Posted: 6/30/2005 7:51:53 PM EDT
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chupdog's post reminded me that I have a question for the National Guard and Army guys. I have an appointment with the recruiter next week to talk about NG service. I am 31 yrs old, have a Bachelor's from Texas A&M, did two years of ROTC as a cadet and have management experience. Yesterday I found out my wife is very against this idea of NG service, I have several questions. 1. Could I get a commission? 2. How does branch work in the NG? I'd like to be a combat engineer or armored cavalry. 3. Besides service (my main reason) what are some benefits that might help me change the mrs' mind? This is something I feel led to do, but not at the expense of losing my wife and son. Any help or advice you could give would be appreciated. 96Ag |
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After watching Federal senate hearings on how Reserve veterans and National Guard troops are are getting screwed out of being FULLY treated for wounds recieved in combat I wouldn't join, because if you get wounded or disabled your on your own from what i heard from the Soldiers and Sailors in those hearings!! I'm pro military, my family has fought for this nation since they were fighting to become one, But If i served i expect the Goverenmnt to do right by me if i am hurt doing it!!! |
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I am currently a Guard Officer. Hopefully this will help you. 1.) Prepare to deploy to OIF or OEF. Everyone is going. It will most likely be a 18 month deployment. Seriously think it over. 2.)Most states will allow you to enlist as a E-4, then go straight to OCS, usually a year so and get your commission. Some states will let you come in as a direct commission. In KY most guys enlist then go straight to OCS. 3.) You should have no problem getting a combat arms MOS, the guard is hurting BIG time for ALL MOS's, especially officers. 4.)Finally, if you do decide to join, you would be welcomed with open arms. We need good soldiers!Guard soldiers are slugging it out alongsides the AD in afghanistan and in iraq. |
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Thanks J-L, That's the kind of info I need. I was really suprised by my wife's reaction, well sort of, she had not said anything to me about it until I actually made the appt. with the recruiter. The 4th of July card she received from her best friend who is a OIF widow probbably has something to do with it. It is a huge decision for me, I'm not young dumb and full of cum anymore, so I'm looking forward to talking with the recruiter and getting some concrete information. 96Ag |
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I was seriously considering joing last November, saw a recruiter and got ready. I'm your age, have a degree too, wanted to try out for OCS. Then I told my company about my plans. I figured business would be slow after January, I could fit the 2 months of basic in, and they give you up to 3 years to complete OCS in 2-week stints. Their reaction was not positive. They gave me a months notice and laid me off. It never occurred to me how employers would negatively react to my being in the Guard |
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I wouldn't tell the employer until after I had signed the line. You do need to give them suitable advance notice of any orders you get though, such as for Basic. Once you're in, you have the appropriate protections, and if they fire you, they had better have a paper trail showing why they had to fire you for business/performance purposes. I went the E-4/OCS route. (09S is the MOS). Basically, sign now. Go to Basic in the next year (10-11 weeks). Come back. Next summer go to Phase 1 OCS. If you want, you can get phases II and III done at that point as well. (8 weeks). Otherwise, prepare for misery as a year of weekend OCS drills awaits you. Then go to Phase III the next year. Become an ossifer. Then you have to go to the branch school, which can be delayed up to another year. That takes four or five months. Frankly, by the time you're done, we'll have either pacified Iraq, or been kicked out with our tails between our legs. Branch is selected by a wish list, but Engineers and Cav shouldn't be an issue as long as they're in your area. If TX Guard is anything like CalGuard, they'll be screaming blue murder for officers. The one catch, possibly, is that a lot of heavy units in the Guard are converting to lighter, so there is a concentration in the remaining ones. For example, two tank companies in California will probably have the highest strength ratings possible. There used, many years ago, to be four battalions. Last year, there were three battalions. All the tankers now either congregate in the remaining two companies, or become something else. This means that it is technically possible that no tanker slots will be available. Final thought: It's not worth the wife. Or kid, probably. I wouldn't be too worried about death or injury, but when you get mobilised, it will be for a year and a half or so. NTM |
But you did not choose to serve and things are not always as bad as you hear through TV. 2 of my close personal friends were injured in combat in Iraq and have had some of the best care. The one can never return to his previous civilian career due to extensive shoulder injury. He just re-upped for 6 more years of service in the National Guard. I wonder if he feels screwed. For every negative there is a counter-positive. Many Guard units are now home from tours, go talk to the soldiers in person. We get the same gear, same treatment as our other component counterparts. |
I am a National Guard Recruiter in NY. I only have a few minutes but here it goes: You will come in as an E4 and enter OCS. You can do the 1 weekend a month OCS or Accelerated OCS and be commissioned in 3 months. Once you enter Phase 2 OCS you will be paid as an E6. You must complete Enlisted Basic Training(9weeks). You will not be direct commissioned unless you are Doctor on the outside and meet the requirements. You must select an elisted MOS ( job) in case you bolo out of OCS. Benefts? They are only benefits if you use them! Your recruiter will go through this extensively with you. Get the Misses on board otherwise you are not going to be fully motivated to complete your training. We want the whole family supporting you now, because you will both need the support later during deployment. Thanks for you willingness to come forward and explore the National Guard during our Nation's War on Terror!!! |
If your wife feels this way, you should not do it if you value your marriage and relationship. Deployment can be extremely hard on you and your family, especially if she is against it. Think long and hard about this one before you decide. |
A big +1! The inevitable deployment will be hard on your family, not to mention if you get wounded or killed.
Be advised: don't believe the vast majority of what the recruiter tells you. I'm not saying this out of bitterness or cynicism, but recruiters are worse than used car salesmen. They are under a lot of pressure to make their numbers and will say/do anything within the limits of the law to get you to sign. That said, I spent 12 years in the National Guard, much of it was loads of fun, especially the time spent in combat units. But that was peace time. As said above, you WILL deploy, for two years (18 months out of country). |
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You'll kick yourself for the rest of your life if you DON'T enlist, but you also have to weigh what your relationship means to you versus your desire to serve.I enlisted when I was between marriages so I didn't have to worry about what my then-estranged first Mrs TC thought about my choice; the current Mrs TC married me knowing this was something I was going to stick out for 20 years, so we have an agreement that I stay in for 20, but get out as soon as I have my 20 year letter. There are all kinds of "fringe" benefits of one sort or another that you can talk about to try to sway your spouse, from the people and friendships you develop over time to the little things like cheap lodging whenever I go on vacation ( NOT a reason to join, but one of those things that makes the service a little nicer in terms of the rest of your life). I have learned quite a bit about myself and the average person, about leadership, what makes people tick, the job skills involved that may or may not translate over into the rest of your life and the other jobs you may hold. In short, I am not sorry at all about serving ; I kinda kick myself that I got in at a relatively late age, because its taking me that much longer to get to the end of the road. You have a relationship and a woman who I assume loves you and worries about you. Her concern is understandable, given the current operations overseas.You gotta weigh where your priorities are and act accordingly. |
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Considering you wife is very against the idea of you joining, you whould consider you roptions very carefully. I went back in with the full support of my wife; she told me that in the end, the decision is mine, but that she would support me in my decision. Gotta love that! Since then, which was more than a year ago, her only complaint was the constant change, uncertainty, and last minute notification with regards to the future. I missed the most recent deployment, but that doesnt mean I wont get picked up as backfill for another unit being Mob'ed. That being said, what you really have to ask yourself, and your wife, is can you handle all of that, including being deployed for a year or more. Beyond that, the technicalities of an elistment or a comission are secondary... P.S. tell her you can get her and 2 other family members into sea world for FREE. that'll convince her. 
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I was always under the assumption that the Guard was a servant to the State, not the FEDS. When and why did the Federal GOV take control of the State Guardsmen and force them into becomming International defenders? I thought that was the role of: Army, AF, Navy,Marines They are called National Guard for a reason. (NOT) International Guard How can we have a truly secure homeland, with our National Guardsmen deployed? |
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Trashheap, We have always been the international guard. The Guard is a reserve component of it's parent service be it Army or Air, we recieve the same training as the active duty, drill in federal facilities, and recieve pay from the fed Gov. if you check your history we have also participated in some extent or another in all of Americas wars . |