What do you think of the Army National Guard?

Question

I'm thinking about enlisting for 3 yrs as a healthcare specialist.Is it very likely that I will be sent to Iraq?How soon after training?

Answer 1

Pancha,

I have never agreed with a word you have said on this website, but I can answer this question for you. Don't listen that ***** enlightenment. That is the dumbest crock of sh*t I have ever heard. MOST vets will tell you that there time in the military was extremely rewarding and taught them many life skills. Everything I have in this world, I owe to the skills the Army taught me. The friends you make will be lifelong, and the bond you share will be unparalleled - especially if you deploy to Iraq with them.

We in the National Guard have a saying: If you haven't been to Iraq yet, you will be going soon. The figure is close to 75% of all National Guard members nationwide have been to Iraq. I am getting ready to go again in October.

Service in Iraq is not ANYTHING like the liberal media would have you believe. It is statistically the safest war the United States has ever deployed anyone to. With over 500,000 military members having gone and around 2400 have died, that means you have a 99.9942% chance of making it back to the United States alive. Pretty damn good odds in this soldiers book.

We are doing a lot of good things over there that you NEVER hear about.

* The media would have you believe that everyday Iraqis don't want us there. Nothing could be further from the truth. They want us to finish the job and leave when it is done - not sooner.
* The media would have you believe that Iraq is close to civil war. Again, this is untrue. The violence is merely painted in such a way as to give that illusion. Most Iraqis want peace and the opportunity to succeed - NOT civil war.
* The media would have you believe there is a deadly "insurgency" in Iraq. By definition, an insurgency is filled with citizens of an occupied nation. Iraq is not occupied, and the "insurgents" are all from other countries. My unit was responsible for transporting prisoners last year and 95% of all detainees captured were from Saudi Arabia or Jordan or Syria or Egypt or Yemen or a host of other countries. Most speak English very well (a tip off right there that they are not Iraqi) and will tell you that most of the "insurgents" are foreign.

Duty in Iraq is not bad, and most find it very rewarding. Many of the Guardsmen from my unit who just returned at the beginning of this year have volunteered to go back in October.

How soon after your Basic Combat Training (BCT or just Basic) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) might you go? Depends on your unit. If they have not gone to Iraq or not gone in a while, they may be going soon. It is also possible you could get assigned to go with another unit if they need your Military Occupational Specialty (MOS - your job). This is the absolute WORST scenario. You would rather go with people you know, people you trust with your life. So, I guess the answer is you might get tapped to go just weeks after you graduate Basic and AIT or you might never go.

Either way, good luck.

m1a1mikegolf - Actually, you are incorrect. EVERY enlistment is for eight years. If Pancha signs for three years, five years will be done in the IRR (Individual Ready Reserve). This means that while she is not actively drilling with the National Guard, she is still subject to recall. But, yes, she can do a three year enlistment and then leave the Guard.

Answer 2

Pancha, you should definitely listen to Sgt. K, he's right on the money. Where else do you get a chance to do something trule noble, like rebuilding a country and giving it the freedoms and benefits of democracy? Ignore what you hear on TV, it is motsly bull. Listen to the vets who have been there. Also, take this in mind. Though recruiters have had some small problems attracting new recruits, throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom, none of the services have had trouble retaining members. In fact, re-enlistments have actually gone up. It's a testament to the fact that people who have gone to Iraq and seen the good we are doing are willing to go back. I went in 2003 witht he Marines and am going back on Active-Duty in the Army next week and I hope to be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Also, you can be sent for any mission after you finish your training but remember that you will be activated and go through 2-4 months of training on active duty in the US before shipping out to a combat zone.

Answer 3

I would say within the first year after training you shoud be on your way to Iraq. I am in the Army and know others in the national guard that still have not gone, however. I guess it really depends on your unit and where they are stationed at. I have done 2 tours in Iraq. Its not as bad as it use to be. I am in the Marine Corps so if you join the National Guard you shoudn't have it to bad because we didn't

Answer 4

I think it's very likely that you will be deployed to Iraq, or Iran, or where ever we are at when you get out of training. I have heard about deals where you can get it in your contract that you won't be deployed for 2 years, but I'm not sure. That is what they offerred me when I was getting out to join the reserves, and I probably should have signed up then, but ohwell. I'm not sure what it is for the national guard, I don't know anyone in it. But out of the people I have briefly worked with in the gaurd, I wouldn't recomend it. due to people who aren't always doing army stuff are often unorganized, and don't know what they are doing, or atleast not nearly as proficient in army stuff as full time soldiers. So if you do join, make sure you stay sharp in all your skills, your job as well as your fitness, fighting, and shooting abilities.

Answer 5

since it is a time of war you may very well get sent to iraq or afghanistan, my friends bother-in-law enlisted in the army and is going to iraq in a few months. I say you should go marines, i'm doing that after i graduate this next year.

Answer 6

First of all - you cannot enlist in the National guard for three years. You will enlist for six years.

And if you enlist you will probably wind up taking your turn in the sandbox just like everybody else.

Answer 7

What I’m hearing from other people is you can’t confront recruiters because they’re just doing their job. Well, I’m doing my job--and my job is to show people what the military does.

Whether you go to war or you don’t go to war, you come out with less chance of making more money--if that’s your goal. You have a greater chance of having psychological problems. Even if you don’t go to war, the dehumanizing aspects of the military are insane. I didn’t realize it until I started talking to other vets. When you start to hang around other vets, you start to draw parallels--even if you weren’t in war--to what’s going on today.

Answer 8

It's very likely, there a war going on.

Answer 9

slower to get promoted than the reserves. also lenient on PT tests and weight standards.

Answer 10

SGT K gave you an excellent answer.