Coming back to service after being a teacher? Or something else?

Sgt Branden W. — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 20:53:55 -0500

First Post:
I spent 4 years in the USMC, Mortars. Did well, Honorable Discharge, combat deployment. Immediately following I attended college, became a Special Education teacher. 5 years have gone by. I'm having serious 2nd thoughts. There have been no pay raises, no opportunities for advancement, and I'm surrounded by people who are fine doing the SAME thing for their 20 years teaching. Same worksheets, same tests, copy paste, copy paste. I can't see myself doing this for another 15 years. It's a system that accepts / promotes mediocrity. I refuse to continue to be a part of it. I've attempted USAJOBS but to no avail.

I'm looking at the Active Guard Reserve, as a full time career (and lifestyle) switch. I'd really appreciate any and all feedback from those who got out, did the Civ. Div., and decided the military was again calling.

Or, hell, who's got a better idea?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2015 8:57 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 20:57:47 -0500

Welcome back, when you get here. I have never served AGR, but know a few people who have. You get all the benefits of active duty, just with limited PCS (usually only within a state).

Of course, there is always coming back on Active Duty. Not sure if you can come back to the Marines (you wouldn know better than I would, but I had heard once you leave, you can't come back), but there is always the Army.....with a degree you could also come back in as a warrant or commissioned officer too, both good lives, different responsibilities.

Good luck in your choice! If you want some informtion about the Army, please feel free to ask.

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Jan 19 at 2015 9:11 PM

LTC Yinon Weiss — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 21:11:27 -0500

If you have a problem doing similar tasks for a long time, then you should probably avoid the Active Guard Reserve (AGR). Because promotions are in-state and you basically have to wait for somebody to retire out of the AGR before positions shuffle, people can spend a VERY long time in the same AGR position. AGR is great for people who like stability and to get very comfortable in the same job -- which sounds like it's exactly not what you want. It's not to say everybody in AGR is that way, but those that are not that way tend to get frustrated with its limitations.

There are obviously many other types of positions which you can consider. Have you considered entrepreneurship? I can only speak to that because that is the route I pursued. For example, you could try to start a business which fills a gap in the education space that you recognized through your work experience, or you can start your own franchise. The latter is appealing for a lot of veterans because the blueprints are right there for you... all you really need to do is execute. Plus, the harder you work, the more value you build. I'm not trying to sell you on it, but just throwing some ideas out. Elizabeth Malkin can speak with you further about this if it's of interest.

Response by SPC Larry Buck made Jan 19 at 2015 9:56 PM

SPC Larry Buck — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 21:56:44 -0500

Remember the movie the hurt locker? Your feening like dude in there for the rush, like smooth leather jacket freshly oiled, zooming up the highway high speed or "incoming!! 50 meters, rush" adrenaline junkies, love all y'all keeping it interesting

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 20 at 2015 11:40 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 11:40:54 -0500

I spent 10 years out of the service and returned. It's been a tremendous opportunity that I recommend to anyone seeking to return. They gave me the full 8 years even though I was active for 4.

Response by SPC Nate Lamphier made Feb 17 at 2015 12:17 PM

SPC Nate Lamphier — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 12:17:45 -0500

Sergeant....from one special education teacher to another.....I understand what you are saying to a certain degree. I went from the classroom to the Army and am now back in the classroom. However, your comments about the same old thing each day is troubling. You have to find new ways to inspire your kids through each lesson....look outside the box and if all the other teachers are locked in a pattern....I strongly urge you to create your own path for your students on your caseload. If it is a pattern of "same-old-same-old" then I strongly urge you to find a new district to work in.

Coaching was/is my big draw to the education field and my philosophy from that has played a major role in my teaching methods. Heck, same thing comes from the Military life. Don't be predictable in your counters to problems at hand. What I mean, if kids are struggling with math, don't attack it the same way that the math teacher would. Think outside the box! When I got my current job I told them that I do things the "nontraditional" way in terms of teaching. By doing so it makes for a productive environment...and as a teacher, even makes the days fun.

I know you wanted advice from Military members who have reentered the Military life style. So I apologize for not being one of them. However, I will say this, it is normal to miss things from the Military on a daily basis. As a matter of fact I met with a recruiter yesterday about joining the National Guard. However with me, the drive to be a head coach is something I do not want to pass up at this time and is a major factor in preventing me from reentering the Military.

Best of luck to you for making the best choice for not only yourself, but your family!

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 17 at 2015 2:15 PM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 14:15:45 -0500

SGT Wells, If you are interested in an AGR job, there a few things you should probably do.

1. You'll need to decide between Air Guard or Army Guard.
2. Research units and figure out where you want to serve.
3. Contact the unit's recruiter and have a chat about their unit's missions and what AFSC/MOS availabilities they have.
4. Once you've chosen a unit you would be interested in joining, take a look at their full-time manning page. Almost every unit in the country has an HRO page online that lists full-time openings.
5. Make an educated decision as to what career field you would like to pursue. Some career fields offer more full-time opportunities. If you have your Bachelor's, there may be an opportunity for a commission. However, full-time positions as an officer are harder to come by.
6. Once you've done all of that, you'll more than likely need to join a unit as a Drill Status Guardsman (DSG). Units very rarely hire an individual into an AGR/Technician position that isn't already serving as a DSG. The only exceptions that I've seen to this are individuals that are coming from AD or civilians that hold a very specific skill set. For example, some full time Civil Engineering folks are required to have a degree in architecture. There aren't a lot of architects floating around in the Guard, so a unit may have to hire an individual that isn't currently serving as a DSG.

I'm a full timer in the Air Guard, so I've gone through the process. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I've run the gauntlet on this thing as both enlisted and commissioned. Good luck and Go Guard!