hit it

JD20 · Post by **JD20** » May 20th, 2006, 11:38 pm

I have a really big question, I couldn't find a thread that answered it, so I asked you because it seems you have dealed with this type of thing personally. I joined the guard in January, and I don't leave for basic until August. I have already gone through MEPS and passed every station with a GO. You said that your brother re-negotiated his contract. I was wandering that since I'm in the guard if it would be any different. I wasn't sure at the time wether or not I wanted full time army, but now I want more then ever a chance to wear the Ranger Tab. Can I switch to regulard army, and get an 11X option 40??? I am really sorry if this question has been answered before, but I can't explain to you how much I really want this. My whole family has been in the military for generations. One of my brothers is in Baghdad right now and the other just got back from Afghanistan, so family history is big. But I don't want it for them, I've always wanted to be a Ranger. Any help you could send my way would be great!

-Jim

hit_it · Post by **hit_it** » May 21st, 2006, 5:35 am

:?

I'll answer when you figure out what my name is.

JD20 · Post by **JD20** » May 21st, 2006, 9:21 am

SFC Hit_it, I am sorry for not addressing you properly. Next time I will think things through thorougly before writing it out.

hit_it · Post by **hit_it** » May 21st, 2006, 12:07 pm

Can I switch to regulard army, and get an 11X option 40???

Yes you can, but the Gaurd and The Army are two different recruiting entities.

You're going to piss some people off, because you are going to be a DEP loss.

Be prepared for it. Tell your recruiter and chain of command that you want to go RA.

JD20 · Post by **JD20** » May 21st, 2006, 1:19 pm

Will switching over to RA be the only way to get a contract with the 11x option 40 option on it? So then my contract with the NA will be canceled? Will they be able to keep me from switching over to RA? Oh, when I switch to regular army do I forfeit all of my bonuses and moneys from joining the guard? I'm sorry that I'm so full of questions, I just want to have all of the info. before I tell my recruiter that I want to switch to RA. Do you think I should see an RA recruiter before I tell my NG recruiter that I want to go active?

-Jim

EvilCouch · Post by **EvilCouch** » May 21st, 2006, 10:55 pm

There are no NG or Reservist Ranger units. There is only the Regiment.

If you want to be a Ranger, you must be active. You do not have to be Infantry.

If you just want to go to Ranger school, you can be whatever component you like. However, your odds of getting a school slot are much better if you're Regular Army in an Infantry unit. You will not be able to get Ranger school into your contract as a new enlistment. You CAN get Ranger school into your reenlistment contract.

By changing your component you'd likely completely invalidate your old contract and have to renegotiate for whatever bonuses you had in your old contract again.

Until you actually leave for basic, you can pretty much cancel or renegotiate the contract whenever you want. Whether or not the recruiter that you're dealing with is going to be willing to continue negotiations with you is completely up to that recruiter, though.

hit_it · Post by **hit_it** » May 22nd, 2006, 3:37 pm

ill switching over to RA be the only way to get a contract with the 11x option 40 option on it? So then my contract with the NA will be canceled? Will they be able to keep me from switching over to RA? Oh, when I switch to regular army do I forfeit all of my bonuses and moneys from joining the guard?

YES
YES
THEY CAN DELAY YOU BY HOLDING UP YOUR DISCHARGE FROM THE NG
YES

JD20 · Post by **JD20** » May 25th, 2006, 7:48 am

Ranger EvilCouch, your saying that when I switch to regular amry I wont be able to get the 11x opt 40 the first time I enlist? My MOS in the Guard was 11b, if that makes any difference. Believe it or not, my recruiter and all the guys down at my unit are really cool guys, they might actually not make a fuss about me wanting to switch to RA. I know the recruiter really well, and I also know the First Sergeant really well. I received a PM from a soldier who switched from NG to RA and he said it took him about 6 months. I leave for basic in about 3 months, 2 months after I get back from OSUT my unit goes active to IRAQ. Should I switch to RA BEFORE I got to basic or AFTER? or do I not have enough time?

Once again Rangers I'm sorry about all of these direct questions and having so many of them, its just that I want to be really sure, so I can make a goal and stick to it.

Jim

hit_it · Post by **hit_it** » May 25th, 2006, 8:02 am

Actually you officially don't have an MOS yet, because you haven't shipped.

You should be able to get an Option 40 contract, but you must get discharged from the Guard first.

EvilCouch · Post by **EvilCouch** » May 25th, 2006, 2:37 pm

JD20 wrote:Ranger EvilCouch, your saying that when I switch to regular amry I wont be able to get the 11x opt 40 the first time I enlist? My MOS in the Guard was 11b, if that makes any difference. Believe it or not, my recruiter and all the guys down at my unit are really cool guys, they might actually not make a fuss about me wanting to switch to RA. I know the recruiter really well, and I also know the First Sergeant really well. I received a PM from a soldier who switched from NG to RA and he said it took him about 6 months. I leave for basic in about 3 months, 2 months after I get back from OSUT my unit goes active to IRAQ. Should I switch to RA BEFORE I got to basic or AFTER? or do I not have enough time?

Once again Rangers I'm sorry about all of these direct questions and having so many of them, its just that I want to be really sure, so I can make a goal and stick to it.

Jim

SFC Hit_It can correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand, it's like this:
You want a NG contract.
You go down to the NG recruiter and talk to him about it.
He pitches some contract options at you.
You two sit down and figure out which ones the two of you can live with.
You now have a NG contract.

The contract at this point is just an agreement that if you go in, get trained up and begin serving with the Guard that the Guard will give you the benefits that you and your recruiter agreed on. At this point, because you haven't actually done anything, it doesn't hold you to anything.

You want a Ranger contract.
You talk to the NG recruiter and tell him that you want your contract canceled.
This must happen before you can contact an active duty recruiter because he can't offer you a contract while you're under contract with another component.
The NG contract eventually gets canceled
You go down to the active recruiter and talk to him about a Ranger contract
He pitches some contract options at you (sound familiar?)
You two sit down and figure out which ones the two of you can live with.
You now have a Regular Army contract.

What I was saying is that once your NG contract is canceled, anything that you were originally promised is gone. It was in your NG contract, which is now toast. When you start talking with the RA recruiter, you'll be going in with a clean slate. You will have to request and negotiate for all the options you want over again.

For example, if you were getting a 10k bonus, that's gone now. Talking with the RA recruiter, you might not get ANY bonus. Or he could offer you a 20k bonus. It all depends on what the RA recruiter has available and is willing to give you.

That being said, I'm sure you can get an option 40 contract. You may have to delay your entry date significantly to get that slot, but if you're willing to wait for it, you can probably make it happen. But, if you want it to happen, you have to act NOW. Once you begin basic training, you are National Guard component and your contract is in full effect. While it is possible to change from National Guard to Active, it's going to be a lot more work and take a lot more time than if you do it now.

hit_it · Post by **hit_it** » May 25th, 2006, 5:10 pm

Ranger Evilcouch is correct, but I must CLEARLY state that the NG puts you directly into a unit. This is why you will receive a discharge.

Now, you must have that discharge before you can be placed into the DEP.

However, just as he said, everything you had in your NG contract will be null and void.

JD20 · Post by **JD20** » May 25th, 2006, 10:27 pm

Wow, thank you guys a ton. Both of you SFC hit_it, and Ranger Evilcouch have been extremely helpful. I don't really care how long I have to wait in order to get the contract, it may even be better if I wait for awhile. You guys are saying that I can cancel my contract any time before I leave for basic, even after meps, correct?

-Jim

EvilCouch · Post by **EvilCouch** » May 26th, 2006, 1:04 am

After MEPs is kind of late.

As both of us said, if you want this to happen, you're going to have to do it as soon as possible.

I'd go directly to your recruiters office after school and begin the process. Be absolutely firm on it, but don't be a dick to them. Ask them what you can do to speed up the process and do it. Again, be polite. You are screwing up their recruiting figures and they're not going to be happy about that.

JD20 · Post by **JD20** » June 1st, 2006, 11:22 pm

Hey guys, I finally had a chance to go down to my unit and talk with a couple of the guys there, and a MSGT told me that in order for me to be discharged from the guard before basic is to write a letter to send into the higher ups??? From there they will decide if the reason I want out of the guard is good enough. Otherwise when I get back from AIT I can wait 30 days and then switch to RA. If I wait until I get back from AIT to switch to RA is there still a chance of me getting a Ranger contract when I do make switch? A lot of the guys were strongly suggesting that I wait until AIT before I switch because its a pain in the ass and then I will have fulfilled my initial intentions when I signed up. But, I stayed strong and really pushed the question of me being discharged from basic and one of my SGT's told me to bring the letter with me this drill and we will go from there. Any other helpful info. would be great. But you guys have helped me out tremendously, and I would like to thank you all. They keep asking me if I have talked to a RA recruiter and I can honestly tell them that I haven't...
They also tried to tell me that, when I make the switch over to RA before I leave for basic, that the RA will try and screw me on my contract when it comes to cash bonuses, benefits, or college money. I dont' know really what to think about that, but mainly I'm in it for the shot at Ranger School. But extra money is always helpful.
One last thing, I did actually talk to a RA recruiter a couple of days ago, and I was asking him about Ranger School, and my odds of getting that in my contract, and he told me about some kind of waiver, and all you have to do is sign this waiver and you get sent to Ranger School. I have never heard of this and was wondering if any of you have. I told him that I would still rather have it in my contract then signing up for a waiver later on, so....

thanks a lot everyone

-Jim

AbnRgr289 · Post by **AbnRgr289** » June 2nd, 2006, 12:45 am

Whats this "Hey guy's, you guy's" bullshit?

You will not get "Ranger School" in an enlistment contract.

Use the fucking search button!