Is the national guard worth it reddit

Last UpdatedMarch 5, 2024

by

Second, I know what I'm talking about. I've been considering joining the National Guard (NG) because of the benefits it offers, like expedited citizenship in less than 2 years, tuition assistance for myself or Guard SF doesnt allow anyone under 20 to go to selection. I'm 22 years old and trying to decide what branch I should join, I've heard really good things about the Air National Guard, a friend if mine is joining the Marines and he's trying to get me to go to boot camp with him, I thought of that as an option. 25 monthly pay O-1 with >4 years service, $3,655. Best of luck in whatever you decide! A saying I’ve heard a few times now is when you’re in the Guard, you want 3 things: a good civilian career, a good military career on your weekend, and a good family life. You get a raise every 2 years of time in service or so. 5. Reach out to a recruiter in the state you will be living and see if you can get in touch with the unit you would be joining. Location for current, potential, and veteran soldiers and airmen of the US…. I’m locked in for 20k for 6 years. Making active duty pay and BAH. From what I understand, TRICARE is fairly decent and pretty cheap if you're single. Get your benefits and gtfo. Reserves cannot be used for civil unrest response with very limited exceptions. It averages about 250-350 a month depending on your hours. -National Guard does NOT mean "you're a reserve and only deploy when the regular army needs people. Those in the National Guard train close to home and maintain a civilian life, all while reaping the many benefits of military life. Some states Guard will pay full tuition for select state schools, but this may vary. We rotate MSCs in our state so usually a couple harder years followed by some softer ones at a TDA unit. 14. pnwjmp • 2 mo. Squeeze as much as you can out of it: insurance, bonuses, on the job training, potential travel, college covered for you and your kid if you think smart, connections, friends for a lifetime, and a world of other things. Depending on your grade and deductions, you should make ~$4-6k as a jr enlisted in a good year. Long answer, if you have a civilian job that doesn’t have a flexible work schedule it can cause issues “legally” they have to allow you military time but not nicely… also, 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer is an absolute scam. One thing you have to consider if you live in a high cost of living area is whether you can take the pay cut if you get mobilized. Benefits: some states offer additional benefits (usually educational) to their guardsmen. I joined after sophomore year, deployed (came back with 45k in the bank from it total) and am now 24 with 96 credit hours and an associate's degree, a bunch of certifications, and a finra license working full time. You may have longer hours and additional obligations outside of standard drill days, but your quality of life is better, you're treated better, and you're paid better. I recently moved to the US on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) from Iraq. What’s you guys opinion. In my situation, both professors and superior officers were willing to work with me to ensure I was able to do both. It is an easy 300$ every month that you basically get paid to workout and get a head start to basic. I forgot the program for healthcare providers, fill in the application for that. Most NG also go on to get an MA in whatever they want. For gaining skills and/or TS security clearance for a transferable civilian job: Cyber, signal, military intelligence. It seems somethings always available (depending on what state you're in but at least in texas, it seems that way). Honestly the main choice between guard and reserves is which one has the position you want in the location you want. Also, if you enlist now you can switch your healthcare and save a ton on that. Technicians don't get BAH or BAS, but they do get compensated for guard weekends (so that's an extra $400 a month to look forward to). You will probably spend a lot of time cleaning stuff for other units. No. Or you could get sucked into the ADOS / AGR program and become a Guard lifer. Our NG waivers 100% tuition. You’ll be challenged academically, and have to deal with West Point bs on top of Army bs. If you're coming over from active duty, I'd definitely look into the AGR program. If you’re going to enlist in the Guard and continue in school then this is a great opportunity for Career advancement in the military as well as knock out 2 birds with one stone. You’ll have less privileges than a PFC does, even as an upperclassman. Either way you need to get in as many foundry courses or missions no matter how short or long as you can and from that you can build a pretty lucrative civilian career. The 2014 proposed pay chart is: O-1 with <2 years service, $2,905. Plan to stay in the Guard for the duration of your contract. The highest reenlistment bonus I’ve ever seen was $50k (taxed, so actually closer to 35) over 6 years. Don't know how TRICARE is from the non-Active side, but Active Duty TRICARE was pretty good. You can work on Army trucks for grown-up money instead of E4 money. You have to be on orders for 30+ days to be able to receive BAH. It would allow you to continue in an active status in an area roughly of your choice while moving into more of a support role. 49K subscribers in the nationalguard community. 38 votes, 37 comments. You may want to consider the ANG out of Carswell. National Guard has improved my life and steered it in the right direction. The reenlistment bonus is going away 1 July!!!! So if you want it you better re enlist ASAP! Come 1 July there will be no reenlistment bonus for the foreseeable future!!!!! Foreseeable future is probably a fiscal year. Active duty. Shooting the shit with the Airmen at the Cal State LA for the vaccine mission and I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Wear civilians once a week. Hey The VA has created a position called Intermediate Care Technician (ICT) specifically for 68Ws. Award. You learn a ton of basic EMT tasks and procedures. You can get all kinds of amazing paying civilian jobs with one of these. Not nearly as many opportunities as active. Airforce and Navy have better jobs. I think it's worth it, depending on where you are in life. I've been watching this community for a few months now and have seriously considered joining the Army National Guard. Was wondering if there was another opportunity if it’s ever worth paying it back. Your mos and your unit will make or break your experience in the national guard. Doesn’t matter but stay in either one for the benefits and pension down the road. Be prepared to be traditional for a few years before you get a full time position. Overall though, I feel like the benefits I get are worth the 1 weekend a month and the people in my unit are pretty awesome. Reply reply More replies More replies May 20, 2024 · However, the compensation is fair for hours spent in training or deployed. Lunch 1130-1300. I was just talking to another Guard member friend who's already hit 20 years in. Just keep pushing. Go Navy. 3. In the first six weeks, you become NREMT certified. I met a guy in 19th SFG with 20 years in the Guard, 15 years' worth of active time, just because he kept volunteering for deployments. Finally get on the computer at 10. NotTagg. Do your 20 and you would be getting a good pension. Got offered another MOS to open up AGR spots. You will easy make a major. itsnotachickennugget. I just join the national guard at 40 (with age wavier), shipping out in Jan. I know the basic information: 10-week basic training, AIT, etc. Most folks in the guard won't make it past E7/O4 and have less than 6 years of points - but the main point here is Look into the app asvab mastery, brush up on the math, get a good test score, and pick your job. And as an officer, more so. I think there may have been some miscommunication. O4 with 12 years of points, 20TIS, is still only ~$1,000,000 over 20 years (withdraw at 60 and live to 80). One of the worst things about the Guard and Reserve is being on orders for a while, getting paid regularly and doing some thing that, if you chose wisely, you don’t hate all the time. 1 Share. 40. If he went there, he would graduate as an officer with an active duty service obligation. 8. While there may be ups and downs, I don't regret joining the guard. Thank god I am now in a unit where my leadership sticks up for me and advocate for my civilian life. Ranger School sucks. Financial: IIRC the national guard doesn’t have HPSP so your financial benefits are pretty slim. Cons: You could make money other places, you are committed to a job, you might have shitty leadership/unit, you might suck at your job, retirement might not be great. The guard is like any job, it will depend on so many factors that you can't say if it will be good or bad, worth it or not. Considering the national guard part time. • 1 yr. go to the basic/ait. Lacks some of the benefits of active. Yes. I’ve never heard of a pilot in my unit come from Air Force, only those that switch to Air Force. It’s designed to build you as a leader and test you to see if you can lead tired and hungry soldiers while you are tired and hungry. If you went Air National Guard with an AFSC like 2T2 with a short tech school you could knock all of your initial training out during a summer from school. wafflewave. You get to choose 2. It's exponentially better to be an officer. Leadership Development. The bonus is that if you join with a college degree you can try for OCS or just go in as a specialist. Hey, so I'm on track to join the Montana National Guard within the next few months, provided Title. To be honest its not something I want to do personally and I'm afraid of the commitment. ago. Don't discount the Coast Guard reserves if you want a domestic focus. easiest way that'll happen is if your unit is activated, and then while deployed you apply. I was going to end up in a bad place if I didn't make a change. from what i can gather, the infantry and aviation units in NM are pretty squared away with good training opportunities. You get a little extra pay from being simultaneous membership, but that can go on for years. Commissioning in the NG is easier. The Army National Guard often has 3-4 day drills depending on your state/unit. Now, about the Corp, nothing is preventing you from joining USMC now, you're 26, not "dead". The Guard is a part time commitment (allegedly), so the understand here is that you pay most of your bills and rent with your normal job. Tuition Assistance is far better and covers up to $4500 a year, but can't be used in conjunction with Ch 1606. In my experience, every AGR has a super cushy gig. Some weekends could be three or four days. If you went to basic the summer before college and joined your unit, you would have ~4 years time in service when you graduated college and headed to BOLC. You might get some of that back at tax time depending on your tax bracket, deductions, etc. Army Guard was more ate up than active duty AF. • 2 yr. The 1-143 is fully based out of Texas. jansturko. AirForceAirman11 • 2 mo. I'm turning 17 next year. You can still get a pension if you finish 20 years of service total, but can't collect until you're 59 or 60. And you don't have a spouse or children YET, but I have both and when I tell my friends (some of whom have very competitive benefits in the tech sector) about the $1k catastrophic max they are dumbfounded. It's give and take between three things: your civilian career, your home life, and your military career. If I remember correctly it's something like $40K-$55K (I should note that I was living in the Maryland/DC area at the time, and cost of living is a bit more expensive there). Those who are NG already have skills and a career path thought out most of the time and have a degree to go with it. nastygirl11b. Just enlisting, the absolute best was like 5k for an MOS the army desperately needed (laundry specialist). I joined because I had no passion for anything. A cool note, in 5 years of active duty I went PFC to SGT. Well my experience. Let the military pay for your education and get career credentials. You may feel yourself losing several brain cells during drill as well. Kinda. " You deploy a lot. This past year, wildfires were a big problem, so activations for that are likely. I’ve heard E-5s taking a voluntary rank reduction to join the unit and many people fly into drill with them. Some benefits include the following: Job Training. RSP is not really going to prepare you for basic any better than watching some videos online frankly. I won’t have any real expenses except my student loans that I want to knock down. If you're not, then guard is awesome because you'll lots of chances to go on orders. The only other real option considering both AIT length and enlistment bonus would be 11B. The National Guard is subsidized by the Federal Government and has combat formations which are often allocated more operational funds and training dollars than reserve units. Go Air National Guard. Now for Air Guard vs Army Guard I don’t know why you’d want to switch. situational. GL regardless! Being an Officer in the guard is great and simultaneously sucks. in 6 short years you will be eligible for a house with NO DOWN PAYMENT. Ive been in for 3 years and all I've ever done was cover down for other staff sections (drill after drill after drill of monitoring the radio for s3) kitchen detail, and some more detail. Thinking of doing ROTC or State OCS to become an Officer in the National Guard. It really is inconvenient. Imagine going to an Ivy League, and being in the military, but only the worst parts of both. I’m curious though in your opinion which one of the officer dthekidk. About how you might like it depends on you as a person and where you end up. My contract (signed 04 Feb 2010) has SLRP up to $50k. As much as it sucks to say there is a good argument that people in the Guard / Reserves cannot provide what they need. MembersOnline. But declined due to my bonus. Make sure you find a unit that have that kind of leadership. You will love it. Joining the Guard can be a great thing, but DON'T join the Guard thinking it's going to be easy to go AD. Serve 4-6 years, go to school on base or online in the evening. I also only have one health issue but it isn So if you decide to go MI ask your gaining unit if they are strategic or tactical. We mostly do admin stuff, NCOERs, E4 evals, medical, online training, etc. Your recruiter can also make or break your experience as well, find a recruiter that you vibe with, one that isn't too pushy, and has your best interests at heart. I live with my uncle and was currently trying out college. Flying helos is awesome but for some they’d rather fly what the Air Force has and enjoy a better quality of life. They call each other “sir” and “ma’am” regardless of rank Guard has a dual federal/state mission and is used more often for domestic emergencies/natural disasters. The 50k I was referring to is strictly Student Loan Repayment Program. And then prep dinner. It’s 14k after taxes. Then wait for those to open. I transferred to the Guard. Also, the national gurad is a nice side gig that provides cheap health insurance. Reply. Drive to WV and join their SF unit. USMC takes up to 28, you're still in the timeline, but do understand how tough USMC trainings are, but if you FOR SURE want that, f'n do it. Lots of certs. These positions are fairly new yet rapidly growing. They roll in at 8 or 9 and do PT. If your state is paying for your college then it is probably worth it. I just would like to know how basic is and everything you do. Most states have great education benefits if you need to finish school. Otherwise it could be anything along the lines of: Tons of ranges, a couple nights in the field for a small FTX, EIB, Scout tryouts, gunnery, cross training with other units, etc etc. The part that sets a combat medic apart from an EMT is the next seven weeks, also known as “whiskey phase”. It’s advertised as one weekend per month and one 2-week long training every summer. My opinion for you to go infantry— if it’s a small idea you have in your As a computer engineering student, you’ll probably make a lot more money with your degree than in the military. This is even more true if the only thing you can retire on is social security, that is currently only about $12-15k a year at 65. •. FRID1875. They want mature individuals only. So with drill it's like 450-550. Plus the drill check and here you can get paid based on how many relevant credit hours you have. But you probably wont be challenged much either. Being in the scouts can open a lot of opportunities for schools and the such. You can do the SMP program through the NG where you do ROTC and National Guard at the same time. So I’m wanting to join the national guard after college and go through ocs. But you can kinda nap and mess around for a lot of the day. The hardships of being an Infantry Officer is honestly the lack of training time you get with your guys. Honestly I think it's one of the greatest benefits that the guard has going. Napkin math says that after 6 years compounding at a 7% interest rate means you should have ~$30-50k. Not specifically for KY but infantry in general, training is limited in the guard but a lot of people waste time at drills or don’t apply themselves or study any material outside of drill. Racking up retirement years. But I get what you’re saying. If you want to go to college, do guard, but if you want the whole military experience you will NOt get it in the guard and I would suggest goin active first and switching to guard when you're ready to go to college General Advice. Overall I’d recommend staying in air guard or going Once contracted with ROTC you are also a non-deplorable asset since you are in a commissioning source. Apparently lower enlisted get treated like human beings over there. Have a back up MOS in mind. 35 series is the way to go. Then, you'll find yourself on track to make a successful career in the national guard. Screw that. I've been both enlisted, and commissioned. You should find the POC for the cyber protection team in CA if there is one or get in touch with the officer strength manager (OSM) 2. Or just do enough time and get 3 years of active duty time to be able to get a VA home loan, full HI bill benefits and all the other baseline goodies. Also get one with a security clearance, preferably top secret. If you end up in combat arms you best have thiccc skin. Some states only require 90 credit hours to attend an OCS program. Many 92G tend to party a little hard in the field, and at home. I’ll say 20 worth it so you can keep free healthcare or stay in long enough and rack up enough medical issues to get med boarded with medical retirement. krm454. However, I’ve heard that a lot of people in the computer science field say I'm 28, married with a child, and I've got a bachelor's in languages, fluent in English and Arabic. I have been in two different units and both have been fantastic experiences with great leaders. Sure you might have to suck it up a few months in OCS, but if you enlist you're The guard is primarily funded by the Federal Govt, so being in a poor state doesn’t have a big effect. Idk probably more, it’s second hand for me. Regular guardsmen don’t qualify for VA healthcare without a service connected injury or qualifying periods of service. Just cut your self army sucks go air force. Drill schedule is roughly similar to regular NG, depending on the state. The biggest downfall of the Guard is that it will always come first- I suppose that's similar to active duty. I'd only do it if there is a realistic possibility of doing your 20 otherwise the 15,000 dollars a year or whatever you'll make won't nearly be worth it. 11 votes, 46 comments. The training pipeline is essentially the same: same SFAS, Q course, etc. If the HQ is in the field, you will be in the field too. I would recommend go ahead and enlist in the Guard and then go OCS when you graduate. As a 91B with active duty experience you'd be a good candidate for a technician job. You only really see a sizable difference while deployed. The guard retirement close to doubles it. I just imagine myself waking up one day and thinking I don't want to do this anymore but I'm stuck. Air Guard is where it’s at. My decision comes down to Air Guard or Marine Reserves. 5 years in the guard took me from SGT to 1LT, pending my promotion to CPT. It was well worth it with the ease to cross-train and do what you'd like. The Army can be a good path but for someone your age and the military can pay for your trade school, but you should go active duty for a few years and then go guard later in life. E7 with 12 years of points, 20TIS, is only ~$600k over 20 years (if you even live that long drawing at 60 and live to 80). Those two weeks could be three weeks long. However, on active duty it's your job and how you make your living. Sounds like you have plenty of time to explore your options. April is usually weapons quals. Get out at 24-26, use your VA loan to buy a house, work as a defense contractor, live an above decent life. However, there's some things holding me back and I'm looking for advice, experiences, mentorship, counsel, candid feedback, etc. It seemed like it was a really good opportunity. Location for current, potential, and veteran soldiers and airmen of the US National Guard. Life is better without the hassle of the guard. AT is usually a rotation to JRTC/NTC, or a CRTC somewhere if deployment is coming up. Work/play cycles. That's a ton of money for staying in the guard. I didn't plan to go to college. I was Air Guard on a base with only us and private industry, an active duty base, and an Army Guard base. Absolutely worth it if you’re trying to get your college paid for, especially if your major is something that makes a lot of money. A major with 20 year is a comfortable income if you wanna do part time and enjoy life with family. Add a Comment. Send it. Hard to say as I don’t know you or your partner. I've juggled tests/finals and drills/annual trainings and I've expected the same of my Soldiers. People say it doesn't limit you on jobs out in the civilian world but it does. Prior M-day 11B, current AGR 92Y. So I am close to graduating college in Information Systems, most likely by Spring 2021. Unfortunately the job doesn’t have health benefits so I figured paying a little more out of pocket for health insurance compared to the $80 a month for Tricare Reserve might be worth it. You can discuss it with them, but as long as you’re both emotionally mature it should be fine. 29 monthly pay. The guard may be more than one weekend a month and two weeks a year. Hell, even the logistics branches (transport, quartermaster, ordnance). That said, the longer I've been in the guard the more I've grown to appreciate it for the people, relationships, and citizen soldier lifestyle. I will always, always, always recommend younger people without attachments to go active duty. I didn't know where my life was going and I had some pretty bad habits. It's very good insurance. You attend drill with the NG as an E-5 cadet and get paid while still attending school and doing ROTC. It’s supposed to suck. It's up to you if you want to give up one weekend a month, and two weeks a year. ADMIN MOD. But my uncle insists I join the national guard so they can pay for my education. For money while you are in school, the Guard (unlike active and reserve and for the purpose of tuition money while you are currently in school) is like having two wealthy grandparents instead of one. Personal opinion: I would not join the military as an officer in the guard. E4 mafia member here. I should’ve joined the Air National Guard. I do it on the civ side and wanted to avoid double burnout. 4. If not, go to college first then join and make sure you get student loan repayment in your contract. I’ve been in for about 5 and a half years and it’s been an interesting experience of basic drills, long drills, state active duty, and longer training missions. It depends on what you want out of life and your career. . Pros: generally a more civilian culture, more like a scrum team than a platoon. This varies by state. It will vary greatly between MOS branches and units, but the extra time just doesn't seem worth the few extra bucks you make during a drill weekend. I was thinking about joining the Wisconsin National Guard for all of the benefits. If you’re in a high optempo unit like a combat arms unit, could definitely affect civilian life (if you’re an officer you basically work full time for 1/10 the pay). I mean its fine. Them making last minute changes wouldn't impact your career or livelihood terribly. Overall I had a positive experience in the National Guard, although I had a niche technical MOS that did a lot of training. Here you learn advanced trauma care for the battlefield. for basic, so "age" is no excuse. Obviously going to be a bit worse when you are at an ibct. 1. Like most answers you will get, it depends. ICTs can practice in the VA EDs and use almost all of their 68W skills. TRS is extremely good and is imo one of the best health insurance options out there unless your employer is paying 100% of your premiums. First, it's you're stud. jesus christ bro, you don't get BAH just for being married in the Guard. Add in the medical benefits and some of the other VA benefits and that retirement is worth much more than $7500/yr. Short answer. After another 40 years, that’s >$500k. I’d say personally stay away because these are most likely the most hardcore guys in the guard, excluding guys from 19th and 20th groups. I've read all the FAQs, read most posts for last 3 months, etc. 2. You Greetings. Im in Oklahoma. 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks out of the summer don't really give you From my experience as a medic who has worked with the scout section a decent amount, they are extremely proficient at their job and only accept the best. I’m looking at the traditional OCS to become an officer ROTC is nice because you can get the minuteman scholarship if your tuition is eating you alive, but it's also a steep time commitment. You’ll end up spending your drill weekends on details. When you turn 24 you wont be under your parents health insurance, so taking this into account, you'll want to be set up for success. Companies want people that are committed and can come in. In some units it may work out like that but it is dependent upon your unit and jobs your unit encompasses. February is usually spent checking range boxes, lay outs, going over tables and weapon familiarization. Recently I’ve been talking to a guardsmen, and he’s been getting me interested in joining. Some weekends back to back. (The National Guard is state funded so you can expect funding cuts and resource limitations from year to year. Leave at 1500. Besides that, I never said Guard Airborne units don't exist. I was called for a job but had to decline since the commute was over an hour, but the VA pay was very good, and the job role Edit: keep in mind that that if the Guard is paying for school, your responsibility to the Guard comes first as they are paying for it. You did absolutely nothing for those 40 years. I don't work and having about half my debt written off is amazing. March is usually weapon zeros and maybe table 2. This is the first time I’ve ever come across someone asking whether or not the VA Loan was worth having as a benefit. 35F in the guard here; If you're looking for valuable work experience for intelligence, you won't find it in the national guard. It's probably one of the best kept secrets in the Army. West Point is a commissioning source. The Air Guard is generally better at sticking to the advertising one weekend a month. You basically only get seen by civilians. Almost every day you’ll work from 0700-2300, doing schoolwork, military duties, or Been in for 5 years and the guard is in no way worth it unless you need the insurance for family. Cons: 90% of the time you will be BSing around. Having Tricare is worth millions in the long run and traditional service requirements are pretty minimal. Thats why going to college and enlisting into the guard so they pay for your education is a good idea until you can go to SFAS. Like last weekend in the month and first weekend of the following month. Unit dependant what your optempo is like as a jag. The chances of you actually doing what a 12K does on drill weekends are slim. Sign a short contract, the benefits for a short contract are lifelong and it won’t derail your civilian career. The Montgomery GI Bill Ch 1606 is what is offered to Guardsmen and Reservist and sucks, it's only like $375 a month. The jobs that pair the best with the Guard/Reserves are government positions that do not require billable hours and that offer military leave and/or differential pay. NG and going to college is a major selling point for recruiters. AIT for a 68W is definitely intense. On the other hand, if you do join the reserves or guard you can get a MOS similar to your degree and try to get sent to schools to get free certifications. And know what unit you want to be in. May and or June is often field exercises, air assaults, lanes, staying in the field. The guard is an older person's game. If you go there will probably be times you will want to quit. One “work from home” (not work) day a week. jb me pe kg wt uy ug ws br fc