Thinking of going Army National Guard, but I am concerned about the skill level for the troops. Don't want to be led by an 18 year old idiot. I can go active duty if I wanted but the Guard is offering a 20k sign on bonus for my MOS (MP). I am 25 so this is a career thing for me.
2006-12-31 12:51:18 · 9 answers · asked by bobbythomasjr 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
General consensus among active military is that the NG's are wienies. Ever hear the term Weekend Warrior? Yeah, that's not a term of endearment. You won't be as "high-speed" as an active military member (at least most of them, my husband certainly works with some exceptions), but you'll still get training and part of the benefits. Not to mention that even though your chances of getting called up to deploy are there (especially if you want to be an MP), your chances are smaller in the Guards than active duty.
2006-12-31 22:44:10 · answer #1 · answered by desiderio 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The National Guard and Reserves are all about training. The entire weekend and the two weeks active duty is training. So since you are training all the time, the National Guard and Reserves sometime outperform their active duty counterparts. It is a good career if that is what you want to do. Just keep in mind that you are a soldier and at any time can be sent off to who knows where for who knows how long. Especially as an MP. I am an MP and have been everywhere it seems. Yes, I am in the National Guard. But I've been in since 1985 so no more bonuses for me!
2006-12-31 13:06:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have been Army Reserve, Active Duty, and National Guard. There are good units and bad in all three components. MP units in the National Guard tend to have a good percentage of law enforcement officers plus they tend to get a lot of deployment opportunities so they know what they are doing.
I have been in the Guard for a lot of years now and don't know any 45 year old E4s. People that want to make rank and don't mind driving to another town where the rank opportunity exists can rise through the ranks. I do know people that will retire at E6 but that is because they like their unit to much to leave for better promotion opportunities. In my state a good NCO would have no problem making it to E8 before retirement.
Also, as some others have pointed out, if you get in the Guard and decide you want to go active then your state will probably let you do that (mine will), but if you go active and decide you want to go Guard you will have to wait until your enlistment is up. I'd encourage everyone to do at least one active duty tour, but the National Guard is a great place to serve as well.
Be advised, MPs are in high demand so go in knowing you will probably be deployed somewhere. Maybe not Iraq, but somewhere.
2006-12-31 15:50:58 · answer #3 · answered by k3s793 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Go active. In the guard, you receive the equivilent of about a month of training per year. What is it you think the active military does all year? They TRAIN! Not sure what someone was thinking when they said the guard outperforms active duty. My husband has done both and he is currently active duty. The problem with the guard, that led him to go active, was that it is VERY difficult to get promoted in the guard. Essentially, someone has to die or move away in order for you to get promoted. That is why you see alot of 45 year old specialists in the guard, because it is so difficult to gain rank. So if you ever want to get promoted, I suggest go active army.
Added: Certainly not a generalization, but many national guardsmen that I have seen are overweight, some severely overweight. I understand that it can be difficult to monitor a guardsman's weight because they cant mandate pt or put them on the "fat boy program" because they dont report daily. But I have heard about deployed overweight guardsmen as well as those that couldnt pass a pt test if their life depended on it. While that may happen in the active army, it is remedied or they get out. Cant be promoted on the fat boy program, and in some cases, cant re-up. If that doesnt motivate a soldier, then he/she doesnt need to be in.
And I have seen MANY gray haired e-4s. I know of guardsmen that RETIRED an e-4. I have seen it in 2 states that have large guard units (Oklahoma and Georgia). My husband was an "older" e-4 and after going active went to the board and promoted within 4 months. So, while it happens that you can move along and get promoted at a "normal" rate, please know that it does happen as I have said. And your recruiter is lying to you if he/she says it doesnt happen like that. At the very least uninformed. Their job is just to get you in and what happens after that isnt their problem. Many shady recruiters as well. BUT you should have all the information before you make a decision.
2006-12-31 13:41:37 · answer #4 · answered by an88mikewife 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can still go active duty in the National Guard. I've already had family that were part of the National Guard who have been to Iraq and back already.
2006-12-31 13:03:48 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
if he served in vietnam or if he's a member of the va or vfw, this is accessible that he could have the 21 gun salute. you ought to examine his service checklist and examine with the courthouse on your county (if he continues to be in the section he replaced into back then).
2016-10-06 06:47:04 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stay out of the military. It's not the best place to be. Civilians make a lot more money. Go to college and be someone important. Best to you. For the record the National Guard has low skill levels.
2006-12-31 13:32:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 6⤋
if the 18 yr old out ranks you then that is who you will be led by. sorry, that's the way it goes.
2006-12-31 13:06:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's the way to go.
2006-12-31 12:57:14 · answer #9 · answered by Charles 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋