Once my active duty contract finishes I’m planning on going national guard. I will stay as an 11B. What are some of the biggest changes?

2020-07-22T05:34:31-04:00

How do promotions work?
What is expected from someone switching to guard from AD?
Are schools going to be more or less available?

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Jul 22 at 2020 5:55 AM

2020-07-22T05:55:46-04:00

It's more laid back on the Army Regulations but otherwise NG Infantry is not all that different from AD Infantry. Your still expected to maintain PT standards (largely on your own), Adhere to Regular Army Regulations. The biggest thing that will blow you away is you will have NCO's asking you how the Army handles things in specific areas because they have not been on Active Duty for a while and have not kept current, so be prepared for that shock. You will still have access to all the NCO schools and the National Guard will try to keep you on the promotion track upwards but therin lies another small difference. The move up or out program the Regular Army runs is not as strict in the National Guard so you have a lot of NCO's in the NG that should have been moved out that are hanging onto their rank and slots...........it impacts promotion to the ranks of SSG and SFC a lot of times. Promotion to SGT is fairly normal though. Not sure if that helps you or not. I did the tour in reverse a long time ago was NG Infantry first then Regular Army Infantry......that transition was more difficult. The way you are doing it is a lot easier and at first will feel like it's too good to be trueha-, then you will start to forget training from Regular Army and rely on NG training more.......thats when you know the transition is complete (ha-ha). Well that and you no longer quote Army regulations as much. From a safety perspective, you really need to stay alert to what is going on around you with movements and other areas as once again NG does not train as much as RA and you run into situations where Ooops your camping under artillery shells firing or something like that. So you have to practice to stay alert more on safety items. Thats all I remember.

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Jul 22 at 2020 6:02 AM

2020-07-22T06:02:14-04:00

Also, just noticed, ha-ha, your from warm Florida but the Army sent you to the frigid 10th Mountain....ha-ha. The big green weanie again. :)

Response by CPT Andrew Wright made Jul 22 at 2020 6:20 AM

2020-07-22T06:20:28-04:00

In the Guard promotions are based on unit vacancies. Promotion to E5 should be easy enough but making E6 might take ten years or more! If you are in a unit preparing for mobilization more schools are available then usual. Let your unit leadership know you are willing and motivated to go and it will all come to you eventually. Use what you have learned on Active Duty and help out the ones who have only been to basic or OSUT. Best of luck!

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 22 at 2020 1:52 PM

2020-07-22T13:52:28-04:00

I wouldn’t do it. I know by experience. I went guard after my active duty contract then I went back to active duty and they actually allowed me to reclass. Have a plan and a good job. National guard and reserves is a big waste of time.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 23 at 2020 7:15 AM

2020-07-23T07:15:39-04:00

Its not all that bad.
A reset year MUTA is pretty awful. but usually you'll get sent to schools. (I highly recommend LFSH and Mountain Warfare)
standards a laxed a good bit. PT is usually an issue for a number of joes and even NCO's
There's good and bad units out there.

Response by SSG Mike Busovicki made Aug 21 at 2020 10:38 AM

2020-08-21T10:38:13-04:00

When I transitioned to the Guard about 12-ish years ago, promotions were available when someone retired, died, or PCS'd. Schools were... well, use the GI bill to go to college. That's the only school they talk about. It was like going from 100 mph to 3. Nonetheless, as an NCO, my training and classes I conducted had to be 10x better... on active duty, you had day in and day out time with your Soldiers, and had the time (and training resources/ammo/vehicles/fuel...) to drill it into their heads until they got it. Not so with the Guard! You have one weekend a month, and of the 2 days that weekend, probably 1 of 2 days is admin day. So only 1 day a month to train... your lesson better be damn good to get the point across in 1 day a month! Also, if a trooper gets a SUTA (they don't drill on the normal M-day that the company does b/c they have been approved to attend another day because of college finals or something else important), then you don't see them for 2 or more months. And please don't misunderstand this - Guard Soldiers are damn good, but I noticed that leadership demeanor, experience, and skill level is generally one pay grade behind that of active duty. Again, not a slight, but something to remember. It's just a fact of life when the Army is a part-time job, rather than 24/7 and living with your unit. For example, as a SPC on active duty, I was expected to have team leader knowledge and could pick up a team (and did). As a SGT, a squad leader, and as a SSG I was a platoon sergeant (I went Guard after active duty for family reasons, and b/c I had to reenlist indefinitely to be put on the E7 list. Things are probably different in the Army now, but it is what it is). In the guard, I was able to come in and be a PSG again, but I never was going to see E7 so I got out. Keep in mind that Guard Soldiers will have a TON more "life experience" than an active duty Soldier. So you don't have to "baby" a PFC in the guard like you would on active duty. The active duty PFC is probably 18 years old and went to the prom last year. A PFC in the guard might be 25-30 years old and have his own household. Or a father and son might both be E-5s in the same platoon. Plus there are a LOT of prior service individuals in the Guard from other branches that have good experience, just maybe not Army experience (so rank and experience don't exactly line up with what you'd expect). There is much more of a professional (or gentlemanly) courtesy to the guard and respect between each other. Like you don't see a team leader cussing out his Soldier and smoking the dog s*** out of him for being late to formation like you do in the active Army or all of the team leaders getting a total ass-peeling from 1SG. On the other hand, I was not ready for some E-5's to have the same vacant look in their eyes that a lot of active duty PFCs and SPCs would if told to "get their guys ready for ___ training". What guys? Why am I asking other Soldiers to train? What is ____ training? Oh, boy. As for promotions, be ready to see individuals retire as a Specialist. I'm not kidding. If you've been to an Army school like Airborne, AASLT, PRC, RSLC, Combatives, or even CLS, be prepared to be the only one in your rifle company that has done so. So again, it's a different planet altogether than the regular Army. But not bad! Just... different. Your results may vary, but it will be a culture shift for you at some level or another.

Response by SSG Mike Busovicki made Aug 21 at 2020 11:20 AM

2020-08-21T11:20:09-04:00

Note to all: DON'T FORGET that if you go to the Reserves and Guard and you're collecting VA disability compensation, you CANNOT collect both VA Compensation checks and drill pay in most cases. In plain English, you have to elect one or the other (and disability compensation is usually more, unless you only have like a 10% SC disability). No double dipping; you'll have to repay it back to the federal government. However, you definitely want to file for a service connected disability from VA as soon as possible... I'm not trying to talk anyone out of getting a disability rating or VA benefits that they've already earned through service, but want to make sure everyone is aware. BTW, this does not impact GI bill, VA home loan, VA insurance, etc. - just SC disability compensation. Be sure to speak to your VSO and chain of command to ensure your paperwork is straight. And file that VA claim!