What are the pros and cons of Armor branch and MI branch in the National Guard for officers?

2022-02-05T19:58:01-05:00

I am a MS03 ROTC cadet planning to join national guard upon my commission. I am confused between MI and armor. My cadre recommends MI. I am split half and half between these two branch. Can anyone help me out.

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made Feb 6 at 2022 9:17 AM

2022-02-06T09:17:15-05:00

Here's a link:
https://www.nationalguard.com/careers/basic-branch-officers

Army National Guard

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Feb 6 at 2022 9:54 AM

2022-02-06T09:54:41-05:00

Armor: combat arms. Intel: combat support.
Armor: fast moving, action oriented, hands on. Intel: thoughtful, report oriented, theoretical
Armor: officers command formations of troops to carry out orders. Intel: officers manage collection and analysis to advise those who write the orders.

Just my perception as a former DAC.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Feb 6 at 2022 11:35 AM

2022-02-06T11:35:01-05:00

MI: Skills that transition neatly to a civilian occupation.
Armor: Not so much. A waste of time.

If you're going to be in civilian attire 28 days out of the month, you might as well choose a field that will help on the civilian side.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 6 at 2022 1:38 PM

2022-02-06T13:38:27-05:00

I have a prejudice that the USAR/NG is the USAR/NG whatever your branch or MOS is. The only time when they are really different is when you are on an actual mission. Otherwise it's all the same stuff, and even more so now with virtual training. Regardless of MOS/Branch we are all doing the same SHARP, and EO briefs, and going to the same LHI appointments.

That said............ I've put my coolness ambitions behind me of even remotely dreaming of going back to MI (my enlisted MOS), and now focus on the mobility of my USAR career, and promotion opportunities.

So if I were to go at it again from the beginning I would look at vacancies, unit and billet geographic diversity. Can I move easily as my civilian life matures? How easy can I climb the ranks?

I can tell you with 100% certainty, an MI Company Commander and an Armor Company Commander are worried about the same readiness crap. Why are soldiers not showing up, why are soldiers red on MEDPROs why are soldiers failing ACFT and H/W.

With that in mind one may as well chase the position that fits most in your civilian schedule and has the path of least resistance toward Field Grade promotions.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 6 at 2022 4:56 PM

2022-02-06T16:56:31-05:00

The cons are that they are not Infantry....

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 6 at 2022 5:32 PM

2022-02-06T17:32:10-05:00

Ok on a serious note. It really depends on your state. The issue with the National Guard is that promotions are based off positions. When you look at the Ohio National Guard you don't have any Armor Units really. The only unit for Armor officers would be in the CAV Squadron in 37TH IBCT. You would only have a few Company Commands there. So, you would be looking at a few Captain slots and two MAJ slots that are for Armor Officers. You might be able to work in BDE staff as an Armor officer also. When you look at MI. You have one MI company in a BCT. You would also be able to be an S2, intel staff officer, in a Battalion Staff. But there isn't really much progression from there. If you want to move up in rank and make a career out of it you should look at Infantry, ADA, or Engineer. If you just want to serve with a passion of yours, you can do any job you want.

Response by LTC John Mohor made Feb 6 at 2022 8:57 PM

2022-02-06T20:57:54-05:00

As a LT Combat Arms gives you a firm foundation to build your military career of service. Just because you might start out Guard doesn’t mean you can’t transfer to the Reserve side. Once on the Reserve side with the MIRC Military Intelligence Readiness Command you’ll have plenty of opportunity to make Up to Full Colonel provided you get your schooling accomplished on time or early and hit the jobs you need to get while taking care of your Soldiers along the way. I made it to LTC after starting as a FA officer, qualifying in OD Maintenance then finally getting the opportunity in the Logistics Branch to make LTC. Best of luck CDT Haidar

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Feb 6 at 2022 11:40 PM

2022-02-06T23:40:48-05:00

What are your career goals, more military or more civilian? More billets for higher rank in combat arms but if you will focus on a civilian career more opportunities with top secret clearance from MI.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Feb 7 at 2022 6:34 AM

2022-02-07T06:34:58-05:00

Mesh your personality and desires with what everyone has told you and make a decision.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Feb 7 at 2022 7:35 AM

2022-02-07T07:35:33-05:00

As an Officer, a quarter of your life will be spent dealing with the troubles of your Soldiers. Armor tends to get in trouble more, but it is more "routine" trouble: bar fights, mouthing off, alcohol abuse. MI folks are (generally) smarter... They get in trouble less often (whether it is because they fo less bad stuff or they are smart enough to hide it is an open debate). But when they DO get in trouble, it is a much higher chance of a WTF situation.

That is not to say that your armor guys CAN'T find a WTF situation, or that your MI guys DON't have alcohol problems. Just that the ratio is different.

As far as the actual JOB, Mi will be spending much more time in Staff positions. At least on the active side, KD time for a CPT *was* either BN S2 OR Company Command. (This is as of about 10 years ago. Things may have changed since the last time I was looking at Officer progression). For Armor, KD for a CPT is Company Command or... Or nothing. Also, at least on the active side, we don't really need that many MI LTs. A LOT of MI folks get branch transfers and serve their first few years in combat arms. Then come back to MI land after CCC. So maybe you get the best of both worlds? Branch MI but do armor as an LT?

Either way, my experience with Officers is that, by and large, your branch doesn't matter near as much as your attitude. Whatever you do, wherever you go, the right attitude will make you successful.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Feb 7 at 2022 10:58 AM

2022-02-07T10:58:04-05:00

Neither is Infantry so they are both supporting branches. But seriously, what are your civilian career plans? If you are looking at any kind of law enforcement career, MI is the way to go, especially for federal LE. Armor would be more fun but also more challenging keeping up with gunnery proficiency, training, and maintenance. In terms of an Army career, you can do MI in both ARNG and USAR. If you go to USAR as an Armor officer, you will not be working in that branch. So long term, MI is better career wise. Armor will be more fun, especially as a Lieutenant.

Response by MAJ Lyle F. Padilla made Mar 1 at 2022 12:05 AM

2022-03-01T00:05:51-05:00

Caveat everything I say with my having retired over 18 years ago, so I'm sure the landscape has changed. I'm writing this less than five days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine so the landscape is likely to change even more by the hour.

I transferred to the Army Guard from the Air Force in the mid-1980s and was in the same tank battalion for eight years until it was downsized and consolidated with (actually, executed a hostile takeover of) a cavalry squadron, and stayed with that squadron for three more years. During those eleven years, we had five different individuals in the battalion/squadron S2 slot, including myself. Only one of us, the gentleman who replaced me with my getting laterally transferred to the S1 slot, was actually MI school-trained and branch qualified. All of us went through Armor Officer Basic, as did all but one of our Tac Intel Officers (basically the Assistant S2). Almost all of the other battalion S2s in our division were also from the basic branch of their respective battalions.

I had just completed the Armor Officer Advanced Course when I was made the S2; fortunately for me, my civilian day job was with the public school system so I had the summers off. At the suggestion of our battalion commander, I started taking the correspondence courses for MI branch qualification while my Tac Intel Officer (a full time "starving" graduate student who also had the summers off and grabbed whatever active duty time he could) decided to go to the MI Officer Advanced Course in residence at Fort Huachuca. I had finished about 70 to 80% of the correspondence and was about to fill out the paperwork to go to the 2-week in-residence phase at Huachuca to finish my MI branch qualification when there was another shift in personnel. That's when I got lateraled to S1 and my Tac Intel Officer was made the S2, and a younger lieutenant came down from Division G2 to be the new Tac Intel Officer. It was the first time in anyone's recent memory that both officer slots in the S2 section actually had MI school-trained branch qualified officers filling them.

The bottom line is that most MI officers have experience in other branches and many start out in Combat Arms. Being in Armor or other Combat Arms branches gives you a bit more career flexibility, and if you feel you need to be MI school-trained for your own career, you can always go back to school for it. The Army does encourage everyone to have more than one MOS or Officer Area of Concentration.