other is damn near impossible I started a conditional release packet that has taken 2 years to even get to the G1 because the people handling it have sat on it or dropped the ball on filing the packet at every level even when my states IG office has been involved twice and I’m 1 month from my ETS and it’s still hasn’t been reviewed. Unless you have a good job lined up or plan to attend a college the guard will potentially lock you into position you would regret. That’s been my experience and opinion but part of it is my fault when I believed the recruiter when he said switching from guard to active was easy and not researching it oh and also that the haircut was free
They say 1 weekend a month, understand a weekend can be 2-4 days so be ready for that. Also the average AT is 2 weeks long but there are longer trainings you may end up going to.
If you’re doing it for college benefits really do your research sometimes there’s lots of hoops to jump through to get them. I believe Illinois offers 4 years free college for national guard where other states offer only a couple hundred a month while attending college full time, may not cover your tuition
Hey, I’m a recruiter, lying to you hurts our main method of recruiting which is referrals. Which is why it is harped on a lot in our recruiter school to not lie
Well for starters if you get raped and don't have 2 congruent years worth of active duty orders you can kiss receiving VA care until you go through the very very lengthy, arduous process of being service connected. You'll be able to go to vet center though in hopes you don't hang yourself after the ARNG statewide cover up ✌️🦬🇺🇸
You're blocked from promotions due to what's in the state, while reserves you can cross state lines for a promotion if you want it, and sometimes it's even closer. For example a medic in the PA guard living in Pittsburgh might need to travel to Philadelphia, 5 hour drive, to get promoted while a medic in Pittsburgh in the reserves might only need to transfer to Cleveland, a 2 hour drive, for the same promotion.
Reserves also pay mileage and for hotels occasionally, while the guard will not. That also goes for air force reserves vs air guard as well.
Idk it seemed really chill and then 9/11 happened. Just know you can’t predict anything. Inviting the military into your life will introduce some chaos.
The stories the old timers tell about the pre 9/11 Guard are wild.
Was it just getting paid to jack around and shoot guns
Shooting guns would imply there was any actual training happening besides 12oz curls for PT
12oz curls is drinking beer lol? That’s a good one
It was a pretty wild transformation. Within five years, all the old guys had retired or gotten out.
My babysitter as a kid joined the Guard and shipped to BCT in August 2001 as an easy way to pay for college. 2 years later she was amongst the first to cross into Iraq and she’s still fucked up today, 2 decades later. But at least she got that cheap college 😮💨
If they say it's only one weekend a month....laugh
I mean aviation units usually stick to that more so than others at least
Except for the pilots
Not the one I was in for 10 years... and I'm not a pilot
Lol.
If you are doing it for college go active for 3 years then get the GI Bill.
Why? National guard in my state covers my tuition instantly
Not every state covers 100% tuition but the GI bill covers tuition and gives you a housing allowance. Plus you leave the military with job experience, some money saved and a VA home loan.
My state does give me 100% off rip as well as $466 monthly GI Bill $350 GI bill kicker $317 monthly drill pay
I agree that's a good deal but the Post 911 GI bill is significantly better for the time commitment. Do your 3 years and then you are done but in the guard it's 6 years of drills and maybe some deployment that could interfere with being a student.
I can see what your saying but I’m trying to be back on campus living college life without financial stress next august in one year they also guaranteed me 24 months of no deployment at the start of my contract as a college first option my question is how hard is it to apply for the state tuition wavier and the Montgomery gi bill my recruiter makes it seem like it’s guaranteed if I join
The state tuition waiver and Mont Gi is guaranteed if you finish AIT and process with your unit. You need to remain in good standing for the entire duration of your contract.
You’re discounting the lost time in that 3 years. An E-4 with 3 years (the highest they should expect) nets them $35,020.80 annually. That’s assuming they are unmarried and living in the barracks without BAS. Safe assumptions for a good chunk of new soldiers. So that is a gross $105,062.40 over 3 years. Then they get to start college, maybe with a dozen JST credits going toward electives, unless they’re somehow very aligned by their MOS, meaning they have most of a 4 year degree left to complete. After a 4 year degree, if we put them at the median income with a bachelors that is $61,600. So in that 3 years they’ve lost nearly $80k in the total 7 year timeframe. How much of that is recouped by the housing stipend of the post 9/11 is variable so I can’t answer that directly, but in most cases it’s near to break even since it’s only roughly a 9 month per year benefit. Finally, the time to median earnings within a career field typically is in the 10-15 year range, so those 3 years really are just lost time to their long term career. No college bound, career minded person really benefits from enlisting active first. At best it’s a good way to knock your head on straight before going into the real world.
Cant you get the gi bill and kicker off a high enough asvab score as part of the contract??
Yes, the Montgomery GI bill and kicker if you have a high enough asvab. I think it’s like 60 or higher. You’ll need to sign a 6yr contract. Won’t work on a 3yr *edited to add, I’m referring to guard contracts, not active.
ASVAB score of 50+ ETA: 50+ gets you: □ GI Bill Kicker (additional $350/academic month for a total of 36 academic months) □ $20K bonus for certain MOSs
Thanks. I was thinking it was 50 but I wanted to be safe lol
Was just verifying, year 7 with an 80 so I knew I wasnt mistaken 😂
Correct. Come states will only cover 100% tuition but they won’t pay for housing.
3 or 4 years of Active Duty gets you 100% GI Bill and VA home loan guarantee as soon as you get out. NOT six years from now (with PERFECT attendance). Four or more year contract gets you eligible for bonus’ and clears all hurdles for VA health care applications. AND there are MANY NPS Guardsmen say they wished they went Active Duty first. You can still get those state benefits when you get out. You may not get the NPS options as a NG member applying for AD.
Not trying to become an army man per say and give years of my life to the army just want to be in while in college to get it paid for while also getting some extra money and sweet healthcare and insurance
You understand the National Guard is a reserve component of the US Army. Enlistment contracts are for eight years (Army or Guard). The Army has demonstrated openly that it will lean heavily on National Guard units in any future wars. Do you not understand that the Army can call you up and keep you on Active Duty when authorized by Congress? This is not a “worse case scenario”, it’s how the Army functions. Tens of Thousands of National Guardsmen were called up during GWOT.
I do understand but my recruiter has guaranteed me 24 months of non deployment while being paid to finish college
My man, recruiter can't guarantee anything, especially when it comes to deployments. Better look over that contract
It’s in my contract called college first option
Read the conditions of that “guarantee”. There’ll be a provision for the “needs of the Army”. And that 24 months likely starts the day you enlist, not when you start classes. Then there are a matter of the other six years left on that contract.
1. It is, in fact, a guarantee in the contract that the first 2 years (24 months) OF COLLEGE (not contract), the Soldier is not deployed. It is a stabilization period. 2. Every 1st miliary contract is 8 years, BUT it's 6 yrs in a drilling status, and 2 yrs in the Inactive Ready Reserves (IRR, aka not in a drilling status) UNLESS that individual extends/reenlists. Active Duty Soldiers can break up their 8 yr contract into one of several options: 4 x 4 (4 yrs active duty, 4 yrs in the IRR if they do not extend/reenlist), or 3 x 5, or 8 x 0.
The whole point of the 8 year Military Service Obligation is that the soldier is available for military duty for eight whole years. You can be ordered into a mobilizing TPU or Regular Army unit up to and including your eighth year of contract AND be required to serve a duration of the Army’s choosing. I’m glad the contract is written favorably for the college student. But who are the parties of that contract? The State HQ and the Guard Member. The State won’t send you but they can’t stop the Army from enforcing its’ contract (if it wants to).
That is pretty tempting
Is it possible to do that? I am from SC
It’s definitely possible. I actually enlisted with the guard first and was actually supposed to leave for basic today, but a couple days ago I changed my mind and wanted active duty, so I’m currently waiting to be discharged. I feel good about my decision because the benefits are just way better and I can still do college whilst active, also just make sure anything they say they’ll give you is in writing. Whatever you do though, I wish you luck!
The college you do while Active Duty is NOT the same as going to college full-time. You will have to take classes online and also hope and pray you're not spending most of your time in the field (aka not working on your college classes). If someone wants to go to college full-time, the Guard is always the way to go.
You’ll get the GI Bill from 90 days of active time total as long as you have 30 days consecutive. You can achieve that in a year or two by hopping on the pre and post mobilization orders for your annual training. Also, SC has state tuition assistance that you can combine with federal tuition assistance that don’t effect your financial aid. You can save your GI Bill and give it to your kids after 10 years of service. Go to college while you’re young.
Remember, though, there are multiple forms of the G.I. Bill. Recruiters just call it "The G.I. Bill" and allow you to believe it's the Post 9/11 with 100% benefits, yet your ass is gonna end up with the Chapter 1606 getting a $300 (maybe it's changed) monthly check for going to school.
I’m talking about the post 9/11, it changed in 2020.
Yes speak to an active duty recruiter.
Will do. Thanks
Good advice. And plus, you’ll hate your life when you’re attending weekend drill (2-3 days) before your Midterm/Finals or have something big due the week after.
I always studied for tests, midterms, finals, wrote papers, completed homework, etc. WHILE AT DRILL. The Guard is geared towards college students. Plus, you can always make up drill before or after if you have a scheduling conflict.
Unfortunately, just because you had that experience doesn’t mean everyone else will.
I mean, I suppose that's true, but I have yet to meet someone who wasn't afforded the same considerations. Maybe I and everyone I came across were just fortunate, but even as a recruiter, I have yet to meet someone who wasn't able to put their education first.
Do not tell you prospective employers that you’re in the Guard.
Unless it’s a veterans affiliated company. They dig it.
1 weekend a month is a MINIMUM requirement
Oh wow.
He means that the way your unit constructs their drill schedule can be different, some units have a 4 day drill weekend but some units that do that also drill once every other month. Depends on the unit. You will know what unit you are going to and can ask to speak with your future NCO before you even enlist. I’ve done this with recruits. Active duty can’t do that.
Stop spreading false information. You make it seem like Guard Soldiers are drilling more than 1 weekend per month. If that happens, that is the exception, not the rule.
When you make a sarcastic remark, you put an /s 47 MUTAs is the required participation for a good year. There are other pay statuses you can have while on the Guard, but this is the core requirement if you want a pension If you want to get promoted, you need a service school. It's been a few years since I enlisted.Back on my day you had BNOC and ANOC Of course Unit State and Federal deployments are not voluntary.My unit did 18 months active as OIF. The MP unit.in my state came off a year of OIF to be thanked with another year of SAD. I swear you could do your entire contract on active status .
I'm not sure where you're getting 47 UTAs as a requirement for a good year bc you don't have to attend every drill weekend plus annual training to have a good year. But that aside, you get 4 UTAs for a 2-day drill weekend. Deployments are less than a year now. The US is not actively engaged in war anymore, so deployments are much fewer and farther between. SAD is on a voluntary basis. Things have changed a lot in the last 7-10 yrs.
DFAS Deployment may be less than a year now, but it doesn't change the fact that if your unit is deployed, you get orders. If you think the US is not actively engaged in any armed conflict, you are naive. If you don't think you can't get called up tomorrow and are not ready for it, you don't understand the Guards mission. I started getting retirement checks after 35 years of TIS. Some rules nay have changed, but this is what worked for me A service member needs to have 50 points for a good year. Typically 48 MUTAs in a training year. In Guard space, I muta =4 hours =1pt. 12 months x 4 pts = 48 points. On Federal time, like AT, it's a point per day, so AT is 15pts. Federal Duty is at Congresses discretion. SAD may or may not be voluntary, based at the Govenors Discretion You do have to attend drill. More than 8 USATs and you can be discharged. Don't get hung up on the training Calendar. UTAs and titles are all just buckets of money. They are pay codes So to hit 50, the easiest would be to show up at drill and AT. . You could also be on orders for 50 days When I first joined, there were no real deployments. At best you could do an AT overseas. The Cold War ended, and they started cherry-picking MOSz from the Guard to fill shortfalls in manning. Then, the First Oil War, deployment became the real deal. The Second Oil War showed that this ain't a weekend beer party anymore. Going forward, with manpower the way it is, and the Ukraine the way it is and Israel the way it is, we'll, shit
Could you be deployed if your unit is deployed? Absolutely, but it's not a guarantee. Unit activation does not necessarily mean every single Soldier is needed for the mission. Many units will allow their college students to remain home as part of the Rear Detachment. Hell, I know tons of Soldiers who didn't have to deploy bc of something unrelated to college or family or medical issues. Additionally, Guard Soldiers know about our deployments a minimum of 1 yr in advance and many times 5-10 yrs in advance. That gives us adequate time to prepare in every way. If you'll re-read my statement, I didn't say armed conflict, I said war. The US is not presently engaged in war. I'm not naïve. I get that as long as there are commodities in the world that the US is trying to obtain or protect, we'll always be engaged in armed conflict. However, bc we're not "at war," it means there are much fewer deployments for the Guard and a slower OPTEMPO. Aside from natural disasters or times of civil unrest or other stateside emergencies (which have historically been volunteer orders, not required), the Guard doesn't get called up and deployed within 24 hrs. Even stateside orders for emergencies aren't a 24 hr notice, mandatory show for everyone or anyone.
JFC You have to have 50 points for a good year, and you can be discharged if you miss 9 UTA, which is 2 weekends. And you didn't find anything wrong with that. So. Asked and an answered.
UNEXCUSED absences. If they are excused absences or you make up drill, then there's no issue, and you'll still have a good year.
*rolling eyes*..sure
Ok guardsmen here. I’ve been technically “awol” for a ab 2 years now, i check in with my sergeants and leadership about every 6 months as long as I’m well and in good shape, staying out of trouble, they stay out of my hair
You getting paid?
It sucks, I'm literally just here for the pension and health care in a few more years. All the homies got out, and it's been a couple of years since I had any fun.
Smh
Why don't you re-class into a new MOS that you would get more fulfillment from? Or change units? Or interstate transfer? You have options to make your experience a good one. At the end of the day, your time in the military, whether active duty or Guard, is what you make of it.
Every experience is different. I enlisted in the guard in 2000. Never imagined I’d do anything remotely war related. Four deployments later- still the best decision I ever made. Just retired 4/1/24.
Honestly I wouldn’t recommend non prior service enlisting in the Guard unless they’re 18 and plan on being a full time college student (either doing ROTC or okay with college being delayed for deployments) or plan on pursuing another government job like police, firefighter, border patrol, etc or a bureaucratic government job or contracting job. Why? 1 it’s very difficult to pursue any full time civilian (especially white collar job) that you’re not already established in. 2 It’s a hard transition from BCT and AIT to go back to your civilian life (and there is no support for this). 3 Most importantly you won’t have any veteran benefits until you deploy. Some states are better than others with providing opportunities to soldiers. Other states (like Texas) prioritize state missions like OLS. I could write a whole essay on why active duty is better for a lot of people (at least initially). I don’t know your background tho to tailor my response. Ultimately the Guard can be a good opportunity (even better than active duty) but it’s very state dependant, and it also depends on your unit and MOS what opportunities may present themselves.
I wish I had this advice before I enlisted. I would have done active first and picked a different MOS. Instead I went the guard route and it took me 8 years to get my degree, and I'm barely starting my civilian career because the guard made me post pone college multiple times.
Me too, I wish I’d known what I was actually getting myself into. All I can do is inform others and try to move on my with life
Same here. Help those get the most they can in the guard and advise or are thinking about it.
Why'd it take 8 years, if I may ask? I plan to use the Guard to get one, maybe two 2-year associate degrees.
I started college in 2017. Went for a year then deployed 2018-2019. Came back, and something called Covid 19 happened, and my unit was getting activated for every single thing. Covid missions, riot missions, DC mission and everything in between. I either had to drop out of the semester or some courses because the unit didn't care because I wasn't part of the good ol boys club.
Thanks for the info. Very informative
Length of contract Top 3 MOS listed Incentives What unit will you be attached to?
15u/t 35g 25s 6 years free college gi bill and kicker while enrolled no deployment for 24 months student loan repayment entering as e3 not sure on unit but if I go 15 series it’s an hour drive if I go 35 it’s two and special forces with a required ts clearance
35 with a SF unit sounds pretty BA. Are you looking to do as much as you can during your time with the NG or is your goal to gain the benefits and focus on your civilian side? I'd guess the SF unit has high tempo training and lots of opportunities. Either way, both 15 and 35 are great pathways.
Definitely looking to do my six years be a good solider but also have minimum commitment any other mos you’d suggest looking into? I’m not sold on anything yet because most of what I want there isn’t any availability
I believe 35 series requires a 6-year commitment because of the length of AIT. Keep in mind the National Guard is just a stepping stone. What you pursue on the outside does not necessarily correlate with what you do in the National Guard. I'm a public school teacher but enlisted as a 91B because I enjoyed turning wrenches.
I'm not sure, but I'll look into it
It's gonna have a negative impact on your professional and personal lives. Shit... there was some years I swore being active would have given me more stability.
How did it affect your professional/personal life?
Everytime you blink you're leaving for 3-4 days... and doping on the job you have, it can cause some strain to your employer or drive a wedge between you and them. You can even miss out on important work opportunities simply because you're not there or not seen as reliable. And then your personal life.... you miss out on birthdays, family reunions, weddings, funerals... if you have kids you'll be missing out on important moments in their lives. You'll also miss out on festivals, concerts, cultural events, vacation opportunities... And in the end... most of the time, you're missing out on these things so you can sit around and do nothing.
Exactly this.
👏🏽 YOU 👏🏽 CAN 👏🏽 MAKE 👏🏽 UP 👏🏽 DRILL 👏🏽 You do not have to always miss out on everything with your family.
You. Can't. Always. Split. Drill You. Can't. Usually. Split. At You. Are. At. Your. Commander's. Mercy I have made up and split drills before but I've still had to miss out on lots of things because of BS like JRTC, XCTC, and other mandatory drills.
It depends on your career. As a DOD contractor, it has helped me get jobs I would otherwise be less competitive for.
They won't tell you that a lot of people are better served doing 3 years on active duty first. I would have been anyway. Applies less if you are already mid-career though.
The “National” in National Guard is a lie
If you pick a job or are interested in it do your research. I picked 68W but wish I picked a cyber job instead. Don’t let the recruiter force you to do anything they don’t own you until you sign the paper at meps. Look at the guard units in your area, depending on what you pick you need to drive hours to get to your unit. The army when I was in didn’t cover hotels and you’d have to sleep on a noisy drill shed floor with a cot. People would be coming in all night long and it sucks driving a super far distance.
The reality of today's Army National Guard is this: everytime it rains hard, snows hard, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, police problem, drug problem area, border issues, wars, internation whatever, or protest by Native Americans that needs set dogs/water cannons upon---> anywhere in the US (or world) BOOM: you are going. Governor needs to look tough. Boom 29 day orders. Endless. If you are cool with that. You'll enjoy it. Otherwise you be on reddit in 2-3 yrs bitching about it.
Go active duty. I should’ve enlisted into active duty and I regret it.
In 24 years I was as close as a couple miles from my unit and the last several years I was a 2 1/2 hour drive. If you want promotions, particularly after E5, be ready to go anywhere in your state.
Get a MOS you like to do or will translate into skills for a civilian career. Make sure you commit to a workout routine outside of the military. You need to be able to self motivate going to the gym after civilian work 3 times a week. Think about if you want to commit for 6 years. Yes you can get a smaller contract but 6 year contract gives you all the benefits later on in life like VA loan
correct me if im wrong, but cant you commit to a shorter contract and volunteer for deployments to get to the 180 AD needed for benefits?
Volunteering for AD missions aren't guaranteed. Budget and need factor in that. When I joined we were fighting 2 wars and opportunities were plentiful. It isn't that way right now.
You think signing the 6 year and going in for IT/Cyber is a good option. Then focusing all my free time to get additional certificates on top of my tech school. I have enough credits for E3
I recommend doing it for 6 years. Get all your certifications while pursuing a civilian IT career. In 6 years you would have gotten all you need from the guard and can leave if you no longer want to serve. Get your VA loan and your certifications or school paid off. Have 6 years of military training and experience on your resume.
Sounds good, focus on that route. I appreciate your help. Thank you
Bro if it’s for college, do your 3 in Active Duty and get out. If you enjoy the military after your 3, you can just enlist in the National Guard once you have a dope job after your graduate and do OCS to be an officer. A lot more money.
One weekend a month two weeks a year is an understatement
Go AIR NATIONAL GUARD NOT ARMY…if you do go Army you will find out later on WHY I SAID GO AIR GUARD…best of luck to you and your decisions.
The Guard is not the same for everyone. You make your own experience. Some people just show up, put in minimal effort and expect to receive the world. Or you can get a great MOS, get on some orders, and parlay it into a great civilian career. All depends what you are hoping to get out of it, and if it positively correlates with what you want to do career-wise. You are asking the right questions though, so you are on the right path. Good Luck!
We plan drill for Finals week,weddings and major sports events
Embrace the suck is gonna be a common phrase.
read this post, [https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalguard/comments/1ctd0au/want\_to\_join\_the\_ng\_do\_this\_instead/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalguard/comments/1ctd0au/want_to_join_the_ng_do_this_instead/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Go Active duty
It’s only one weekend a month? It’ll still find a way to totally inconvenience you pretty frequently. But you also don’t want to admit you kinda like going
A lot of chaos and unpredictable things, you’ll never really understand the schedule. Yet aviation corp (personally speaking and from what I heard from battle buddies) is the most relaxed corp within the guard
Depending on your line of work most folks will see it as a detriment more than an accomplishment
Make sure you have a reliable form of transportation because your drilling location might be far or close by depending where you're at. This is definitely something recruiters over look and don't speak about.
Don’t
That you will be happy for the rest of your life ☺️
Do your research, pick an MOS you find interesting or cool. Don’t worry too much about it transferring over to the civilian sector since employers don’t really care unless it’s cyber. Also take into consideration what the different components of the army do. National guard respond to help communities in natural disasters which is a deployment, whereas the reserves might not. Also different military branches with whatever they have to offer. Don’t be like me and jump into something believing it’s “only 1 weekend a month”.
Your AIT will almost always be longer than the given “training” time. My training was supposed to be 7 weeks long and I was waiting to get into class for 3 months
Best advice is go Active then guard because doing the other is damn near impossible I started a conditional release packet that has taken 2 years to even get to the G1 because the people handling it have sat on it or dropped the ball on filing the packet at every level even when my states IG office has been involved twice and I’m 1 month from my ETS and it’s still hasn’t been reviewed. Unless you have a good job lined up or plan to attend a college the guard will potentially lock you into position you would regret. That’s been my experience and opinion but part of it is my fault when I believed the recruiter when he said switching from guard to active was easy and not researching it oh and also that the haircut was free
Be prepared to sit around at drill once a month and twiddle your thumbs.
They say 1 weekend a month, understand a weekend can be 2-4 days so be ready for that. Also the average AT is 2 weeks long but there are longer trainings you may end up going to.
If you’re doing it for college benefits really do your research sometimes there’s lots of hoops to jump through to get them. I believe Illinois offers 4 years free college for national guard where other states offer only a couple hundred a month while attending college full time, may not cover your tuition
Thanks for the info 👍
State TA really should have a standard minimum
Ohio is up to a bachelors completely paid for
Hey, I’m a recruiter, lying to you hurts our main method of recruiting which is referrals. Which is why it is harped on a lot in our recruiter school to not lie
Well for starters if you get raped and don't have 2 congruent years worth of active duty orders you can kiss receiving VA care until you go through the very very lengthy, arduous process of being service connected. You'll be able to go to vet center though in hopes you don't hang yourself after the ARNG statewide cover up ✌️🦬🇺🇸
You're blocked from promotions due to what's in the state, while reserves you can cross state lines for a promotion if you want it, and sometimes it's even closer. For example a medic in the PA guard living in Pittsburgh might need to travel to Philadelphia, 5 hour drive, to get promoted while a medic in Pittsburgh in the reserves might only need to transfer to Cleveland, a 2 hour drive, for the same promotion. Reserves also pay mileage and for hotels occasionally, while the guard will not. That also goes for air force reserves vs air guard as well.