How is the transition from active to Reserve or Guard? What are the pros and cons of each, and which one should I pursue?

Can't speak on the officer side, but I think some experience as a former active duty NCO might carry over.

1. Is it a good transition? The transition process was fairly smooth for me, I signed a contract for the guard about 4 or 5 months before I went on terminal leave. Long as you talk to a RCCC and not a recruiter you should have a smooth transition.

2. Which one and why? Well sir, that's a complication one. A big part of it lies with what your future endeavors are. If you know you want to reside in one state long term and/or want to serve in combat arms, the Guard might be the route for you. Also if you want an increased sense of community, as the guard will get activated a lot more for state emergencies. Whereas the Reserves do not have combat arms they bolster a sizable strength in support MOS's and if you're not sure if you want to stay in one state the Reserves might be a better option.

3. Pros and cons. BLUF- the Guard is funded mostly through their respective state. As a result some guard units might not gave the same opportunities as the fully federally funded Reserve force. Also, from what I know, promotions and advancements can be harder in the guard as being in a specific state guard, there are only so many slots to be had. Plus side to the guard, I believe you recieve state education benefits in addition to TA if you want to go that route. Also, if you know you want to stay in one state, the Guard can't promote you out of your unit into one in another state involuntarily from my understanding. Also, you'll be serving two masters, your state governor and the president. Not a problem until political incentives gets involved as some RP members have stated.

On the Reserves, better funding so more schooling and training opportunities. You can also serve all around the U.S. and some OCONUS locations. That can be a blessing and a curse however. Depending on what you do on the civilian side if you have to promote out of your unit, sometimes you might have to join a unit far away, sometimes in other states. That can have its challenges.

In the end, I strongly encourage continuing service one way or the other. My advice sir, try and game plan what you want to do on the civilian side and that will help guide your decision on which component to join.

Guard

I've generally found in such career/educ threads that the more you'd elaborate as to soecifics, the more that typically helps in suggesting things, though I'd course that's just purely my own observation, of course...did you want to back to school? Work? Grad school? Masters? PhD? Law? Did you consider Guard Tech? Reserve Tech? AGR? Any intersvc possibilities at all? Would you want to try for grad school while in at all, like USAF AFIT, or Naval Postgrad School (NPS)? If work outside, what type, so far as you could say, possibly? Contractor stuff related to what you did while in? Non-mil related? Assocs? Bach? Majors? Grades? GPAs? STEM and non-STEM coursework done thus far? Civil service? Federal? State? Local? Law enforcement? If so, what types have you looked at this far as well? Those are the kinds of specifics that let others give you concrete advice...rationale for wanting to switch, so far as you could elaborate? Would you want to stay in the full term as Guard or Reserve, maybe go back active at some point? Get out totally eventually? all of that is germane to the kinds of questions you're asking, honest, that's just why I suggest those things for you to try to go into on here, so all of us could have more to go on, so far as possible, honest, OK? Those are my thoughts, at any rate, at least for the moment, I'd be most eager to hear more, no rush, of course, whenever you'd want, certainly hope that was all of at least some use, in any event, honest, OK?