Posted on Apr 20, 2014
How do we get ETS'ing Soldiers to join the National Guard?
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With all the talk of downsizing, I still have positions within my battalion that could be filled by former Active Duty Soldiers. My local issue is that many Soldiers who may wish to join my battalion would have to reclass as my local Active Duty base does not have a HIMARS unit.
There are great opportunities for Soldiers to join our ranks and we are in dire need of new Warrant Officers in the Field Artillery community here. Suggestions?
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Army National Guard
Artillery
Army National Guard Artillery
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 10
I know 38 OH58 pilots and their supporting NCOs and Soldiers who are looking for work. The number of UQRs is astounding to the CAB formations out with many well short of the ADSO commitment asking for a waiver. My initial advice to them is to seek ARNG positions and acceptance letters to submit with their packets. I honestly think there should be a military database of positions out there (and there may be, but I don't have visibility or knowledge of it) for those transitioning folks to rapidly apply and get selected. Of course this forum may assist a few and anything is a beginning.
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The in service recruiters do have that list, problem is, as with most databases, they're only accurate in reference to what is available at the time it was last updated. We've often found that a vacancy may exist and both the in-service recruiter and someone else recruit against it at the same time. If no duplicate para/ln exist, then one Soldier is now in a position to lose bonus eligibility.
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My overarching concern is that there's insufficient exposure to what the National Guard and Army Reserve provide to former Active Duty service men and women. Specifically, I am worried that the draw down will not cause as many Soldiers to transition to reserve component service as we'd like to see.
This is a critical issue as the transition from Active Duty to civilian life, especially for seasoned combat veterans is more difficult than most people realize until they've been out for a while. The National Guard and Army Reserve offer a lot of familiarity and a pre-existing network of like minded individuals who can understand the struggles and help transitioning Soldiers through them. I hope that NCOs at all levels in the Active Army are cognizant of the difficulty many of their transitioning Soldiers will face as the Army draws down and that they strongly advise many of them to seek out and join local reserve component units.
CSM Fenton,
That is a great question. Now speaking from experience, I will give you my shiney nickles worth. I did 12 years of Active Duty (AD) before getting out in 1992. I waited approximately two months before getting into the National Guard after I left AD. The only reason for coming back in wasn't just because I missed it, it was also that I had a good NCO that sold the National Guard to me. He was not a Recruiter he was just a very knowledgeable NCO that knew what he was talking about. What I am saying is simple. Educate the individuals that you plan to use for your recruiting effort. Show them where to get the resources and ask questions that you think a Soldier might ask. Remember that these were AD Soldiers and they may be knowledgeable about the service. So what you want to sell the Guard and its available programs. I trained a few NCOs then sent them to the Mall and a couple of other places which paid off pretty good. Good luck CSM.
V/r,
SGM Ralph O Hernandez
That is a great question. Now speaking from experience, I will give you my shiney nickles worth. I did 12 years of Active Duty (AD) before getting out in 1992. I waited approximately two months before getting into the National Guard after I left AD. The only reason for coming back in wasn't just because I missed it, it was also that I had a good NCO that sold the National Guard to me. He was not a Recruiter he was just a very knowledgeable NCO that knew what he was talking about. What I am saying is simple. Educate the individuals that you plan to use for your recruiting effort. Show them where to get the resources and ask questions that you think a Soldier might ask. Remember that these were AD Soldiers and they may be knowledgeable about the service. So what you want to sell the Guard and its available programs. I trained a few NCOs then sent them to the Mall and a couple of other places which paid off pretty good. Good luck CSM.
V/r,
SGM Ralph O Hernandez
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