joined PA national guards.I just graduated from college can I move and work in another state?pleaseread below?

Question

I mean, if I'm willing to come back to PA for my one weekend a month, could I have live and work in another state?

And, how will my education benefits affect this. I am planning on going to an online school.

thanks

Answer 1

Yes, you can live in one state and be in the National Guard in another. I've been doing that for over nine years. I'm in the Guard in my home state and have stayed there for a mulitude of reasons even though I have a very long drive.

For units close to a state's borders it is fairly common to have soldiers that live across the state line. I used to be in a unit like that. It wasn't an issue.

Remember one thing, when the governor calls, you will have to answer. That is probably easy for you to understand but maybe not so easy for an employer. For example, when Katrina hit my home state was devastated and I was called to duty for an extended period of time while Guardsmen in the state where I live were largely unaffected.

You can aslo request a transfer to a new state if you'd rather drill closer to where you live. Most states will grant that request without any hassle. I'm not sure about the regs, they might even be required to.

I wish I could answer your educational benefits question. As the other poster said, that will be based on the state where you are a member.

One last thing, you didn't state if you are an officer or not. As an officer, the further you go up the more essential it will be to stay in one state. For a lieutenant it is really not a problem, but when you start hitting captain you will be working with senior officers that will one day decide whether to promote you to major and LTC. That is the one drawback of the Guard verses the USAR, the pool of slots is just more limited.

One last note - answering this question put me into level 4. I looked specifically for a question where I might could help rather than one of the opinion questions that persist this forum. I say that not to promote myself but really to thank you for asking a good question. If you ever happen to be in Camp Shelby, MS be sure to look up your state's history at that camp.

Answer 2

You should be able to put in for a transfer if you want. My dad did this in the early 60's and had a hard time getting the paperwork to go through. Eventually he just moved to the new state and joined that state's guard. Since the guard is controlled by the Governor once you are no longer a resident of a state the Governor has no control over you.

I don't recommend doing what he did unless it is a last resort. In his case it had been over six months of trying to get a response and had gotten virtually nowhere.

You best option is to talk to someone in the PA guard about it. I am certain you are not the first person faced with this situation.

Good Luck.

Answer 3

sorry I'm not even in yet but I can say that getting your degree before you join is a great Idea. I wish I personally had the patience to finish mine but I just wanted to get my life going already. Anyways if you do join after you get it that means you can join as an Officer I believe. That means better pay :). Just do good on that asvab and you should get the job you want. As for forgetting what you learned what well I guess the only thing you can do is to continue studying forever. If you dont stop then you shouldnt forget everything.

Answer 4

You might want to have a talk with a National Guard career counselor...

Remember, any bonuses in the Guard come from the state you enlisted in...

Answer 5

You can affiliate with another Guard unit in the state you move to.

Answer 6

One of the bnefits of going Reserve or NG, you can move around as much as you like as long as the unit you are transferring to has a slot open for you.

Answer 7

I don't have an answer to your question, but thank-you for your service.