Fellow Bros who are in the Guard

[23LRS]

Tell you what I think Kat. Nothing in the Guard will measure up to Regiment. Nothing. But, a leader has the ability to make those around him better. And the fact is, most...not all, but most who come in the Guard WANT to learn the right way to soldier and will rise to the occasion. As an NCO you have an enormous amount of latitude to do the right thing. As an Officer...it's tough. The frustrations are enormous. But, an NCO can effect change within the circle he operates in. Forget the money....as an NCO you will save lives, affect people, and be doing the right things for the right reasons.

Nicely put! That is exactly my way of thinking about all of this.

[Nugget]

National Gaurd -F.co 425th LRS out of selfirdge Air N. gaurd base (ten minutes from my house)..i am interested in this route, however i have heard they might be disbanded and am not to thrilled at the idea of being retasked to the needs of the gaurd..suck...

The guard is restructuring itself to be like active duty units with the BCT's. All Guard LRS will be deactivated except for two which will be reorganized into BSB's. It stands for Brigade Surveillance Battalion or something like that. I don't think the unit you mentioned is going to be one of them. The 151st LRS in Indiana is one of them and I don't think they would have both of them so close. That would be common sense though and the Guard doesn't usually use that too much.

[AbnRgr289]

I enjoyed my time in the Guard, but as the Pastor said, it ain't the Regt.

I was in an over all descent Unit. We had our share of shit bags, but over all they were dedicated to what ever needed to be done.

I haven't gone back into the Guard because I would expect it to be more like the RA and I wouldn't want to deal with the bullshit. If I were to go back in, it would be either in a LRS or SF Guard Unit where the standards would probably be higher. Plus I'd want to be on status anyway. :D

[23LRS]

I wish we were on status!

[K.Ingraham]

Don't know what state you're in, but talk to people.
Some states have a very different climate from others. Here in NYS it's said that you get your commision with one hand and your first indictment in the other.
Our esteemed governor appointed to the state adjutant general (the HMFIC for the NG elements - army & AF in the state) a former RA major who left the army after it was discovered that his Silver Star award in DS was part of a cover up in a unit that smoked another US outfit in a fatal 'friendly fire' incident.
Seems said criminal was the relative of Gov Pataki's college roomate.
Nice, smoke some comrades, participate in a cover up, piss on the SSM & turn in your bronze leaf for a couple of stars.

OK, that being said, your career, even in the northeast, will be mostly what you make of it. Change that part of the world that you directly control and learn to deal with the rest. If your civilian job is in corporate America, you already know what I mean.

You're lucky to be young enough to still have the option, you dog!
Give 'em hell.

[K.Ingraham]

[very few of us who still pray for war and even fewer yet who continue to pray for war.

Because your prayers got answered......

[Kat1/75]

Been away from computer 2 days and liked the posts. I spoke to some CW5 head of the OCS program out here in Colorado and they are sending me a packet to get started. Guess I got till December to figure if its the route I'm going to take. The OCS stateside program starts in January and ends in 2008. With my age that works out good. If I wait until next year can't start the program until 2008 close to the age cutoff. I'll keep everyone updated.

There is a good SF unit out here I'll be giving their recruiter a call this week.

Brothers thanks for the advice and keep the posts coming.

[LLUbetterhalf]

I know that I'm not a Brother but I have been a NGB (National Guard Bum) my entire military career. The Guard has paid my bills but I made the choice not to go AGR or Active Duty. (Now that I have 6 years active time, maybe I should have!) Most of the previous posts are VERY correct! The NG is a VERY different beast!

The politics involved in the NG are very thick. The AG is appointed by the Governor. From this information I am sure you can tell how that would lead to politics becoming a factor in decisions that are made at the highest levels. In the NG it is not always about the best qualified soldier getting the promotion. Some MOSs are locked for promotion also.

There are also times that a Military Leader will be the subordinate of his soldiers in the civilian environment. Some leaders can not make the distinction of being the boss during a drill weekend but the employee during the week. This also adds to the politics.

Some of the 'old timers' in the guard stay in far past their 20 years; cutting off forward progression in some MOSs. (In my MOS, 91W, I will have to wait for someone to die or murder someone to get a promotion, I am sharpening my blade, LOL.) Also, in the NG you can no longer be Unit loyal if you want a promotion. You definitely have to bounce around to different units and sometimes different MOSs.

Being activated with a Large Guard unit is difficult also. Most of the leaders in the unit have limited active duty experience. Most of the leaders' active duty experience is from Training environments (Basic, AIT, OCS, WLC <used to called PLDC> and such) so soldiers get 'locked down' during deployments. It is difficult being a responsible adult and being told that you have a curfew of 2200 or that you can not have a beer after a long work day. Ranger LLU informed me that in the 'Real Army' that as long as you showed up to work the next morning and you performed your duties that your personal time was your personal time. This lock down happens during your garrison environment during your pre-deployment phase. (I have been on 2 such lock downs from 2 different deployments and 2 different units. It sucks knowing that you are going to a combat environment and that you have not been able to enjoy what may be your last beer.)

The Guard does have benefits. The guard is geared towards the family and they make extra efforts to include your family in your Military Career. It is nice going to drill close to your home of record. If you plan on becoming a student then the Guard is a wonderful thing. Getting into a Guard unit that meets your Physical, Career, and Emotional needs is important. Being able to bring about change in a Unit that does not meet those needs is also satisfying.

I hope that I have provided a little more information on the subject and a second opinion. I know that I was never Active Army but Ranger LLU tells me ‘How it was in the REAL ARMY.â€

[Clownpuncher]

My experience with the guard:

I decided to do the "try one" program after I got out of Regt. I reclassed as a 91W from 11B (I'm trying to get into medical school). After a year of volunteering to cut grass on the weekends, because I could not stand the boredom we were activated to support Operation Enduring Freedom. This was after our two-week annual training that consisted of only SRP. Finally something to do! I find out our mission is to guard an air force base in San Antonio, TX (after SRPing again for two weeks). So I am in Fort Hood prepping for the mission and our senior leadership decides it is time to march us to chow while singing cadence every morning because "that is how the active army does it (their only experience of active duty was basic/AIT)." My CO and 1SG could not pass a PT test so they decided to test each other and somehow magically passed. For promotions you must change your MOS multiple time becoming a Jack ass of all trades. FAT People all around me were promoted unconditionally. Meanwhile I finally get sent to 91W school and they wanted me to reenlist for it like it was fuckin scuba or HALO school.

....Waved traffic in at an air force base and laughed as officers would bitch about why traffic was so slow and their bitching about not saluting a stupid blue sticker because they don't know that when the sun is in your eyes you cant' tell blue from red from yellow...Motherfuckers! Alright this is pissing me off....In short my guard experience SUCKED! My unit sucked and if we were sent overseas I could only envision me combat rolling out of 5-ton while they get captured (like the scene from Stripes).

[23LRS]

My experience with the guard:

I decided to do the "try one" program after I got out of Regt. I reclassed as a 91W from 11B (I'm trying to get into medical school). After a year of volunteering to cut grass on the weekends, because I could not stand the boredom we were activated to support Operation Enduring Freedom. This was after our two-week annual training that consisted of only SRP. Finally something to do! I find out our mission is to guard an air force base in San Antonio, TX (after SRPing again for two weeks). So I am in Fort Hood prepping for the mission and our senior leadership decides it is time to march us to chow while singing cadence every morning because "that is how the active army does it (their only experience of active duty was basic/AIT)." My CO and 1SG could not pass a PT test so they decided to test each other and somehow magically passed. For promotions you must change your MOS multiple time becoming a Jack ass of all trades. FAT People all around me were promoted unconditionally. Meanwhile I finally get sent to 91W school and they wanted me to reenlist for it like it was fuckin scuba or HALO school.

....Waved traffic in at an air force base and laughed as officers would bitch about why traffic was so slow and their bitching about not saluting a stupid blue sticker because they don't know that when the sun is in your eyes you cant' tell blue from red from yellow...Motherfuckers! Alright this is pissing me off....In short my guard experience SUCKED! My unit sucked and if we were sent overseas I could only envision me combat rolling out of 5-ton while they get captured (like the scene from Stripes).

My experience in the AZNG Arty was much the same way. FIST was the only reasonably cool gig in the state. After 9-11 we got called up to do gate guard at Luke. I got out because of all the BS (and leg fat bodies). I have since come back in with an Infantry unit, and while it isn't 75th or the the 82nd it is a whole WORLD better than my time in Arty. We are going to A-Stan after the first of the year, and I am quite happy with my Company. Lots of combat experience.

[KW Driver]

My experience in the AZNG Arty was much the same way. FIST was the only reasonably cool gig in the state. After 9-11 we got called up to do gate guard at Luke. I got out because of all the BS (and leg fat bodies). I have since come back in with an Infantry unit, and while it isn't 75th of the 82nd it is a whole WORLD better than my time in Arty. We are going to A-Stan after the first of the year, and I am quite happy with my Company. Lots of combat experience.

please tell me that's a typo and it's supposed to say or...

[23LRS]

My experience in the AZNG Arty was much the same way. FIST was the only reasonably cool gig in the state. After 9-11 we got called up to do gate guard at Luke. I got out because of all the BS (and leg fat bodies). I have since come back in with an Infantry unit, and while it isn't 75th of the 82nd it is a whole WORLD better than my time in Arty. We are going to A-Stan after the first of the year, and I am quite happy with my Company. Lots of combat experience.

please tell me that's a typo and it's supposed to say or...

Sorry, typo. I will fix it

[rgrjoe175]

please tell me that's a typo and it's supposed to say or...

Sorry, typo. I will fix it

He probably does not realize that the F key is just below the R key and is a common typo... stupid regnars...

JP

[23LRS]

Sorry, typo. I will fix it

He probably does not realize that the F key is just below the R key and is a common typo... stupid regnars...

JP

[JB]

I've spent quite a few years in the big Army and the Guard. The Guard is in its own way a different animal. Not bad just different.

If you're going to go in as enlisted than look at the different units. Don't assume becuase they are high speed they are, sometimes these units do very well in training but not so well in Soldier care.

I'll disagree with the Rangers about being an officer in the Guard. I found way more bullshit on the Active Duty side then I ever did in the Guard. My experience you just don't have time for it on a drill weekend if you're doing what your supposed to be. You do have allot more impact in the unit's training if you're proactive.

Overall, I think most units are getting better, especially with all the deployments are getting rid of the dead weight.

By the way, I went OCS in Region G, same as Colorado, if you want some tips or heads up just ask away.