National Guard? Should I join?

[JohnWayne]

Just man-up and join the Marines. The old lady will likely leave you anyway. Might as well learn the proper way to fight, kill, and break things. OOHRAH! Greydog.

He said he had trouble with tests, he didn't say he couldn't read

 

[parsons_12b]

Will his head fit in a jar

 

[sandman1212]

Thanks Guys, I think I'm going to talk to a recruiter. I've never been good at tests so I need to study up a bit more and see what they have to offer.
I have two questions maybe you guys could answer.
1. Does the NG pay for any school bills already received, ie. Student loans.
2. And what if I join in KY and move back to OR can I transfer my NG duties there, or would I be able to commute back to KY for weekend service?

The guard will pay off past loans and you can transfer units when you move states without too much problem. I currently serve in the guard full time and have been in for 17+ years...it has been great and allowed me to see the world and do VERY rewarding things. Dont forget the Guard also serves the state as well as the nation and some of the MOS's can be transferred to the civillian market.

 

[sandman1212]

Just man-up and join the Marines. The old lady will likely leave you anyway. Might as well learn the proper way to fight, kill, and break things. OOHRAH! Greydog.

They don't call em Uncle Sams "Misguided" Children (USMC) for nothin...Join the Guard...

 

[spider]

YOU CAN DO IT!!!! and shoot a crap ton of different guns.

 

[parsons_12b]

The guard will pay off past loans and you can transfer units when you move states without too much problem. I currently serve in the guard full time and have been in for 17+ years...it has been great and allowed me to see the world and do VERY rewarding things. Dont forget the Guard also serves the state as well as the nation and some of the MOS's can be transferred to the civillian market.

Hey sandman were do you work?

 

[Silver Fox]

After 23 years (DEC 18, 1987) of continuous service, go for it. Of course I made that choice at 17 so when you enlist you'll be grand pa amongst your peers.

What level of education do you have? That may help with your rank upon entry.

I've made some life long friends while in the NG and these are real friends not the pretend ones you meet at work. If you're worried about the wife, well then you're going to worry if you're a truck driver aren't you? The NG has a strong family support group that can assist your wife if you do deploy.

There is way too much to talk about than what I am able to type on my iPhone.

Oh yeah, if you don't this decesion will haunt you the rest of your life.

SF-

 

[Silver Fox]

Parsons, sandman was at KAF with the 41st. You may know him.

SF-

 

[3030shooter]

My advise is to talk to all the current service members you can before you sign. People with some time in generally know a few tricks that can really help you out when you're getting started. Also getting an idea of what a normal drill weekend and deployment look like can help you make that decision, as well as making sure you pick an MOS that is needed in both locations you are thinking you might end up in. Deployment is more of a when thing than an if at the moment, I didn't even have time to go to a drill weekend before I was deployed. As others have stated, you get out of the military experience what you put into it. If you go into it with the right mindset and attitude and work your butt off it's a chance to do things you never imagined you could. On the other side of that I've seen people with poor attitudes fail misserably. That also sometimes comes through with transfering units, most unit supervisors I know like to call your current supervisor and find out what kind of soldier you are and that can greatly influence how quickly/easily the transfer process goes. If you have any questions I'm sure their a lot of people on here, myself included, that would be happy to give you an answer or help you in the right direction.

 

[clearconscience]

Thanks guys. I'm going to speak with a recruiter. I don't have a degree or anything, barely started school. Just enough to gain a lot of debt. I know I can get a job back at my old work making good money in Oregon, just waiting for a position to open. Maybe that will give me enough time to go to training and then come back to a job?

What's the difference between reserves and NG?

 

[MCKilo 3/5]

My advise is to enlist in the most elite fighting force in the world.
After all YOU will most likely be seeing action so go with the best. This elite force that I am refering to affords you the best training possible as well as the MEN who will be in the same combat situations as you. That being said your odds for survival have increased ten fold as you will always be in that elite company.
Bottom line ........ Join the Marine Corps. It is a life changing experience.
GET SOME!!
Semper Fi
MCKilo 3/5

 

[clearconscience]

Honestly I woul love to. The USMC is the toughest training you can get and I love to be challeged. But having said that I'm not getting any younger and I have been fighting back pain for 10 years. It's not bad, 8 years ago I couldn't even run a 1/4mi without my back seizing up. Now I can run 5ks no problem.
I'm worried about humping with a 100lbs pack for 20 miles.
I can push through a lot of pain, but as I get older I worry about the lasting damage I'm doing to myself. Heck when I get out of bed I feel like I'm 60 years old.
I'm working on it day by day. But I know I have a long ways to go.
I just need to strengthen my core and my back.
I feel like I could really grow in the military. Be more assertive, be a better leader, and not be so laid back.
Part of me thinks that the training will help to strengthen me, but I'm still afraid my weaknesses will overcome. I hate to fail, and to sign up then wash out would be heartbreaking. I don't want to end up with a medical discharge.

 

[3030shooter]

I'm a bit biased, but I believe in the NG you have more options than with the reserves. In Oregon you have quite a few NG units and MOSs available to you. Although myself being in aviation, I've spend a bit of time with some of the 2/162 grunts and I don't think you'd be complaining about not doing enough training or being with a good enough group of soldiers.

 

[gaijinsamurai]

Just know what you are getting into as far as choosing an MOS and the unit you are joining. Ask about "Guard for a day" program. We would let potential recruits join our unit for a drill weekend and see what its like. Sometimes it was actual training, sometimes it was inspections and itemizing supply inventories... If you are doing it for extra money and some training or college money and don't want to deploy, don't join. Expect to deploy, do your duty and then appreciate some of the benefits. You can get benefits and even have some fun on occasion but you have to want to serve something greater than yourself. If you can do that, you'll do just fine.

x2. Well said, Jordanvraptor.

 

[el gringo loco]

I did my time in the Navy and can't speak specifically to the Guard. Overall, I think I got a lot out of my experience and walked away with some great skills/education/experiences. The job can be very rewarding and the camaraderie and friendships cannot be duplicated in civilian life. The military is a place where you can determine what you get out of it by what you are willing to put into it.

That said, life in the military is not easy and it is not easy on a marriage. I was young and single and it was rough. It was hard to get a girlfriend and hard to hold on to one with a heavy deployment schedule. I saw most of my friends' marriages crumble. True, many of those marriages would have failed with any career, but the Navy has a 75+% divorce rate for a reason. With the way the Guard has deployed for the last few years, I would not be surprised if the numbers are not very similar. Bottom line: you need to make sure that your wife wants to "join" too, or you will find yourself coming home to an empty house, ruined credit, and your kids calling someone else Daddy. Have your wife talk to other Guard wives so that she knows exactly what she is getting into.

When you are on active duty, remember that there is no such thing as a 40 hour work week. We frequently were 12 on 12 off with no days off for months while in port. It got better when we went to 1 in 3 duty days (stay onboard for 24 hours out of every 72). But, in the Navy you still work 0700-1600 M-F whether it is your duty day or not. When deployed, I had no days off and worked 16-18 hours every day. You will have gifted and inspiring leaders that will lead you through harm's way. And you will have blithering morons who will unnecessarily place you in danger and will be unable to lead themselves out of a wet paper sack. And, you will have to listen and obey them both without question. You will be trusted to make life and death decisions and operate million/billion dollar pieces of equipment one day, and then told you can't stay out after 8 pm because they are worried you might "get into trouble" while on liberty. When it is good, it will be great. When it is bad, it will be absolutely miserable. You will be punished for things you didn't do and seldom rewarded for the things you did. Live for the good times and try to make the most out of every opportunity. It is a meritocracy and, eventually, hard work will pay off--but not without having suffered some injustice along the way. Good luck!

 

[clearconscience]

So I spoke with a Nat Guard recruiter and he was kind of dush bag. I know I didn't spell that right, but I didn't want it saying bubblegum bag.

I also spoke with an Army recruiter, and Really liked the notion of the Army Reserves and looking into Air Force reserves. I'm going to try and talk my wife into letting me do full time, but probably won't happen.


I'm really leaning towards an MP, but then again I think a lot of people look for that position.

Today I took a big hit though. most of the reason I was originally looking into this was to have them pay for my high student loan debt. Buuuuuut I have private student loans, and they only pay for federal loans.

I seriously almost cried. I felt the swift kick only an military person can give right to the gut.

Private loans are like kyptonite. Nobody touches it, and my feeling is the financial institutions paid the govt to keep it that way. Seeing how H.R. 5043 failed.

 

[kenjo]

Today I took a big hit though. most of the reason I was originally looking into this was to have them pay for my high student loan debt. Buuuuuut I have private student loans, and they only pay for federal loans.

Private loans are like kyptonite. Nobody touches it, and my feeling is the financial institutions paid the govt to keep it that way. Seeing how H.R. 5043 failed.

Sorry, I missed the part about why we taxpayers should be on the hook for your private debt.

 

[clearconscience]

Because it was a private student loans. The military pays for student loans, only federal.
How's it any different if the tax payers pay for tuition???
Or pay for millions of illegals tuition?

 

[kenjo]

Because it was a private student loans. The military pays for student loans, only federal.
How's it any different if the tax payers pay for tuition???
Or pay for millions of illegals tuition?

Even if it is true that taxpayers pay for "millions of illegals tuition" that doesn't make it right. Between active duty, national guard and reserves I spent almost 23 years in the military and never expected the military to pay my private debt, student loans or otherwise. If the military, in fact, pays off federal student loans, I'm guessing (don't know for sure) they will require additional years of service in exchange for that. You stated that "most of the reason I was originally looking into this was to have them pay for my high student loan debt", which suggests (I could be wrong) you may not be prepared for the personal sacrifices military service can require. Paying off debts requires some personal sacrifice (you knew that when you took out the loans). Military service can require personal and family sacrifices that can be significantly more painful, emotionally and/or physically, than paying off loans. Your first post in this thread implied more laudable reasons for serving, but then it came down to getting relief from your debts. You should seriously reconsider your motivation for joining the military, because while the benefits and personal rewards for serving can be high, there are risks involved. I'm not trying bust your chops here, I'm just concerned you may not have considered all the consequences of a military commitment. Good luck with your decision. If you decide to join and you take the right attitude into the service, coupled with realistic expectations about military life, you will be a lot happier.

 

[clearconscience]

Look I sincerely want to Thank You all for your comments, and the comments about questioning my reasons is completely understandable.

I know htis is a huge decision and something that will change my life forever, whether it's active duty or reserve. I have several friends that are in the Marines, or Army that have families and that have been in a while and I'm looking at every option to ensure I make the right choice for me and my family.

I did say the loans were a majority factor in my decision. Whay I meant by that is I'm buried in debt (my fault) and I can't pay or can barely pay. If the military could pay those loans or help, I would sign up no problem. And not because they would pay my loans, but that was the factor in pushing my decision over the edge.

I want to serve my country. Period. I want real life experience to be able to help get a job to serve my country again at home or in my community. I want to be apart of the proud and honorable tradition that is our military and everything it stands for. I've read a lot of books about the military, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and what it means to be a soldier. But reading about it and doing it is very different. I believe very strongly the mentality to not leave a man behind. I'm a able bodied American and by not serving I feel I'm leaving every service member behind. Leaving them with one more soldier that could save another. So my motives are not to get free money.
Even at 29 yrs old I feel I have a lot of growing to do and need refined.

I know the military can give me what I need and I know they have the environment for me to grow and thrive.

What's harder is convincing my wife that joining active duty is best for us. We just moved to Kentucky so she can be close to her family. So making a decision to joining an organization that would move us away from that, possibly get deployed, and not knowing where were going to be is a tough sell.

I asked this question here because I knew I would get a great response from people that know and would tell me the truth.

So Thank You.