Posted on Jul 6, 2015
NEED ADVICE! If you were going back in (ARNG) after about 3 years of being out, what would you brush up on?
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So I may be getting the opportunity to go back (into the ARNG - never been). Anybody have any suggestions, books, advice, anything for someone who has been out for 3 years?
Any suggested reading for someone planning on applying to OCS?
Any suggested reading for someone planning on applying to OCS?
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Prior ServiceIllinois ARNG
Prior ServiceIllinois ARNG
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 5
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SFC Nikhil Kumra, I can't really address your first question. However, here's a link to the Alabama Army National Guard's 200th Regiment (LDR). As a Guardsman, it's most likely you would go to such a Regional Training Institute (RTI), and the 200th Regiment is one of the premier NG-OCS programs and is considered the "go to" SME for all other RTIs.
http://alguard.state.al.us/Careers/OCS/default.aspx
http://alguard.state.al.us/Careers/OCS/default.aspx
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LTC Stephen C.
SFC Nikhil Kumra, both CPT (Join to see) and CPT Laurie H. are fairly recent graduates of the 200th Regiment OCS program (known to all of us as the Alabama Military Academy). Perhaps they can give you some firsthand recent OCS guidance.
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I think it is great you would join the National Guard. We can always use some prior service officers. I Active Duty prior to the Guard and then I commissioned.
First off, I would recommend avoid approaching the National Guard the same way you would the Regular Army. There are many different factors that you would never consider in the Regular Army. A lot of people, myself being one of them, left Fort Bragg as a paratrooper and went into a Support Battalion and just about lost it. I didn't know what to even think I was so lost how things got done. But this did get done and they were actually pretty successful. It just didn't fit the regular army paradigm.
Next, I would venture out and do some civilian leadership professional reading. In the Guard you will have soldiers that civilians most of the month. They often think as a civilian even while they are on drill weekend. As I said this is something you never deal with on the active side. Being able to harness this potential of civilian thinking and logic is one of the greatest assets of he guard. The civilian work force is typically much more efficient than the military. Oddly enough, I will say that I think I have received some of the best leadership training while I was an assist store manager with Walmart. Everything was outcome base and result driven. If you performed poorly they let you know.
In relation to OCS. I attended accelerated OCS. It was a 2 month long active duty school. It was 24/7 unlike federal OCS. It wasn't really about how much you knew but how you would react. They put you in some very stressful situations. Everything was very particular and had to performed just right meanwhile they are yelling into your hear. I think I set a one day push up record at my OCS.
I hope this helps.
First off, I would recommend avoid approaching the National Guard the same way you would the Regular Army. There are many different factors that you would never consider in the Regular Army. A lot of people, myself being one of them, left Fort Bragg as a paratrooper and went into a Support Battalion and just about lost it. I didn't know what to even think I was so lost how things got done. But this did get done and they were actually pretty successful. It just didn't fit the regular army paradigm.
Next, I would venture out and do some civilian leadership professional reading. In the Guard you will have soldiers that civilians most of the month. They often think as a civilian even while they are on drill weekend. As I said this is something you never deal with on the active side. Being able to harness this potential of civilian thinking and logic is one of the greatest assets of he guard. The civilian work force is typically much more efficient than the military. Oddly enough, I will say that I think I have received some of the best leadership training while I was an assist store manager with Walmart. Everything was outcome base and result driven. If you performed poorly they let you know.
In relation to OCS. I attended accelerated OCS. It was a 2 month long active duty school. It was 24/7 unlike federal OCS. It wasn't really about how much you knew but how you would react. They put you in some very stressful situations. Everything was very particular and had to performed just right meanwhile they are yelling into your hear. I think I set a one day push up record at my OCS.
I hope this helps.
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The 129th RTI has a website with OCS information on it, how long class is,etc.
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