Topic: Army National Guard

[Mr_Tricorder]

I just enlisted in the Army National Guard and will be going to basic training on August 2nd.  I'm going to be a signal support systems specialist.  Because of my education, I was able to join as an E3, and I'm planning on going to OCS after I graduate from college.

[J. Carney]

Get ready for the time of your life, man!... hang on a sec...

Here's a pic of me out the last time that me and my unit went to the range. The whole 'Old Dogs' (Iraq Vets) cerw went out for wings and beer... as you can see, I was having a great time!

Basic ain't nothing if you had a semi-strict upbringing, and you'll enjoy the heck out of the things that you get to do... just wait till you get to fire a 240B, or a .50 cal! And three days in the woods in the (in my case) snow and sleet, sleeping in a tent- GET ME BACK IN THE WOODS!!!

This is a National Guard 'beer glass!'

[Mr_Tricorder]

I've spent the last four years in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, so I at least have a good idea of what a military lifestyle is like.  I know that basic training is going to be more physically demanding, but I've learned that it all ultimately becomes a mental game, and the Corps of Cadets has definitely prepared me for that.

[Ferretlxix_XC]

Congrats on you're enlistment and good luck with your career.

[Sirgod]

Dittos from me. I'm proud of you man.

Stephen

[FCM_SFHQ_XC]

Good Luck in the National Guard , and Congrats on your enlistment

[Dracho]

Out of curiosity, why did you choose the NG over the active reserve?

[J. Carney]

Out of curiosity, why did you choose the NG over the active reserve?

NG generally only gets deploy togeather as a body.

Army Reserve units will send their guys as fill-ins on individual orders fairly often.

Also, you're more likely to know the vasat majority of your Guard unit if it's in your home town,and nearly every town has one... and it's a LOT easier to get deployed with people that you've known since birth than a bunch of strangers. For instance, my unit made me a gunner from the get-go... because the game wardens that used to chase me for night hunting recomended me as a good shot form a moving vehicle and my uncle (platoon Sgt) agreed.

Oh, and the Guard is a LOT more laid back... in my unit, if you've made one summer camp, you're probably gonna be called by your first name by everyone there, and if you've done at least one combat tour rank generally disappears altogeather- the only 5 people in the unit I have to call by rank are the CO, our LT's and Top... the rest of them are just Trey (Yawn), Anna, 'G', Sam Ronnie, etc.

Not as many Reserve units around, and they aren't in every town, and they are a lot more likely to be strangers from half a State away.

[AcePylut]

JC, stop trying to pass a frosty mug of root beer for guiness.   

[Dash Jones]

I don't know, but I'd say switch to active.  Right now what bonus is there to serving in the Guard.  One can't be a weekend warrior as well because...well because the Guard is deployed just as much as the Active duty now days.  Why join the Guard or Reserve when you might as well be active and get all the bonuses from bieng active ALL the time rather than just when you are deployed that year out of every 18 months to 2 years.  Plus you keep your active duty job at home instead of having to find one every other year due to deployment schedules.

My thoughts on the US guard and someone joining it right now from what I've seen going on with the Guard.

[Mr_Tricorder]

Actually, I'm getting more bonuses from the Guard than I would be getting from the Reserve or active duty, since the Guard gets both federal and state funding.  I'm getting a $15,000 bonus plus an extra $5,000 for leaving for basic training within 45 days of enlistment.  Also, I have a friend that may be interested in joing the Guard also, and if I can convince him to join, I get an extra $2,000 (just like my friend who convinced me to joined is getting an extra $2,000).  Also, I live in Texas, so if I get deployed in the near future, it will most likely be along the Mexican border, and I would rather be sent there than overseas.

The whole time I've been in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, I've been considering joining the military, but I was never ready to sign several years of my life away and be ready to go wherever Uncle Sam wanted to send me whenever he wanted to send me.  I'm willing to serve my country whenever it needs me, but I want my main job and life to be in the civilian world.  The Guard just seems like the best fit for me.  I don't have to worry about paying for the rest of my college or paying off my student loans anymore, I'm going to be getting back in shape (the best shape that I've ever been in was during my sophomore year at A&M, but that's about to change), I don't have to worry so much about getting into my career immediately after college, and I will be serving my country one weekend a month, two weeks a year, and whenever the need arises and the rest of the time I will be working my civilian job and and be home with my (future) family.

[Dash Jones]

I'm willing to serve my country whenever it needs me, but I want my main job and life to be in the civilian world. 

The bonuses sound nice, but most of the guard guys I know (despite that support the military and other types of things going around the US) have had problems keeping their jobs with the recent deployment rates going on in the US with the guard recently.  That's where my thoughts were going with the guard vs. active.

[Mr_Tricorder]

I've heard some things like that too.  I just recently got a job at Target, and I told them yesterday about my enlistment.  They weren't too happy about me being gone so long or leaving right when the back-to-school/college rush starts (which is even busier than Christmas in College Station), but it looks like they're willing to work with me and let me keep my job.

[Jack Morris]

I've heard some things like that too.  I just recently got a job at Target, and I told them yesterday about my enlistment.  They weren't too happy about me being gone so long or leaving right when the back-to-school/college rush starts (which is even busier than Christmas in College Station), but it looks like they're willing to work with me and let me keep my job.

Of course they will, they are not stupid. A company can get sued like a mo-fo for not giving your job back after you come home from the guard, IIRC.

Just remember, those bonuses get taxed too! But all in all I say you got a sweet deal. 

[Dash Jones]

Well, there seem to be all sorts of strange ways I've heard fo them cutting people off.  They seem to have a policy that after 500 or something days TOTAL time (in otherwords it's cumulative, not per deployment) that they can legally lay you off, as well as sometime they put one in a different position that pays less a week after they get back and THEN let the person find out the pay is ALOT less and have them quit themselves, or be payed minimum wage which ever that person likes, OR make something up a day or two after the person gets back and call that as the firing offense (such as was lax in work whether the person was or not...or other such things).  There's a whole slew of sneaky tricks that I've heard of...so just remember the companies ARE NOT stupid, in fact have a LOT of experience getting rid of guard guys and others who are called to deploy.

[J. Carney]

I'm willing to serve my country whenever it needs me, but I want my main job and life to be in the civilian world. 

The bonuses sound nice, but most of the guard guys I know (despite that support the military and other types of things going around the US) have had problems keeping their jobs with the recent deployment rates going on in the US with the guard recently.  That's where my thoughts were going with the guard vs. active.

They can't take your job, Dash.

If they do, you will rapidly find yourself independantly wealthy, and never needing to work again.

Firing someone for needing time off for the Guard is a federal crime, and also subject to civil suits.

[Mr_Tricorder]

Everyone that is hired by Target starts under a 90 day probation period, under which your employment can be terminated for any reason.  I will not have worked 90 days before I leave, so they can legally fire me if they wanted to.  However, I've talked with several people there, and I don't think that will be the case.  It looks like they're going to let me take a leave of absense, but I need to talk about it with them later.

[Villa64]

BTW, Hooah!

You get to do cool stuff in Basic.  JC is right... firing the weapons for me was also the highlight.

GL.

What is your report date?  Possible beer event prior?  Maybe we can fly in...

[Dash Jones]

I'm willing to serve my country whenever it needs me, but I want my main job and life to be in the civilian world.

The bonuses sound nice, but most of the guard guys I know (despite that support the military and other types of things going around the US) have had problems keeping their jobs with the recent deployment rates going on in the US with the guard recently. That's where my thoughts were going with the guard vs. active.

They can't take your job, Dash.

If they do, you will rapidly find yourself independantly wealthy, and never needing to work again.

Firing someone for needing time off for the Guard is a federal crime, and also subject to civil suits.

I KNOW they can't take MY job...but they sure seem to put a LOT of the guard guys out of work...at least ones I know.

I don't know of a single one that had a case that actually would stand up in court.  Amazing what demoting someone after they get back to minimum wage does to inspire that person to quit...or laying that person off AFTER they get back after a month...OR firing someone with the reasoning NOT that they are away but that the business has a redline and has to get in the black and must fire those who don't have the requisite skills that are required (which is pretty hard to fight in court) and dozens of other things and reasonings I've heard of.

Seriously, many of the military guys I know in the US ARE guard guys...and they have some pretty depressing stories to tell from the past year or two.   There also is that 500 day thing that really is something that stands up...and seems to be perfectly legal.  They HAVE to hold the job up to 500 days (that's total cumulative time, not just one deployment, but can include ALL time deployed) according to federal regs...but after that, they are free to lay off as they please it seems.  Know one guy that got laid off from his college teaching position because of that.  From a state college no less.

[Mr_Tricorder]

Hey everyone,

I survived basic training at Fort Benning and am now at at Fort Gordon for AIT (advanced individual training as a 25U (signal support systems specialist).

Right now I'm on a computer at the rec center (it costs $7.00 per hour to use these computers), so I'm pretty limited on what I can do online.  I plan on buying a laptop soon, though.