National Guard

A

agshooter

Private
Minuteman
Aug 5, 2009
26
0
44
Virginia
#1
Fellas,

Can you school me a little bit on the Guard? I have been kicking around the idea and have been reading up on the websites, but I still feel there is a lot left out on the sights and I knwo a recruiter will just tell me what I want to hear.

Background: In HS I took the ASVAB mostly to skip school. Don't remember my scores but apparently I did well b/c the Navy and Army recruiters were all over my ass. Navy wanted me to do Nuclear Engr. Long story short I told them I wanted to do college first so if they would foot the bill I would joing post college. Recruiter told me they dont do that and kept pushing to join then. I declined. Went to school and learned of ROTC and post college commissin. That is why I dont trust recruiters, plus other stories I have heard.

SO to present time. Im 29. Have a BS and MS and am working for the feds in an unrelated field.

My question is how does the Guard work for part-timers? Would OCS or WOCS be the way to go? Is SF an option or is that only for active guard?

I am just trying to do some research on it and hear from guys taht have done it and could give some advice.

If'n you dont mind I would appreciate thoughts from you experienced BTDT folks.
 
#2
Re: National Guard

As far as I know, a National Guard member should still qualify for the Federal Loan Tuition Reimbursement Program. I got it when I joined active duty it was $65,000 towards previous college debts. You will not be eligible for a signing bonus or the G.I. Bill if you go for this option.
As far as OCS or WOCS, the guard will have both of those options. Some programs you go away for the school, others it is worked into your weekend drill and 2 week summer training. That may be dependent on work schedule or unit SOP. That's a personal option whether you want to go that route or not. The officer route will offer more money, versus entrance as a Specialist with a college education. It depends on your goals. Do you want specific training and more hands on experience? Or more general training with a supervisory role and a lot of paperwork? This will vary greatly on the Field you choose as well. As far as SF... no idea .
Eligibility for these programs should be on their website. You can fact check against that when you speak to a recruitor. I'm sure those with more guard experience will chime in here as well.
 
#3
Re: National Guard

<span style="font-weight: bold">You need to talk to a National Guard recruiter</span> and start feeling out the units in your area. With your current amount of education, I would go either OCS or WOCS/WOFT program if you have an aviation unit in your sate you can get into and are approved.

keep in mind, that your unit has to have the budget to send you to schooling/training...which is not as much of an issue in AD.
 
#4
Re: National Guard

With your skills and education, it's unlikely that you'll be doing "SF" work.

There is no such thing as a "part-timer" anymore. We are at war. You WILL deploy.

What are your goals in the Army? If you just want to pull triggers, I suggest that you get an AR-15 and go to the range. the military life is much more than what you see on TV or in some recruiting poster.
 
#5
Re: National Guard

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Cavscout1983</div><div class="ubbcode-body">start feeling out the units in your area. </div></div>

Also a great idea. See what units are in your area that will give you an idea of what career paths are available. Call the number to that unit and ask to visit, or have the recruiter bring you. You should be able to talk to someone that works in the job that you want and you can get a feel for how things run.
 
#6
Re: National Guard

I served 8 years in the Guard.
I will echo what was said above, you will be deployed. So factor that in.

If you have a BS and MS in any medical science or related fields you can get a direct commission in some circumstances and attend the Officers Basic training school at Fort Sam Houston.
The Guard and AD both need Medical Service Corps officers to fill slots for all kinds of stuff dealing with both medical support and encampment health.

I admire people who have a desire to serve out of a sense of duty to the country. I would advise to carefully consider your current career and if being gone a year will result in your job being changed to something you can't live with when you get back.
 
#7
Re: National Guard

Go Guard:

I spent 20 years in the NG, my only regret is I got out (retired) when I did. You should consider going the Officer Route based on your education.

Whether you go SF depends on whether your state has an SF Unit. When you enlist in the NG, you enlist in a Unit. So first check with your state as see what kind of units they have. Or you can check neighboring states to see if they have a unit more to your liking.

If you're interested in shooting, (which since this is the Hide, I"ll assume you are). All states have a shooting program, If I remember right VA has a fairly good one.

The NG has lots of benifits, but the greatest is the conradship.

Again I would sugust the Officer route, either OCS or depending on your Degree field, Direct commission. I served as both, enlisted and officer, I was an E-7 when I went to OCS. As an officer you can pretty much write your own ticket (depending on how good of a salesmen you are. I built a hell of a marksmanship program for the state of Alaska just because of my ability to sell Bull Shit.

Again, the only regret is I got out when I did. I retired for the NG when I retired for the Anchorage Police Dept and moved to Wyoming. I could have transfered and in Wyoming, by law they cant kick you out until you turn 70. Trust me, its a lot easier to get out then get back in.

PM me if you want any further info.
 
#8
Re: National Guard

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Cavscout1983</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-weight: bold">You need to talk to a National Guard recruiter</span> and start feeling out the units in your area. With your current amount of education, I would go either OCS or WOCS/WOFT program if you have an aviation unit in your sate you can get into and are approved.

keep in mind, that your unit has to have the budget to send you to schooling/training...which is not as much of an issue in AD. </div></div>

Agreed, but I wanted to hear from non-recruiters as well. Like I said a recruiter will promise the moon.
 
#9
Re: National Guard

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Downzero</div><div class="ubbcode-body">With your skills and education, it's unlikely that you'll be doing "SF" work.

There is no such thing as a "part-timer" anymore. We are at war. You WILL deploy.

What are your goals in the Army? If you just want to pull triggers, I suggest that you get an AR-15 and go to the range. the military life is much more than what you see on TV or in some recruiting poster. </div></div>

I was referring to part-time as weekend/mo and 2 wks a year until deployed. Im not worried about beign deployed, that is the point to be deployed if there is a need.

I am thinking long term goals here. My career goals would greatly benefit from military experience, but I cant afford to just drop everytign and enlist. Thus the guard was appealing.

I would most likely be looking at intelligence.
 
#10
Re: National Guard

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: crumpmd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I served 8 years in the Guard.
I will echo what was said above, you will be deployed. So factor that in.

If you have a BS and MS in any medical science or related fields you can get a direct commission in some circumstances and attend the Officers Basic training school at Fort Sam Houston.
The Guard and AD both need Medical Service Corps officers to fill slots for all kinds of stuff dealing with both medical support and encampment health.

I admire people who have a desire to serve out of a sense of duty to the country. I would advise to carefully consider your current career and if being gone a year will result in your job being changed to something you can't live with when you get back. </div></div>

Currently working for the feds, so no worry about affect on my job. As I stated above, I would like to change careers anyways.

as far as deployments, again, I dont mind, but I dont want to be screwed around and they promise only 9 mos and be there 24. Is this still going on with guard units or have that straightened that crap out?
 
#11
Re: National Guard

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: agshooter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
as far as deployments, again, I dont mind, but I dont want to be screwed around and they promise only 9 mos and be there 24. Is this still going on with guard units or have that straightened that crap out? </div></div>

This can never be "straightened out" until some court finds "stop loss" unconstitutional (which isn't going to happen because they didn't find the draft to be involuntary servitude, even though it is).

Once you sign that contract, plan on being gone from home until it expires, and possibly after that. While things are better than when I was in, where we were deployed without any reasonable amount of warning nor full understanding of the process, don't expect that you'll definitely know where you're going, for how long, or when.

The military is really bad about that shit. That's why I was trying to tell you in my other post, that if you really want to join, be ready to change your life forever. The military doesn't care if you have a job, a newborn, a wife, an ailing mother, etc. Once you sign that contract, you're writing a blank check to Uncle Sugar for "up to and including my life." It ain't a joke. You'll get whatever you're issued and everything else is gravy.

I have no regrets about joining the military or serving even though my injury ended my career early (just shy of 3 years). But I can honestly say that there were good and really fun times, and other times when I felt like I was being treated like a farm animal. It was all a good time because the guys I served with are/were the best in the business. But make no mistake, the military is a government entity. It's not perfect.

So if you can't afford to "drop everything," the military is not for you. Not this time or not ever.

I'm sure some of the other vets here will agree with me because they understand that you will have very little control over your career path after you sign your contract.
 
#13
Re: National Guard

While you may feel that the NG Recruiter will promise you the moon and thus all his info is and null and void and suspect- eventually you are going to have to talk to one and deal with him/her for the duration of the enlistment process.

We can't answer Job availability questions here, we can only confirm or deny the information the Recruiter provides as far as what the military is like and what benefits there are.
 
#16
Re: National Guard

Ok, so I am expanding my options. USCG, Navy, Air and Army Reserves, etc.

My better half is not too thrilled about the idea, mostly b/c of the thought of being gone/deployed for 12 months, etc. when we have a toddler at home.

I guess I am at a loss since it seems to me all of them deploy, especially now in our current situations. Any thouhgts/insight I am not aware of?
 
#17
Re: National Guard

The purpose of the armed forces of the United States is to fight wars and conduct other such activities as the National Command Authority determines to be in the interests of the United States.

If you are unwilling to do that, which probably, thank God, means deploying to a foreign theatre of war rather than fighting one here at home, then you should not be thinking of joining.
 
#18
Re: National Guard

I don't understand what you're looking to do. Just serve in some way, be important? You mentioned intelligence. Aside from door to door crap in theater, that's pretty much all done stateside to my knowledge, and you should be talking to DHS and even (from what I've read) private contractors. You can still see your kid and serve.

If you have real skills of some kind aside from maybe medical, you would be more valuable to the country, and especially your family, by safely contributing here. Then again you made it sound like you're bored with your skillset. I'd still say that if you're in NoVa there are tons of ways to contribute to the DHS/DOD machine even if you completely change careers, and still not have to leave your little one at home. If you're stuck on the adventure thing, I'd be drawn to the much larger paycheck of a private contractor getting deployed (as anything, mechanic, IT support, cook) so that you know your kid's college is paid for in one year. I know in IT, you can basically draw double the local market (which is one of the best in the nation already).

I look at it simply as you have a family, and your wife doesn't like the idea. This is not a decision that is going to help your marriage or your child's development in the near-term. Your upside needs to account for that.
 
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