Questions about the guard

[SquarePizza]

I have a couple questions about the national guard.

1- What is the length of contract?

2- How is the health care?


** Context **

I have always rather regretted not serving, but that is my fault since I never made the time for it. I went to college, then got my graduate degree and starting teaching right away.

That was well and good until I lost interest in trying to teach today's college age population (sick of fighting for their attention that they faithfully devote to their iPhones), and I started helping my family out with the family business.

A lack of health care and still wishing I had served has gotten me thinking about the guard, and a few google searches didn't really come up with answers to the health care part.

 

[Victory]

Re: Questions about the guard

Look at Tricare select with dependents. Think it is like 250 a month, can't be beat really.

You need to talk to an Officer recruiter.

 

[maxpower220]

Re: Questions about the guard

Not sure about length of contract for a Guard member, but for officers it is usually dependent on the training you get for the job you will have (i.e. Flight Training is 8 yrs after wings).

You are covered 100% anytime you are on Duty (during training or your weekend) you can opt into Tricare Reserve Select. You will pay for the service and you would need to look into the specific cost.

Also, be aware that you are on the hook for being recalled to any conflict. This is extremely tough if you work for yourself and have a business. If you work for a company, they have to let you go. If you are self employed, someone has to run the business or it goes away.

I know a lot of Reservist who battle with this problem.

What are you wanting from the Guard? If you want to serve your country, there are plenty of other ways that won't potentially create a lot of havoc in your life (like the military can).

 

[R6Hybridd]

Re: Questions about the guard

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you want to serve your country, there are plenty of other ways that won't potentially create a lot of havoc in your life (like the military can). </div></div>

Please elaborate. I keep saying that if I was in my early 20's with the knowledge, calm, and focus I have now, I would join active military but I am in my late 20's and out of shape (started working every night of varying degrees) and it seems to me like I am too late.

 

[luvtoclimb1976]

Re: Questions about the guard

I think the question about health care has been answered for you. As for the length of service it matters. Are you trying to go officer or enlisted. For enlisted you sign up for an 8 year contract. Now you will do either 2, 4, 6 or 8 years of that in service. You get to choose that. I'm not sure if you can choose the 2 year one for your first enlistment though. The remaining years of your contract that were not in service will be in the inactive ready reserve. What tha means is even though you will be discharged and not attending drills you can be call back into service if the guard needs you i.e. national emergancy. The best way to find out all you want to know is call a national guard recruiter. If this doesn't answer your question please specify what else you need.

 

[former naval person]

Re: Questions about the guard

Why the Guard? Why not active duty? Lots of combat support jobs in the various forces. JMHO

 

[Switchblade]

Re: Questions about the guard

Guard is ok if you like screwing off doing training with a crap budget. Go active duty and don;t look back. If you want the weekend only gig, go reserves.
If you want to save lives for the state emergencies, NG is ok, but most states don;t have anything going on like California(floods and fires and earthquakes, keeps ya busy!).
You want the best, go Marine's. You want lots of cool places with duty assignments go AF or Navy, you want bases with mosquitos and fleas, go Army....ALL of them have damned mosquitos!

 

[Victory]

Re: Questions about the guard

Switch the guard has a better budget than the reserves. In fact our equipment is better than most active units. Training is not lacking due to money, just in time. Same schools that active duty are slotted, the guard is as well. IE sniper, ranger, pathfinder, air assault, and anything else you can think of.

Also the guard is on the same deployment schedule as the Active guys. So if you want to stay at home and not do shit, don't join the guard.

If you want to do cool things on deployment, and be taken care of while on deployment, go AF and become an ALO or TACP.

 

[HawkDriver]

Re: Questions about the guard

You could also be a pilot. There is what they call a street to seat program. It's pretty competitive. You have to be selected, pass a class 1W flight physical, be under the cutoff age (I think it's 32 now). You go to basic training at one of the posts that has BCT. Then to Ft. Rucker for warrant officer candidate school, BOLC, SERE-C, then the flight pipeline. I wish I would have known about it 10 years ago.

 

[SquarePizza]

Re: Questions about the guard

Thanks for the responses guys.

To answer some of your questions - I do work for a small private business, not owned by myself at this time, but owned by my family.

I am 32 years old, in great shape, but that puts me out of the Marine category.

Why guards vs active or reserve? Mostly because I want to serve and would prefer if that was done locally. Since I have been old enough to serve, the NY guard has been deployed multiple times to help out with natural disasters in NY state, plus to NYC for 9/11.


I was all set to go LE, but my eyes are 20/400, surgery is not something that I am interested in, so that keeps me out of serving in LE.


But at the very end of it, I want something to be proud of, to help out in my state in times of disaster and unrest, and something with a shorter contract (not looking to go career) so that when the time comes for my father to retire I am still there to help shoulder more of the burden.

 

[sinister]

Re: Questions about the guard

Serving in the Guard or Reserve in New York will usually mean a 2 to 4 year contract, either as an enlisted man or officer. You sign up for a total commitment of 8 years (2 to 4 as a drilling Guardsman or Reservist, with 6 to 4 years in the Inactive Ready Reserve -- you may be brought to duty for a War or Declared Emergency).

Generally you and your family will not have health care unless you are at drill, while on active duty, or while deployed.

Active Duty (i.e., someone in the 10th Mountain Division) will have full medical and dental for themselves as well as their families.

Active Army enlistment ceiling is 40 years old. Navy Reserve can take someone at an older age if they have an established skill.


Enlistment Age Limits:
Active Army - 42
Army Reserve - 42
Army National Guard - 42
Active Air Force - 27
Air Force Reserve - 34
Air National Guard - 34
Active Navy - 34
Navy Reserves - 39
Active Marines - 28
Marine Corps Reserve - 29
Active Coast Guard - 27
Coast Guard Reserves - 27

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Questions about the guard

I joined the guard shortly after I got out of the Regular Army.

I have one regret, that being getting out when I did. I got out after 24 years combined service. Wished I'd stayed in.

I was in the Alaska National Guard. Retired in '92, I also retired in '94 from the Anchorage Police dept. I intended and did move to Wyoming after retiring.

I could have transfered to the Wyoming National Guard where per state law, they couldn't force me to retire until I turned 70.

Shortly after retiring I started regretting it. After 911 I tried everything to get back in. They just weren't taking old infantry officers.

It really sucked, My wife was activated and deployed to the sand box. I had two sons deployed and I set on my ass.

I have another son (my youngest) who is in the WY NG. Little shit keeps telling me about his guard drills 'n such, making me miss it even more.

Sure I got a pension, and tricare for life, but they mean nothing compared to the memories I have from my military service. Some good, some not so good.

If I had it to do all over again, the only thing I would change is not pulling the pin when I did, but transfering the the WY NG.

 

[Victory]

Re: Questions about the guard

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SquarePizza</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for the responses guys.

To answer some of your questions - I do work for a small private business, not owned by myself at this time, but owned by my family.

I am 32 years old, in great shape, but that puts me out of the Marine category.

Why guards vs active or reserve? Mostly because I want to serve and would prefer if that was done locally. Since I have been old enough to serve, the NY guard has been deployed multiple times to help out with natural disasters in NY state, plus to NYC for 9/11.


I was all set to go LE, but my eyes are 20/400, surgery is not something that I am interested in, so that keeps me out of serving in LE.


But at the very end of it, I want something to be proud of, to help out in my state in times of disaster and unrest, and something with a shorter contract (not looking to go career) so that when the time comes for my father to retire I am still there to help shoulder more of the burden. </div></div>

Don't believe any of that commercial bullshit. Guard doesn't mean natural disaster stuff. If you want to do natural disaster stuff, go volunteer for red cross or fema. National guard is just another pawn in the big army's game plan. The brigades are on the same rotation as Active units, and actually in between those BDE deployments, there are small company or battalion deployments. Every 3 years since the start of the wars, count on it. Only one doing disaster stuff are pog units that aren't deploying to fight, or in states where they actually have something large enough for a response. Usually it is 30 people out of 4000 brought in for any disaster stuff.

Just wanted to add that maybe peace time Guard is different. I haven't been apart of it when we werent at war.

 

[210]

Re: Questions about the guard

As my qualifier, I pull double duty as a ROTC cadre member and a National Guard recruiter.

1. All contracts are 8 years. National Guard requires a 6 year active drilling committment for initial enlistment and two years of non-obligatory inactive ready reserve time. You can continue to drill for the full 8, but if not your name is still on the rolls for activation.

2. All National Guard Soldiers are eligible for TriCare Reserve Select. Around 50 dollars for single, 192 dollars for family-unlimited dependents.

"Guard is ok if you like screwing off doing training with a crap budget. Go active duty and don;t look back. If you want the weekend only gig, go reserves."

I know active duty units that are parking their strykers for up to 6 months due to fuel/budget issues. I would say the crap budget is across the board. As for the second part, I think what you are looking for is to have your career and still get an opportunity to serve. True the reserves will give you that also, but at a certain promotion level they will require you to move states whereas the Guard will allow you to stay in the same state- a bonus if you want to maintain a part of the family business.

The Guard has a bad name- drinking beer in the parking lot on tailgates. All depends on the Command climate, you do what you are allowed to get away with.

I can say experientially as a former Marine and having been deployed with active duty Army units, that there are problems with all components. Talk to each reruiter and lay out pros and cons. You wouldn't buy a car just because one guy says "it's the tits! The rest are crap!"

Hope that helps