Tension between National Guard and Active Duty Army?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 12:33:09 -0500

I have served in both capacities and even on active duty while in the Guard. I constantly hear Active Duty gripe about the National Guard, and yet even worse I have also heard National Guard gripe about the National Guard. I am very pound of my unit's achievements in the past and while I have served with them. We have fought and lost great men just like our counterparts in the Active Duty Army. I make sure to crush it where I find it. We didn't get the name of Roosevelt's SS for nothing. We literally shredded the German's 1st SS in WWII and later deployed twice to OIF. <div><br></div><div>How do you approach this situation, whether you're in the National Guard or Regular Army? Or are you guilty of doing this? I was in the past. </div>

Response by 1SG Steven Stankovich made Nov 8 at 2013 3:27 PM

1SG Steven Stankovich — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 15:27:56 -0500

I believe that there is a time and a place for some good natured ribbing and joking between branches, services and components.  With that being said, I have served with members of the National Guard in both Afghanistan and in Iraq and to me and my Soldiers, the only difference was the patch on the shoulder.  It's a non-issue in my book.

Response by CPL(P) Robert Magner made Nov 8 at 2013 9:02 PM

CPL(P) Robert Magner — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 21:02:05 -0500

I have been in the Reserves and active and there is always talk about the reserves and guard.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 8 at 2013 10:06 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 22:06:40 -0500

What some people fail to realize is the Military is what you make of it. It you put forth hard work and devotion it will pay off in time; however, if you dont give it everything you got and put your heart into what you are doing then the end result will be minimal. Unfortunately the ones that usually complain are either A) the ones that dont put forth the effort so they dont get much of a retun, or B) they are not in a unit that fits them. Some units work out better for some than others and if the soldier is unhappy with his unit then maybe it is time for a PCS. I had a soldier that was extremely unhappy with his old unit and after he transfered to my unit he loved it and became one of the best soldiers I had. As long as Joe has food, water, and plenty of things to keep him occupied, Joe is pretty content with life.

Response by SFC Brian Sinclair made Nov 11 at 2013 8:59 PM

SFC Brian Sinclair — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 20:59:39 -0500

I have spent time in both the Active Army and the Army National Guard...in both there are good leaders and bad leaders...good units and bad units...the ribbing between the branches is just like the ribbing between siblings.  <div><br></div><div>The bottom line is when the rubber meets the road we(all the different branches) work together well. so keep up the sibling rivalry going, and to work well together when the rubber meets the road!!</div><p class="MsoNormal"> <br><o:p></o:p></p>

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 11 at 2013 9:08 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 21:08:44 -0500

<p>Although I am Air Force we did have some of that too.  Me,  I make no such distinctions,  only that one time in our weather unit,  a National Guard Weather Forecaster was telling me how much their observers are over the Active Duty observers.    I then asked him if that is so,  why is their altimeter setting off by .5 inches?</p><p> </p><p>He was then cursing at his observer.  The forecaster had a Phd as well.   As an aside he said I was the best observer,  hands down.</p><p> </p><p>It is prudent to be judicious in our words and our actions.  The above scenario is just empirical and on it's own proves nothing,  except we are all fallible.</p>

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2013 9:34 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 21:34:29 -0500

Its a human nature, the tension is going to be there whether we like it or not and it goes to all services.

Response by COL James Stevens Roach made Nov 19 at 2013 9:46 PM

COL James Stevens Roach — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 21:46:00 -0500

I spent 29 years on active duty, and I think that we often had unrealistic expectations of National Guard Soldiers. National Guard soldiers are often 10 to 15 years older then their active duty counter parts, and often not in as good a physical condition. Their physical condition was a function of age, and physical training - which isn't part of most civilian occupations. But the aspect that was often over looked, is that when you had a National Guard unit deploying with you, there were always a bonus effect. You had professional electricians, plumbers, carpenters, mechanics, lawyers, doctors, nurses... all of those National Guardsmen had years of experience from their civilian jobs - and that always was a wonderful bonus... and helped us solve real world problems. The National Guardsmen that I worked with were good men, dedicated and brave soldiers - but they were different from active duty soldiers, and in some ways better.

Response by SSG Lisa Rendina made Nov 20 at 2013 12:34 AM

SSG Lisa Rendina — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 00:34:00 -0500

I served in Iraq with some National Guard Soldiers.  One failed his PT test and whined about how hard the walk was.  These same Soldiers went home at 12 months (because it was against regs to keep them longer) while us AD folks stayed for another 3 months.  Not to mention these individuals complained about their once in 3-4 years deployment.  I know many Soldiers who have been in for 10 years and have seen 5 deployments.  Most are great Soldiers and people, but as the saying goes "a few bad apples spoil the bunch".

Response by SSG Lisa Rendina made Nov 20 at 2013 12:57 AM

SSG Lisa Rendina — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 00:57:03 -0500

No worries on the rant.  Yes, as AD we expect (during a time of war) to deploy often an have our lives disrupted.  It just really irked me that a few of those NG members seemed to want all of the benefits offered through the military but none of the obligations.  True, AD families do tend to have more support, but what I wouldn't give to have stability for my family.  My husband is still AD so we still face moving every 3 years.  This means totally moving houses, disrupting kids, my (now) needing to look for employment again.  I also know families whose SM has been home only a few months from one deployment before receiving PCS orders to another deploying unit, or deploying with the same unit again less than one year later.  Yes, AD deploys a lot, but those SM deserve home time too.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 25 at 2013 2:32 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 14:32:04 -0500

I really see this as a non-issue, Sir. There is always going be griping and ribbing between the two just as there will always be rivalry between siblings. Because that's what we are.

Now there are some instances where soldiers believe their counterparts to be less trained or less motivated because they are uninformed or have had bad experiences. In this case, all it takes is a casual correction by someone, like yourself, who is better informed. I honestly doubt that an active duty soldier and a national guard soldier would treat the other malevolently no matter what the misinformation was. Besides, they just need be reminded that both Active Duty and National Guard are far above the reservists, chair force, jarheads, and swabbies (Calm down, it's a joke!).

Response by CPT Laurie H. made Nov 25 at 2013 2:59 PM

CPT Laurie H. — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 14:59:48 -0500

Up here in the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts, home of the oldest units in the United States military, the first Chief of Transportation (I'd like to cite Wikipedia there: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_Corps), and the first and oldest of a whole slew of other thi ngs, we don't have many active duty folks. We just think we're the best because we're Massachusetts.

On a more serious note, we do gripe about active duty a lot and I have no idea why. Possibly because our AD are all coasties.

Response by COL James Stevens Roach made Nov 25 at 2013 7:45 PM

COL James Stevens Roach — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 19:45:17 -0500

There is tension between active duty platoons in the same company... between companies of active duty soldiers within each battalion.   It's strange, but if you don't believe that you are in the best unit (platoon, company, battalion) you are probably in a pretty lousy unit... and about 80% of the soldiers I have known believed they were in the best unit in the Army...  same dynamic within the Marine Corps - in addition to the tension between active duty Marines and active duty Soldiers...  such is military life!<div><br></div>

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 25 at 2013 10:39 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 22:39:23 -0500

<p>The only experience I have serving alongside the National Guard during deployment was not a positive one. They were the NG from the Virgin islands. They were the most undisciplined, disrespectful, arrogant group I have ever met. One of their leaders got fired and one went to jail following the end of the deployment once they got back to the islands. Everyone of them (except one) failed their PT test and failed tape. Our Commander who was active duty who had these soldiers attached to us tried to get them administratively removed and sent back home. Unfortunately powers above wanted them there. </p><p>I was also stationed at Fort Bliss and it is a MOB site for the National Guard and Reserve. it is also a haven for on the spot corrections and just seeing things that make you stop in your tracks and ask yourself... Did this person go through Basic Training or did they buy their uniform at GI Supply?</p><p>I am sure there are a lot of NG and Reserve units out there that have significant achievements for the current wars and do not match the individuals I had the opportunity to serve with. I just have not had the opportunity to serve with the good and its those like stated above that give the NG a bad rap. I am not bashing anyone, I am telling you as I experienced it. It is those experiences that create the gripe between the two. Hell, Active duty has gripe between inner branches. Infantry, field artillery, armor, etc. </p>

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 28 at 2013 9:33 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 21:33:08 -0500

I did 5 years in the Guard and have done 13 active. My guard unit is one of the better units Ive been in.

When people see a poor unit they say "they must be guard" When they see a good unit they don't even think about it.

Response by GySgt William Hardy made Dec 17 at 2013 8:46 PM

GySgt William Hardy — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 20:46:23 -0500

I had over 11 years of active duty under my belt when I joint the National Guard (1967 to 1978). I had my reservations about joining, but I wanted to get enough reserve time so I could get some benefits for the years I put in on active duty. It didn't take me long to discover that the men and women I worked with were professional soldiers even though we only had 2 days of active duty a month and only spent 2 weeks training in the summer. I spent many weekends not at the NG Armory, but at an active duty post practicing my trade on their combat simulator. Through the years, I had the good fortune to be sent to Fort Bragg and Fort Campbell for my summer training several times. Twice I was able to participate in Reforger in Germany. When I joined the NG I had no idea that I would be spending so much time with the active component. After a while, I discovered that some of the active duty units were upset that my unit out performed them in many areas. As was previously mentioned, we were older, but also better educated. We all went to the same schools as our active duty counterparts, but within my S2 shop, we had 2 people with a high school education, 4 with a BS degree, and 1 with a masters, and that was the enlisted men. We were also prideful and worked extra hard to measure up to the active duty side. In 2006 I was activated and sent to Iraq where replaced an element of the 101st. I am proud to say that we did an excellent job and suffered only two WIA in the 12 months we ran gun truck security. In the end, now that I am retired, I saw little difference between the active component and the NG when they were side by side as in Reforger and in Iraq. I am proud to have served on both sides of the fence.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 20 at 2013 3:19 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 15:19:36 -0500

I can clarify this easily. Let me start by saying this is nothing personal. I respect every Soldier who has given their life for our great country. On the other hand, we carry those Heros and Unit accomplishments within our hearts and not on our Guide Ons. With that being said, people form impressions on what they see about a unit very early on.

They don't form their opinions after they read the history of the unit. I have worked with a few Guard Units. I will say that slightly more than half lacked the physical appearance of a disciplined Soldier and demonstrated the same lack of discipline to Senior Leaders.

I know this is not the case everywhere, and the active units have those douche bags too, but first appearances are very damaging. It my opinion, a few bad leaders who didn't enforce standards can take some of the blame while the alpha males looking to exalt themselves probably take the other half of the blame.

That is my opinion! Again not to knock on any units or accomplishments. I understand what you are saying, but people see the here and now.

Response by GySgt William Hardy made Dec 20 at 2013 9:15 PM

GySgt William Hardy — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 21:15:24 -0500

One thing is for sure, the Guard and reserves make up a huge portion of the military and also a huge part of personnel deployed overseas. The active component needs to get use to the idea and those that want to bad mouth their reserve brothers and sisters are only making it harder for cohesion to take place. When my Guard unit replaced a unit of the 101st in Iraq, I felt nothing but professionals replacing professionals. They did an outstanding job and we did an outstanding job after they left. I was well briefed on how operations worked by professional soldiers. I tried to pass on the same to our relief. That's the bottom line. Be professional and work as one.

Response by SFC James Baber made Jan 11 at 2014 11:06 PM

SFC James Baber — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 23:06:38 -0500

I think this is a good thread for those we are trying to get to join can see the substance of some things we discuss between us as current and former military, soft spoken as well as informational and mentoring types of postings.

We also have fun at times while remaining professional.

Response by GySgt William Hardy made Mar 13 at 2014 8:29 PM

GySgt William Hardy — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 20:29:50 -0400

My time is over. Having spent some 13 years active and another 13 in the National Guard, I am honored to have served with both sides of the house. In my younger years as a communicator in Vietnam and ending up working with DCA-Europe at the end of my active time, the years in between were served with many hard charging professionals. When I joined the National Guard, I was retrained as an Intelligence Analyst. One of the things I immediately saw was that most of us were college educated. We may not have been as "hard charging", but that attitude was replaced by "professional pride". Don't know how other units trained, but I spend untold number of hours training at the computer training site, or whatever it was called, at Ft. Campbell. The S-3 and S2 staff would report at 0800 and we would play war games one Saturday and Sunday. In the summer we often trained with active duty troops. For two years in a row we went to Germany and played our role in blocking the Fulda Gap. We did some training down at Camp Shelby, MS with other NG troops, but we also went to Fort Knox and Fort Campbell and worked with active duty troops. Before my time was up, I did a tour at Camp Taji near Baghdad in 2006-07 (I had a gap in my time..having retired in 1993 but came back in to do my part in War on Terror. I did my job as Operations Sgt at the young age of 58 and I still passed my PT test, and did all the grunt training the young soldier did. Our guys replaced a unit of the 101st. Like MSG Stankovich, I think it is a non-issue.<div><br></div><div><div>Remember - If Obama gets his way and the number of active troops in all military branches is lowered to less than a half-million, the reserves/guard will become an even more important part of the military family.</div></div>

Response by BG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 17 at 2014 4:41 PM

BG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:41:14 -0400

<P>The important thing to remember is there is only one standard and we all must meet it.  I make no excuses for my fellow RC Soldiers that haven't kept up on their professioal education, APFT, etc.  The greatest compliment that I received on both of my deployments was the AC officers assuming I was AC also since I could walk the walk and talk the talk just like them.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Being RC is harder than being AC, but we all volunteered to be Guard or Reserve so let's meet the standards that we signed up for.  Good leaders will ensure that happens.</P>

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 18 at 2014 10:42 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:42:07 -0400

I believe it is a non-issue. Soldiers are naturally going to trust who they are familiar with. When I was on Active Duty (IN THE LATE 80's!!!) I HATED the National guard guys who came to our Kaserne and took over our shops for 2 weeks!

Sibling rivalry isnt always a bad thing, I have learned from both sides! There are POS, and stellar units in both!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 18 at 2014 11:49 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:49:26 -0400

Sir,

With respect to everyone's opinion, I was in the NCARNG in 1994. I see that you are in Lumberton, NC. I am originally from Wallace, NC. My unit was in Clinton, NC.

When I was in the Guard, "the good ole boy" system was in effect. The tension at that unit was so thick you could slice it with a butter knife. A lot of my friend left the guard for that reason. Some went active others join different branches of service.

The problem with some guard units, in my opinion, is that even though they are weekend warriors. They forget that they volunteered to be warriors. Some of them don’t believe that they are held to the same standard as an AD soldiers.

Especially those that are Senior NCOs and Officers, which i can remember when i was in the Guard.

While on AD, I have not seen an AD warrior give fuse about PT, Weapons qual or field problems.

However, some soldiers were able to get out of a weekend drill or 2 week annual training.

Needless to say, as long as some warriors believe that they don’t have to adhere to the Army Standards then there will always be tension among AD, Reserve and Guard.

Response by CSM Michael Poll made Mar 22 at 2014 7:54 AM

CSM Michael Poll — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 07:54:05 -0400

Like many of my counterparts here in this thread, I have served in the AD and am now a reservist.  There is some good old fashioned ribing, but there are those out there who think of the Reserve and National Guard as substandard.  What COL Roach says in this speaks volumes, but another aspect is this,  We "part time" Soldiers are able to complete missions in combat with training only 2 days a month and 2 weeks in a year and are able to keep up and sometimes out perform our AC counterparts.  There are thos out there that see this, however I do not believe we will ver totally get out of the "Nasty Guard or Reserve" mentality.  Only those that served side by side with them will have a new respect for us.  I amproud to be a reservist.  We are able to juggle the Military, our civilian job, family school etc.  AC is able to concentrate on thier full time Military occupation.  Be proud of who you are, AC, Reservist or National Guardsman because in the end we all are on the same team fighting the same fight!

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2014 9:10 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 09:10:40 -0400

I once had a long discussion with another fellow active duty soldier regarding National Guard and Reserve soldiers. His contention was that he looked down on National Guard/Reserve soldiers because they made the choice to only become "part time soldiers." In his eyes, to be a soldier was a full time commitment and to only put one weekend a month into it was just not enough.

As unfair as it sounds, there is some truth to the phrase "weekend warrior." There is a reason why there is a perception that National Guard and Reserve soldiers are inadequate, and that reason mainly boils down to one thing. Time. You cannot expect a National Guard soldier who only has one weekend a month to train to be professionally on the same level as a soldier who trains all month long. I've seen this first hand while deployed with National Guard units. Outside the wire they were practically combat ineffective due to incompetence.

Combine this with the lack of professionalism that we (active duty soldiers) observed and it was not hard to understand where the active duty sentiment comes from.

This post is not meant to demean National Guard or Reserve soldiers, and maybe I've just seen the worst the National Guard has to offer, but I can see why active duty feels superior.

Edit: To clarify on one thing, I'm referring to combat arms soldiers, on both sides of the active duty and national guard/reserve spectrum.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2014 10:44 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:44:37 -0400

On the National Guard side, It's all talk. When it comes down to mission, it was always "one team, one fight". Guard puts AD on a pedestal that when we witness things out of regs we shake our head and say "See they're just as messed up as us." AD just jokes and calls out our physical fitness and 670-1 standards. In the Guard its the Soldiers individual responsibility to conduct their own PT to meet these standards. And this is where I go the defensive. Who seriously enjoys waking up everyone morning to get smoked? I mean an actual PT workout, not lets run around the track a few times workout. If AD asked their platoon I bet at least 30 percent would be like, "Im not motivated for PT." Exactly, now imagine no Senior NCO are there motivating or forcing you to do it. (AD are paid to workout also). It's tough for Guard guys who work various careers to even manage that readiness on their own time. If we actually did adhere to those standards the NG would be in a crisis state of readiness. My first Platoon SGT was well, huge! But he had 32 years experience (we don't get full retirement until 62) and he knew everything times 6 concerning our equipment including weapons (he worked at a gun shop). It's a full spectrum of little things that contribute to the overall success of our Nation. I rambled oops.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2014 10:51 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:51:40 -0400

I remember at the start of the war in Iraq, every NG Soldier couldn't believe AD just did 4-6 month rotations. NG were stuck for a minimum 12 months. (16-17 months counting mob and premob) Minnesota Red Bull's were extended twice! 22 months total for one deployment. When I came around on my third deployment they changed the length AD deployed to 12 months, almost 5 years later. I'm sure this brought on some of that tension.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2014 12:45 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 12:45:53 -0400

I generally avoid this tension between AD and the NG.  I am in the NG and deployed with the NG.  We completed our mission on schedule and efficiently.  That is all that ever matters to me.  Whether Active duty, or NG, if the mission is successfully completed and in a professional manner, job well done.<br>

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2014 2:33 PM

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 14:33:14 -0400

With all the utmost respect to the Active Duty side, this friction is true. I have been a 29 year member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard and it has has been like this since I've been in and in speaking with members of my original unit when I first enlisted I would hear the same discussions from them. I see the Active / Guard as a choice. The Active personnel had a choice when they first enlisted and chose the path that they are in. I, do to my personal life, chose the Guard because I got to serve and stay and take care of my family and kept my employment (who back the Guard 100%).

Response by GySgt William Hardy made Mar 23 at 2014 9:52 AM

GySgt William Hardy — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 09:52:30 -0400

I had another thought about this topic....What is the average time-in-service for a typical soldier as compared to the reserve/NG? Many of us have a lot of active years in addition to our active reserve time. What percentage of the soldiers who are on active duty have less than 4 years? The majority? My point is that in many cases the reserve side has more active time than the active duty component. For example, when I arrived in Iraq and was briefed by my counterpart from the 101st, the soldier had just under 10 years on active duty and here I was coming in as a National Guard replacement with over 12 years of active service (at that time). On top of that, my counterpart was well versed in his MOS, but I was just as experienced. In terms of the rest of the staff (enlisted side), I as a reserve component member, had more active duty than any of the staff except for the Operations Chief. When it comes to active duty experience, I believe that that vast majority of the soldiers I worked with did 3-4 or more years on active duty before joining the NG. I don't have the stats to back it up, but from my experience the average age is probably higher also. The opportunity for promotion is much less in the NG so we end up with an older SPC or SGT. I was originally an E7 on active duty and had to take an admin reduction to E5 to get into the NG. Now consider how many other soldiers had to give up rank and what you have is a much more qualified lower enlisted body of soldiers as compared to the active duty side. There I was as a SGT and I had already completed ANCOC. How many active duty E5s are that qualified? There are many components to this discussion. The active duty side needs to change their attitude and remember that we are soldiers through and through just like they are and in some cases we actually have more experience than they do. Together we can do the job. In modern times, the active side has never been able to do the job by themselves. The reserves have been called up and filled gaps from WWII to present. Do you not think that this should be a none issue after all these years?

Response by 1SG Jeremy Plaxton made Mar 23 at 2014 6:04 PM

1SG Jeremy Plaxton — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 18:04:21 -0400

Sir,<div><br></div><div>Any Soldier, Sailor, Airmen, or Marine that doesn't respect another branch; is sadly lacking in personal confidence and trying to build themselves up though this negitive type of talk. If it is just inter-service rivalry, that I get; but if anyone thinks these last 13 years could have been accomplished without all members of all services, well their's isn't a mind worthy of effort.</div><div><br></div><div>I spent 12 years Active, 11 on the Guard side; I've seen stellar soldiers on both sides, likewise I've seen people I wouldn't trust to pick up the turds my dog drops on both sides. It is the whole team that wins the fight, it is the whole team that makes the US Armed forces the beast that it is.</div>

Response by SFC Billy Bason made Mar 24 at 2014 12:48 AM

SFC Billy Bason — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 00:48:28 -0400

Having been an Active Duty Soldier for several years in Field Arty, I transitioned into the Army Reserves when I finally married. I retired last year as a Reservist. I have done deployments both Active and Reserve. I switched from Arty into Signal when I left Active Duty.

I can assure pretty much anyone who questions the capabilities of Reservists and Guardsmen compared to Active Duty, that the Reservists and Guardsmen have a distinct edge on Active component when it comes to knowing their MOS and being more technically proficient. Note that this is an observation, not a lashing out at Active Component troops. PT studs...we have those lunk heads too. Usually they're too focused on gym time to be of any use for anything of purpose other than amping up the Unit's overall stats, much to the CO's genuine approval....I digress.

I deployed with Reserve Commo groups who were the cat's meow when it came to standing up Comms anywhere they went. They are skilled at troubleshooting, maintaining and just all around subject matter experts. Were they nerdy? You bet! However, they never had issues that they couldn't fix. They received great trades for services...adding extra lines, signing over hard to find equipment, hasty repairs for civilians and whatnot.

Active component just couldn't do the same technical activities as these troops. The reason for their success was due to the fact that many Reservists pay their bills doing similar, often more technically challenging, jobs on the outside. They often own businesses that specialize in all the nerdy little facets that make networks actually work. They are trained in the newest, most modern IT equipment, which the average Soldier only reads about. These guys work with it. Even the motorpool mechanics were mechanics on the outside. Our motorpool was very self-reliant, if they couldn't order something, they would fabricate the piece and drive on with their mission. Is it surprising that they can perform extremely well? Not in my opinion.

One of the Reserve groups who run Comms down range, manages contracts and projects. They are extremely successful because the higher ranking officers actually are Civil Engineers, Business Owners, DOD Contractors, Network Engineers and deal with contracting and timelines daily. They know what a valid list of materials should contain, or how a project can most effectively be managed. They know the regulations required for installation of equipment in virtually any facility. It's what they do. They are never bamboozeled by the flim flam that civilian contractors feed them about a job. I've seen Active Component take Civilian advise as acceptable, but when I made a call to my boss to identify that something fishy was about to happen with the subordinate Unit's approval, it was quickly squashed and done correctly. The point is, knowledge is critical when dollars are being spent.

I was not too overly excited when I signed up for the Reserves, but the end result was that I found a great deal of respect for the contributions they add to any mission they are assigned to. Sadly, they do not receive that respect from the Active counterpart when they arrive in theater.

Do the Reservists whine more than Active counterpart? No. They really do not. They often have uniform infractions that are quickly remedied. They have attitude issues many times (probably because they run and manage things in their profession at home). They are quickly put into check. So yes, they have their quirks. Given the choice for the technical elements of a mission, I'd take Reservists. For handing out ass whoopins, I'd roll with the Active component. Everyone plays a particular or parallel role. Without each group supporting one another, I dare say that our overall effectiveness would greatly decrease.

I love all troops, Reserve, National Guard and Active Component equally. I thoroughly enjoy when branches merge and work together. We had the opportunity to work with Marines, Navy and Air Force. It made my final deployment something to look back on and feel extraordinarily proud of the time that I served with them. Will there always be rivalry? Absolutely. However, when a mission needs doing, we all chip in and make great things happen! That's what makes the United States Servicemen and Women special and better than any other force on the face of the Earth.

Response by SGT Suraj Dave made Mar 26 at 2014 7:09 PM

SGT Suraj Dave — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 19:09:20 -0400

When I was deployed in 2010-2011 in RC East Afghanistan, I saw the 102nd Mountain Infantry (Connecticut NG) completely operate their own battle space in RC East with little support from us. It was impressive.

Regardless, that was a one time thing. All the other guard units I came in contact with were the one's that did our details for us.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jun 28 at 2014 4:15 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 16:15:49 -0400

Being a proud veteran of 3 years on AD and 17 years in the Guard, There have been and always will be misconceptions of our abilities and our duties.

For those of you who feel we chose to be "weekend warriors" I respectfully ask you to remove that scene from "Rambo" where that idiotic stereotype of a Guard unit plays out like a scene from "Stripes", that's not us at all. We may not train as often as you but our skills are up to snuff. Remember even though you do it full time, we have full time jobs AND choose to be Guard members. That's an additional burden of time away from our home and families.

"One weekend a month and 2 weeks a year" is the biggest lie since the Warren Commission report. Once you are in a senior leadership position, we have weekly admin nights, sometimes additional OPD/NCODP meetings and so on. On top of that try being a Signal Officer - you are cordially and mandatorily volunteered for every advance party, pre-AT conference and technology briefing there is. The year we deployed to Iraq, 2005, even before we deployed, I logged 3 weeks in Japan for AT, 3 weeks in Germany for pre deployment training exercise meetings, all 12 drills crammed into deployment readiness before we hit Ft Dix and an additional 4 weeks in Germany for the pre deployment exercise itself. Now try explaining that to your family and employer who is by law supposed to retain your job for you. And I hate to surprise you but a lot of the extras we do at home station on a regular year are in the, "For the Flag" pay status. I tracked the extra hours I put in for the Guard at my base salary and estimated that I gave Uncle Sam about $4000.00 a year as an O-4, a little under a month of free time in addition to my paid time.

The NG system isn't perfect, its units are under staffed and under budgeted, but, speaking for my old unit, the 43d MP Bde, whenever we showed up for the game, training or otherwise, we showed up as players, not the posers that some of you AD folks may have encountered in other units. You can't make blanket statements about NG or USAR units in general because we are all unique. Yes I've worked with some ate up units in the Guard, but I hate to break this news to you, as a Guardsman, I've worked with more ate up AD units then NG units.

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 14 at 2014 11:43 AM

CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 11:43:35 -0400

When I was in the AD Army as a 95B (Military Police) I had a dim view of the reserve and National Guard, as well as the Air Force. None appeared to adhere to the same standards we were held to, so I held them in low regard.

I later learned that my priorities were skewed. The other components are just as deserving of respect and admiration, even if they're a little lax in some areas. Most guardsmen I know are professionals, even if they put their hands in their pockets and lean against walls. They know their jobs well and are just as serious about doing them, and about defending our country. The names of guardsmen & reservists pepper the rosters of those who've fought & died in OEF, OIF, and every conflict this country has been involved in prior.

Anyway, in an ironic twist I'm not only a guardsman, but also on the Air side. Have been for the past 13 years. Do I adhere to the same standard of professionalism as I did when I was AD Army? I try to, though I do admit I've probably slacked off a bit in some areas.

Response by SSG William Patton made Sep 14 at 2014 12:02 PM

SSG William Patton — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 12:02:42 -0400

I am surprised tension still exists since so many guard units have been deployed and integrated with active units. During the Vietnam Era, NG stood for "nookie grabber" and guardsmens were called "Jodie", the guy back home who stole your girl while you were off to war. It never happened to me, my Jodie was my girls college professor, who I ironically, had as a professor many years later. After the course, I confronted him and called him Jodie, and told him what it meant. He could have cared less, but I got it off my chest. Maybe there is still some of this Jodie stuff still going on, along with the fact they are still on active on weekends and two weeks in the year when not deployed. Still, I thought deployment would have removed some of the tension.

Response by SSG Maurice P. made Dec 4 at 2014 10:24 AM

SSG Maurice P. — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 10:24:47 -0500

I'll tell you what in the early early 90's we the Texas National Guard went to Ft Hood alot, we still was on the M-60A3 and we got the Regular Active Duty Army's RESPECT because Texans can Tank...

Response by MSG Floyd Williams made Dec 4 at 2014 11:55 AM

MSG Floyd Williams — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:55:29 -0500

I started in the Regular Army as an Infantryman, then I finished my career in the Army Reserves. A lot of Regular Army Soldiers been brainwashed thinking that everybody in the Reserves and Guard is untrained and unprofessional which is a false statement and wrong to put one against the other. In the late 1980's or early 1990's the Army wanted to reduce the number of people on active duty, and we know it is all about money with the politicians. But at the same time offer soldiers to finish their career in the Guard and Reserves, and the Army wanted experience soldiers to implement that change. One of the things the Army had done created a position for Active Duty Soldiers pick for Title 11 assignment as trainers assigned to the Guard and Reserves to help to get them trained up for deployments. In my opinion it was planned in advice before Desert Storm, our trusted politicians knew in advance and used our military for personal gain since then it is all history to this day, your average men and women in the Guard and Reserves have active duty experience.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2014 12:51 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 12:51:30 -0500

I have been in the Guard for nearly 18 years with nearly 11 of that active service. When I hear another Guard Soldier bash the Guard, I usually ask them why they joined the Guard? Especially if they are a "Guard Baby". I can see how Active Component Soldiers have a slanted view when they transition to the Guard, but even then, the Soldier is basing his entire statement on what he/she experienced in the past.

As a Guardsmen, I have Mobilized/Deployed 5 times in support of either OIF or OEF. Does being in the Guard make me any less a Soldier or Leader? I say no. With my civilian experience included, I have a greater breadth of knowledge and experience to draw from when faced with certain issues/situations. I would say that those Guard leaders who have that and can utilize it for the betterment of a unit makes them better than their active component counterparts.

Response by SPC John Gregorio made Dec 4 at 2014 4:50 PM

SPC John Gregorio — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:50:27 -0500

Sir,
I work in a job that is full of veterans of all branches and statuses. Of course teasing occurs with National Guard and Active Army guys, myself being Active. But, at the end of the day we are all serving in whatever capacity. I think it is just a matter of choice. I personally feel that I can't do the NG. I am very big on dedication and my time and I feel I can do that by being part time. Personal opinion though. But, I don't not judge friend of mine who have gone Guard, until they cry about not being active lol!

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2015 9:18 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 21:18:27 -0400

This is not a criticism of the Active Duty: It is my opinion that in wartime operations, the National Guard is simply better motivated to complete the mission and return home.

In my first two years, the 45th Bde was the "roundout" brigade for 1ST Cav. We were treated pretty poorly by them and that colored my opinions for a long time. I also learned that there was a long standing tension between the units back to 1940. In the Louisiana Maneuvers, 45th ID and 1st Cav opposed each other force on force through three exercises. 1st Cav won the first two, the first far more easily than the second. In the third though, the 180th Regiment had to be called off by the OCs--they had so effectively cut off the division's HQ that their horses were in danger of starvation. Later in Korea, the 45th replaced the 1st Cav in the line after the 8th Cav Regiment had been overrun in 1951. While that should not have produced bad blood, it seems to have done so. Got quite a shock by our reception by 1st Cav on our last deployment to Afghanistan. Perhaps, simply enough time had elapsed without contact between us. My perception was that any barbs traded, and there were some, were generally good natured.

Response by COL Charles Williams made Mar 20 at 2015 1:48 AM

COL Charles Williams — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 01:48:27 -0400

Yes there is absolutely tension, and we are both guilty. My view is this. Active Duty guys generally look down on the guard as lesser Soldiers, primarily because we don't understand the guard (or reserves for that matter), why we have them, and where they fit it.

In my branch (and the other maneuver supporters like Engineer and CBRN)... over 80% of our force structure is the Guard (and Reserves), so I understand, and I appreciate what they bring to the table. Having deployed more than once with them, I have learned a lot about what they deal with when the Mobilize and deploy. I also know Mob Station is an evil place and word too.

My rub, with the Guard has always been this... plain and simple. They/you pick and choose when they are US Army vs. ARNG. When it serves their needs, they are all Army. When it does not serve their needs, they are quick to tell us active duty jokers, they are not in the Army, they are in the Guard...

You can't have it both ways, and expect to be treated equally.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2015 4:32 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 04:32:35 -0400

I think a lot of the tension and "weekend warrior" stigma can be traced back to the Viet Nam War. I don't think anyone can argue against the accomplishments of the National Guard in the early to mid 20th century. 40% of the American Expeditionary Force in WWI was National Guard troops. The National Guard's 30th Division earned the most Medals of Honor of any unit in the war. During WWII, the 133rd "Ironman" Infantry Regiment set the record for the most continuous days in combat, one that stands to this day. Once more, half of Maj. Darby's revered Rangers of World War II came from the National Guard's 34th Infantry Division. Even during the Korean War over 139,000 National Guardsmen fought.

When the Viet Nam war began, however, President Johnson decided to not mobilize the National Guard. It became a haven for those too proud to run but not proud enough to go fight. I've met many Viet Nam Veterans who have extremely negative opinions of the National Guard. I don't think as an institution we've really moved past that. With the expectation of never going to war, it doesn't surprise me that the guardsmen of the 70's and 80's were lax and undisciplined. I've heard plenty of stories from members of the "old" National Guard about booze and barbecues instead of training on the weekends.

When I was at MCCC this topic was brought up. I was one of 3 National Guardsmen in the course. Some of my active duty peers had positive opinions, others did not. Some of their criticisms were valid. Every guard unit I've been in has had issues with PT. I've personally encountered and worked to eliminate the infamous "good ole boy" system as well. My argument is simple, there are good and bad National Guard units. Our best line units are not going to match the 101st or 75th, but we still bring plenty to the fight. When I deployed the worst units I worked with were Active Duty. That doesn't justify me having a negative opinion of the entire force. Instead of writing the guard off wholesale, I suggest they evaluate it at an individual unit level. With the shrinking defense budgets chances are the next time we go to war we'll work together again. The sooner we can come to a mutual understanding the better off we'll be.

Response by 1LT William Clardy made Mar 20 at 2015 10:25 AM

1LT William Clardy — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 10:25:19 -0400

I see a lot of folks commenting on how handy the Guardsmen's civilian skillsets have been, but there are also times where the Guard shows up the Regular Army on the pure-military skill side.

Way back when the NTC was still relatively new, as part of the OPFOR I got to see first-hand how well units performed in large-scale combat/maneuver exercises. It was common for brigades to suffer massive failures, such the day our morning attack got repeatedly delayed and then cancelled because the blue-force battalion defending our objective could not locate the equivalent of one company (one platoon had been out of contact for a couple of days, and there were several squads which they lost contact with).

When a National Guard unit came through on a rotation, we naturally expected them to fair at least as poorly as the Regular Army units did. Instead, they handed the NTC OPFOR some of its soundest defeats. One "battle" in particular stands out in my memory, where 2 motorized rifle battalions were stopped cold by a couple of well-positioned platoons -- the dead OPFOR vehicles were so thick that the crews were able to swap rations by tossing them between vehicles while watching the fight, and only a couple of OPFOR vehicles made it past that defensive position (I think the Guard unit wound up executing a planned withdrawal when they ran low on ammo). To say we were impressed would be an understatement -- towards the end some of us were applauding each time an OPFOR vehicle lit up and halted.

I think that was the first day I really started believing that line about experience and cunning trumping youthful enthusiasm and vigor.

Response by Capt Lance Gallardo made Mar 20 at 2015 10:59 AM

Capt Lance Gallardo — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 10:59:28 -0400

It is a service wide phenomena that I have observed between Marine Reservists, Guard and Army Reserve and their AD counterparts. I think some of it stems from the large Per Diem payments that Guard and Reservists get when on Title 10 Partial Mobilization and GWOT funds when on Mobilization Orders. So you have reservists and Guardsmen doing the same thing as their AD Counterparts and getting that "juicy" per diem reimbursement payment when they De-Mob and that has cause both jealousy and a certain amount of resentment from the AD counterparts.

It has also caused a certain amount of Per Diem fraud by Guardsmen and Reservists, and an overzealous attempt by the accounting departments (DFAS) of the Army and the Marine Corps to "recoup" Per Diem payments that DFAS and the DOD did not think were "rated" by where the service member accepted orders to active duty. The PLEAD (place where entered active duty).
Some Reservists and Guardsmen have been hit with demands to repay the government tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in per diem payments collected over several GWOT deployments and activations. The rules regarding PLEA are actually very unclear in their application and I think the government is overreaching in going back and auditing reservists and guardsmen Per Diem payments going back to 2007, and now demanding repayment. When the money was flowing for GWOT to units, nobody was looking at the PLEAD issue that closely, then when Obama became President and the GWOT funds dried up, all of a sudden DFAS and the Services got "stingy" and started to go back and audit orders, and apply twisted interpretations of when a PLEAD changes, based upon where you "actually" received your GWOT activation orders, not based upon where your residence was or where you lived, had a mortgage, kids in school, tax records, etc. These are the traditional legal definitions of a person's legal domicile.
I personally have known and spoken with Guardsmen, and Army/Marine reservists who are very bitter, that when the country needed their skills and service (many in combat units), they were told they would be paid per diem in addition to their regular pay, and years later they are told those tens of thousands of dollars they were paid in per diem are now being demanded back, with harassing and threatening phone calls. it is an unbelievable situation that only Congress can remedy.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2015 4:10 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:10:25 -0400

When I was active duty, I'd joke about them.

I've made a return trip to MEPS to finish my time and retire. While at MEPS, even though I'm Prior Service and a Priority at MEPS, I was still treated pretty shitty by the Active Duty NCO's that were there.

Response by SSG Paul Lanciault made Mar 20 at 2015 4:32 PM

SSG Paul Lanciault — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:32:18 -0400

I found the National Guard more difficult to manage. Hard enough to have a family and a full time job, or being on active duty (at least housing, food, and heat were provided). But working full time, balancing family and the National Guard was difficult. The constant change of drill weekends, 2 weeks turning into 3. Using vacation time from work so the family suffers as well. The job and training at the unit was fine, as were the people.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2015 4:46 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:46:06 -0400

Every component has their super soldiers and their dirtbags, the National Giard has been putting food on my table for the last 13 years and I see legitimate things to bitch about on a daily basis. One thing we have over the active duty though, tell an active Soldier he/she has to work a weekend (when not deployed) and that Soldier will bitch for a year. Notional Guard (get it? Notional,) That's kind of what we do.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 23 at 2015 10:30 AM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 10:30:26 -0400

I told my soldiers to treat NG and Reservists with dignity and respect since we all bleed red. I worked with a very large NG unit and they were a soup sandwich on their drills.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2015 8:54 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 20:54:53 -0400

Many active duty troops have had bad experiences with NG units. That's what gives us the bad name. I personally dislike the guard. Being in for almost three years... Trying to switch active and can't wait to

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 28 at 2015 1:32 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:32:05 -0400

I told my soldiers to treat them with dignity and respect, we all bleed red. We integrated them in our operations and fun events. I wanted to keep their morale high.

Response by MAJ Keira Brennan made Apr 28 at 2015 2:54 PM

MAJ Keira Brennan — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 14:54:22 -0400

Having served in both the Active Army, Joint Billets, the ARNG, and retiring as an IMA from the USAR, I agree most strongly with these few comments:
*The individual age of soldiers particularly in the Combat Arms
*Share lack of repetition of battle / CS / CSS drills
Not that these aren't just corners units turn in mobilization.

I think that there's the brutal "Brothers in Arms" ribbing that goes on. I remember seeing Res Component Soldiers come to Ft. Reilly and thinking "is this Halloween?" But that was Post-Desert Storm Peacetime Army. Since 9/11 I am all about the ONE ARMY Concept. The Reserves/NG are no longer a STRATEGIC ASSET. They are OPERATIONAL.

A special shout out to Reserve/NG Brothers and Sisters who have MAD SKILLS that they bring to units to CRUSH the enemy!!!!

Anyone remember the old saying:
Join the Reserves, Travel the World and Meet Interesting People and Cultures - and Kill Them.
BUT JUST ON WEEKENDS. LOLOLOL

Response by MAJ Keira Brennan made Apr 28 at 2015 3:05 PM

MAJ Keira Brennan — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 15:05:01 -0400

SSG Philip Brice made a GOOD COMMENT about the "good ole boy" system. That used to make me SOOOO MAD. But now that I think about it, so many Guard units come from smaller communities and the retention rates seem forever (I've seen Officers resign their commissions to stay in units - still mind boggling). I think that is part-and-parcel of the Guard and probably a characteristic that goes back to the earliest Colonial militias.
***Its been a decade since I read TRUMAN, but it seems that CPT Harry S Truman, FA MOARNG. Talked about the tension between the AC and Reserves/Guard much like we do. The old Army was always SO SMALL and a USMA mafia. Some things never change.
***MacArthur made some excellent comments on the matter of good old boys- especially the 42nd Division.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 8:35 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 20:35:09 -0400

This is a sort of sensitive issue to me. I was very very disappointed with Col. Steel's decision to tell 101st before they replaced us in Iraq late 2005 that they should listen to us 'weekend warriors' because we 'didn't know what the hell we were doing'. I was very upset to see the amount of soldiers that were lost because of his arrogance.

Response by PVT Private RallyPoint Member made May 12 at 2015 12:58 PM

PVT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 May 2015 12:58:14 -0400

What causes somenoe to choose National Guard over active duty?

Response by COL Jon Thompson made May 18 at 2015 12:46 PM

COL Jon Thompson — Mon, 18 May 2015 12:46:24 -0400

If you want to see the real tension, look at the recruiters from USAREC and NG. There is not a lot of love lost between the two groups. One team,one fight only goes so far in the recruiting world. I would love to see them rolled into one recruiter organization that truly represents #armyteam.

Response by SPC Chris Early made Jul 7 at 2015 8:58 PM

SPC Chris Early — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 20:58:32 -0400

I served in both, yes i have made jokes but truthfully it's not much of a difference. To me it was the best way to transition from regular army and to get adjusted to being a civilian again. Plus i got deployed for OEF with the guard and we didn't have issues.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 11 at 2015 3:26 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 03:26:00 -0400

In the immortal words of a famous Disney princess, “Let it go!” There will always be bitchin’ between the various branches, Reserves, and the National Guard units. Just know that when it gets real out there, we all fight as one bad a$$ country and we will “protect this house!”

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 11 at 2015 2:51 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 14:51:39 -0400

All I will say is we all bleed red.

Response by SGT Glenn E Moody made Jul 14 at 2015 12:18 AM

SGT Glenn E Moody — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 00:18:37 -0400

ok 1st it dose not say National guard on the uniform it say's U.S. ARMY so it dosen't matter to me but i can see what you mean when i was on Active Duty at FT Benning i went to see the dentist and told that they couldn't fix my tooth because i was National guard not R.A. i would have to wait until i got home did all the same training as the R.A. but because i was A.R.N.G. i got nothing but shit on and still do exepct from the other Guard Veteran's i got out as a pv2 but now i am with generals and get the full respect from them i should have got when i was in now i am on the board of Govenors for the Y.D.V.A. that's the 26th Yankee Infantry Div. Veterans Assoc. Boston Chapter we meet on the 4th Saturday of the month and still do things with the Active Guard

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 22 at 2015 3:01 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:01:07 -0400

We will treat them with dignity and respect. We all bleed red.

Response by MSG Alfred Aguilar made Oct 23 at 2015 12:45 AM

MSG Alfred Aguilar — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 00:45:29 -0400

Back in the 80's I witness an exchange between an active duty soldier and a national guardsmen. The Guardsmen asked, "are you in the guard?" The active duty soldier replied angrily, " no! I am in the Real Army!" The Guardsmen smiled and said, "Oh, can I ask you a question? In the Guard it takes us 2 days to do what you do in 30 days, what do you do for the other 28 days?"

Response by SSG Ralph Watkins made Nov 5 at 2015 4:49 PM

SSG Ralph Watkins — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 16:49:38 -0500

I've been both active & Guard as well. When I was active, the Guard was like poor family members. Once I went into the Guard, initially it was culture shock. I soon learned that Guard is not the US Army & one shouldn't demand it operate like it. Going to Iraq, we got selected for missions that required folks with less training, less rules, & more focus on the job at hand than serving our branch or careers. 90% of the regular Army & all of the Marines & Navy people we did missions with had no issues with us. We had some people who never saw us in a positive light but they they seem to be the nit-picky, miserable types anyways. We initially had issues with some units until they got to know us. I can attest though, some Guard units are terrible. Much more ate up than any regular Army unit can get away with. Some of those units were so bad that it resulted in their members getting killed in combat. It's units like them who give the Guard very bad reputations.

Response by Maj Jeff Dodd made Nov 6 at 2015 8:27 AM

Maj Jeff Dodd — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 08:27:56 -0500

It's almost a polar opposite reaction in the Air Force. I've always worked with AD airlift squadrons who were envious of us as a guard unit because of how we flew, the quality of the aircraft we flew (due to superior maintenance from our ANG mechanics), and where we lived when not deployed. I say envious of how we flew because your average ANG squadron has seasoned experienced pilots and aircrew that have more flight time in that particular airframe then their AD counterparts. There is really no substitute for time in type when it comes to flying airplanes. Most ANG pilots are also commercial airline pilots as well so their situational awareness was very high when it came to international flying--something that a new AD pilot flying C-130's might not be exposed to yet. When we deploy in a C-130 unit to support combat operations in the ANG we join an Expeditionary Airlift Squadron in the deployed location. We inter-fly with AD crews (i.e. some pilots or loadmasters might be from different ANG or AD units, or both) and have a great safety record and high mission accomplishment rate in tough conditions (Think night combat air-drop missions in high altitude mountainous terrain, or landing a heavyweight airplane on a short dirt landing strip) That's thanks in large part because we all train initially to the same standard during our formal training.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Nov 16 at 2015 10:59 AM

LTC John Shaw — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 10:59:58 -0500

CPT Private RallyPoint Member As a leader you provide the example and hold all to the same standard. When people talk about NG or Reserve vs Active, SQUASH it. You don't allow any reinforcement of the idea.
Treat everyone the same: 1) Use the Army standard, ONE standard of professional courtesies and measures of performance. As a reservist I love to come on active duty to partner (and sometimes compete, in training schools) with my peers. Most people don't care when you have missions down range or at least I didn't.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 16 at 2015 12:00 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 12:00:07 -0500

I served in the National Guard from 1997-2001 which was a great CAV/Infantry unit in the WARNG. My unit fought in the Battle of the Bulge in WW2 and earned the Belgian Forregaure. I dismiss people when they talk about nasty girls. I saw my guard unit in Iraq in 2005 when I was with 3rd id and they were still a squared away unit, very competent.

Response by SFC Eric Williams made Nov 16 at 2015 5:57 PM

SFC Eric Williams — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 17:57:42 -0500

Please don't be dismayed....look at it like this...I can harass may brother but let someone else mess with him.....get it? We are all in this as one...one team one dream!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 11 at 2015 8:51 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 08:51:01 -0500

This disparity has always bothered me as well. Do you remember the first time you heard a distinction being made? I do... it was basic training, whenever we lined up for anything it was RA, Reserves, NG.

Response by PVT William Bresch made Dec 29 at 2015 9:48 AM

PVT William Bresch — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 09:48:55 -0500

Know your mark and who you are dealing with and you can control them.

1. what is their level of education
2. what is their background
3. how long have they been in and why
4. why are they complaining
5. are they just passing info handed to them
6. are they an instigator
7. what is their race of origin and don't start the racist card here, (some nationalities love to complain and do nothing about it)
8. what is their rank
9. what is their lifestyle
10. who do they report too

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 3 at 2016 1:11 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 13:11:09 -0500

I don't see why this is such a big deal. There is no difference. If the Army wanted it to be a difference then they'd send us to different BCT's, AIT's, and other schools. The intention is for us all to be the same no matter what component, we all have our roles. We are all soldiers 24/7. The only difference is that one wears the uniform more often than the other but when we are both off duty we are held to the same expectations. Doesn't change anything. I've been mobilized twice so far in the almost 4 years that I've been in and it all works the same way. I know my job just as well as the next Chaplain Assistant. We all learn different things from one another. That shouldn't be the focus. We should be focusing on how we can all work together to succeed in every situation.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 3 at 2016 5:24 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 17:24:47 -0500

I've served in both AD and Guard. Each have their pros and cons. I leave it to the performance of the unit doing the mission. I hear it and just emphasis the need to have a cup of shut the hell up! Problem solved.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 20 at 2016 11:52 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 11:52:04 -0500

There's only one thing I don't like about the National Guard = CPT Private RallyPoint Member !!!

Other than that, they're great in my book! ;-)

Response by SSG Trevor S. made Apr 6 at 2016 10:26 AM

SSG Trevor S. — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 10:26:02 -0400

I have nothing but respect for the National Guard. They did very well during my deployments. That doesn't mean I won't give them grief when I get a chance. That's what siblings do.

Response by SPC Ron Hines made May 26 at 2016 11:49 PM

SPC Ron Hines — Thu, 26 May 2016 23:49:34 -0400

Need to work together!

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 6 at 2016 8:27 AM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 08:27:29 -0400

There will always be tension between Reservist, Guard and AD components. They each have their specialties and shine in different ways. If it is anything technical I would take a Reservist, Guardsman any day over AD.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 3 at 2016 6:49 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 18:49:31 -0400

Unspoken? I have heard it spoken often. The active component just loves to talk down the Guard. GEN Miley seems interested in changing it. Hope it sticks.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 4 at 2016 3:39 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 15:39:44 -0400

We don't drink beer in our tanks anymore and most of us have 2 or more combat tours. Many,like me, have been in the USAR or ARNG and were never active duty aside from schools,annual training, mobilizations and deployments. Many complete over 20 years of service. Some are KIA in OEF and OIF. There should no longer be any bias about our abilities.

Response by MSG Dan Castaneda made Oct 5 at 2016 11:52 AM

MSG Dan Castaneda — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 11:52:20 -0400

We have two Groups in the National Guard, and I keep being surprised about how much they bring to the table. It's fun to make fun of them like we do every other branch, but they are just as good as we "Active" folks are.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 21 at 2017 10:49 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 10:49:53 -0400

I think it is matter perspective , and some won,t like this pride is the by far the biggest factor . I was stationed in Iraq three times the Battalion (Active) I was under did not like I believe simply because we were a National Guard Unit . It was even even made us the only Unit wearing ball cap head gear. I was one the only troops in my Unit that was allowed to wear my booney hat. Because I had a very close call with skin cancer. The "Pride" of the parties involved caused that. The pride of those pary or parties involved could very well be the literal death of someone even yearz later. Skin cancer is the number one killer of cancer. That is undisputed. I would not want to stand before God himself with possibly the blood of those who could die . I personally would not want to answer to my Creator with their blood on my hands.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Nov 26 at 2017 10:09 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Sun, 26 Nov 2017 10:09:37 -0500

It' s been the norm for decades.

Response by SSG Robert Brown made Oct 13 at 2018 1:19 AM

SSG Robert Brown — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 01:19:49 -0400

I was in the National Guard 1984-1990. It was a drunken day party. Active Army 1990-2000.i understand why they called the NG nasty guard or no go. 2004 my old guard unit got called to OIF3. I got back in to go with them. After my tour I got an AGR job as a Recruiter finished my 20 and retired. As of Today the NG unit has deployed 2 more times and are currently in Romania training. The difference in the unit is day and night. 80 percent of the unit is combat vets. 278th ACR Tennessee Army National Guard.

Response by CH (CPT) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 8 at 2019 10:47 PM

CH (CPT) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 22:47:35 -0500

I have seen it a few times. But in the end, they work together pretty well. One Army One Fight.

Response by CW4 Craig Urban made Mar 16 at 2019 11:26 PM

CW4 Craig Urban — Sat, 16 Mar 2019 23:26:36 -0400

When I was a young SSG teaching logistics at Fort Carson the NG and reserve people were calling me sir. Always has been friction and there always will be.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Mar 17 at 2019 1:06 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 13:06:11 -0400

No different in the other branches, we would be screwed without those SMs not careerists when it gets serious. But, the old definition of commitment and involved comes to mind. Ham and eggs, the chicken is involved, the pig committed. No disrespect intended with regard to heroism, our reservists have proven their bravery many times. Bottom line, most AD SMs in the Navy are not particularly fond of reservists, based on my experience.

Response by SGT Michael Hardy made Mar 17 at 2019 4:39 PM

SGT Michael Hardy — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 16:39:04 -0400

The tension is massive I worked in Washington DC and when they went to school together it was gone cause the course I work with they would not pass if they did not work together

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2019 8:04 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 20:04:30 -0400

As an AD member I have seen each Guard unit I have worked with is different. Some should have never been allowed to deploy. Some (Red Bulls/MN-IA?) were more squared away than their AD partners in the same AO. Everyone always remembers the jacked up, and easily forgets the competent non-spotlight Ranger.

Response by CPL Sharon Fahey made Aug 11 at 2019 12:34 PM

CPL Sharon Fahey — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 12:34:48 -0400

The guard spent as much time deployed and suffered the loss of so many. To compare or complain is like firefighters from different stations putting out the same fire, they need each other. Waste of time.

Response by CPL Sharon Fahey made Aug 11 at 2019 12:42 PM

CPL Sharon Fahey — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 12:42:39 -0400

To act like you couldn't expect the Guard to do their job is insane! Guard units spent more time deployed, back to back deployments, than many of their active components. The active side could refresh their troops before deploying. The Guard didn't have that advantage so most of the same troóps deployed 5, 6, 7 times. This idea that the Guard is somehow less experienced than active Army is insane. If you want to talk about unprepared, inexperienced look no further than the IRR components of the Army.

Response by SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM made Aug 14 at 2019 7:48 PM

SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 19:48:20 -0400

Very Interesting!

Response by SGT James Nelson made Nov 6 at 2019 3:40 PM

SGT James Nelson — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 15:40:17 -0500

I was active then got out and went guard then back to active. The biggest problem I’ve found is that since guardsman are usually older than an active duty soldier or have excessive TIG that a lot of them are screwups. This is not the case as an spec/Corp, sgt, ect until someone higher up on the chain leaves the guard. This is because NG does not promote based on promotion boards but by slot.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 26 at 2019 6:08 AM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 06:08:06 -0500

Poking fun at the guys in the reserves is part of being AD. There are many reasons they may not be as fit but that aside it should not be taken seriously.

Response by SPC Luther Wooten made Aug 24 at 2020 3:30 AM

SPC Luther Wooten — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 03:30:53 -0400

I always looked at it as we are all on the same team, whether reserves, NG, Marine, AF, or Army Medic like myself. We give each other a hard time but we are all brothers. Some of my friends were SF and would razz me for working in a hospital. We serve where we are needed for the overall goal.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 6 at 2021 6:53 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 18:53:08 -0500

One year I had Reservists augment my unit. I told all the soldiers to treat them with respect and dignity.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Mar 11 at 2022 10:40 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 22:40:02 -0500

I do have to say becoming proficient at their MOSs is challenging due to the lack of time. I also will state the various skills sets of AR and NG soldiers can be a strength to units especially during deployment.

Response by SPC Steven Depuy made Mar 12 at 2022 7:50 AM

SPC Steven Depuy — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 07:50:24 -0500

I would suspect the NG readiness has improved since I did my 3 years after active duty in the early 80’s. My unit would not have been ready for deployment

Response by Cpl Alfonso Holguin made Mar 15 at 2022 1:41 PM

Cpl Alfonso Holguin — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 13:41:10 -0400

Been there done that, served six years in the Marine Corps, and six in Army National Guard. Yes those in the Guard we're older because they had just got back from the Nam and had more experience than the younger ones that were trying to teach you what you already went through

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2022 4:49 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 16:49:02 -0400

13 years AD, 23 years an ART( air reserve technician). I started at a combination on AD. We had active, reserve and civil service along with ARTS. There was always teasing, but we all worked together pretty well. I deployed to Qatar a few years ago with reserves. Probably half that deployed in the beginning were ARTS. The AD people thought all reserve were only 2 days a month and the 2 weeks. We actually all got yelled at for being too nice to their airmen. They said they weren't showing us respect. The ones doing the lecture were e-6, most of us were e-7s and above. One senior stopped them and said "none of your airmen have shown me any disrespect, what are you talking about". It was ended and we all laughed about it. I didn't know treating people like people would be bad. If you ask nicely or yell, it's still an order. People just usually respond better to being asked nicely. Most of us had 10-20 years more experience than the AD. What I can tell you is the AD pilots were always trying to fly our planes.

Response by SPC Merle Jantz made Mar 16 at 2022 2:44 PM

SPC Merle Jantz — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 14:44:11 -0400

When I was on active duty in the late 70s, we kind of looked down on the reservists, but on reflection, I think it's because they were so underfunded and didn't have many opportunities for training. That has since changed. My cousin did two Iraq deployments with the National Guard and I believe reservists and active duty were pretty much interchangeable.

Response by Sgt John Mizell made Mar 18 at 2022 3:06 PM

Sgt John Mizell — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 15:06:09 -0400

I just never paid much attention, when I was in Vietnam, we all had a job to do, and we did it.

Response by SGT Joseph Stephany made Mar 18 at 2022 7:23 PM

SGT Joseph Stephany — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 19:23:13 -0400

I served with the Co C 205 Engineer Battalion Combat Heavy, Louisiana Army National Guard 88-96.
What set us apart from most Regular Army units was for a lot of our members we did our MOS jobs in the civilian world. when we went to "Annual Training" We preformed and did our duty and completed the mission we were tasked to do.What pissed me off the most was the term "training" when we were deployed to Honduras and Jordan we did not train. We did the job we were trained for and we did it Damm good.
I am so proud of the men and woman I served with!

Response by SGT Earle Hudson made Mar 18 at 2022 10:52 PM

SGT Earle Hudson — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 22:52:54 -0400

I served 25 years in the National Guard with 3 combat tours,90/91 05/06 08/.09. With that being said I was a 95B20 MP when we arrived in Saudi Arabia and got to our camp thinking we would be ready to start our mission, AC engineers were supposed to have built our epw camp,but no they didn't know how to do it ,we built our own camp enclosure, but I have served with many good men and women in both AC and NG.the NG soldiers were more prepared because we had to know our job,the AC get displaced because they do the same thing day after day, both components have very skilled soldiers so what is the fuss we all achieve the same goal.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2022 3:54 AM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 03:54:14 -0400

There will always be tension b/t Active & Guard.

My almost 18 years & 3 combat tours have shown me that Active will always look down on the Guard. I've worked with Active duty guys on combat tours & at home. And from my experience they are no where near as experienced as Guard cause they don't get to dl actually do their job in a real world setting (except for a few Mos that are real world jobs). We put trucks on the road with civilians all the time. Learn to drive on all terrain, in all weather types. We learn the limits of our vehicles & equipment. Cause we use it during hurricane, tornados, floods, wildfires, combat exercises, etc. Our equipment gets used & abused. Our soldiers get real world experience with their equipment. I talked to a few active guys when I volunteered for a NTC rotation, he told me they never take out their equipment or are able to do anything outside a training eveiornment cause their active & their constraints as such.

Now does that make us better than Active, no. It makes an essential asset to the mission. Both @ home & overseas. (we could lose the Reserves, they don't less than anyone

Response by PO2 Joan MacNeill made Mar 19 at 2022 12:50 PM

PO2 Joan MacNeill — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 12:50:52 -0400

I've looked at the posts, and feel nudged to log in a few comments:
>Concur 100% on view that reservists bring a broad range of civilian expertise with them. I bet many a soldier is happy to get tax advice, among other things!
>Reservists are all volunteers. If they don't fit in, they can find escape routes. That leaves the remaining ones with greater cohesiveness and esprit. There are bound to be some mere time-servers, but, hey, the regulars are not immune to that, either.
>An anecdote, on the down side, sadly. At the Portland Highland Games several years ago, the Marine reservists who were there (I forget why, probably color guard) participated in the tug-o-war. maybe 10 on each side. On their turns, they were defeated first by the Boy Scouts, later by the female members of one of the pipe bands. The latter were from British Columbia, where they makes 'em tough. I don't think the Corps were just being generous. They did have skinny legs. Probably had their PT beefed up in subsequent drills.
> I was a reservist for about 9 months at the beginning of my illustrious career, in a small communications unit. From the viewpoint of a humble seaman recruit, later seaman apprentice, I could not really judge them. But later, after going regular, there was no apparent difference from the reservists I had known, and the regular Navy salts.
>The National Guard has an illustrious history of responding to domestic emergencies, for which they can be justifiably proud. I will admit, that they have at times been ordered to act shamefully, but that has happened to regular troops also.

Response by Jerry Rivas made Mar 19 at 2022 4:27 PM

Jerry Rivas — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 16:27:12 -0400

When I was in the Kansas Army NG in 74-80.....WE had a LOT of Vietnam, and even Korean war veterans in my unit. They really taught us young guys alot. And When Ft.Riley opened the new tank range back in that era, we guardsmen SMOKED the Tank range and qualified every single gunner in the outfit as Expert with tank weapons. Long before the regular Army guys qualified a single crew. To this day I would not hesitate to command an M60 tank in battle. as long as I had the crew I had back then. Hell, My gunner was 30 years older than I was AND he out ranked me.....But he was the best gunner I ever saw......except for me that is. Old guys rule......young guys are just baffled. lol Hooah

Response by Maj Dale Smith made Mar 19 at 2022 6:53 PM

Maj Dale Smith — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 18:53:57 -0400

COL Roach nailed it. My dad helped found the Territory of Hawai'i ANG in 1946 and I heard many stories from him (Thus I wound up in the USAF). One issue that happens within the NG is perochialism & familiarity. AD troops tend to PCS once every 3/4 years so that this doesn't happen. When you are in the NG, you are tied to a position within a State or territory and much like private enterprise, you may find yourself stuck with a boss you don't like and it could be for your entire career. This also means that you are more tied to politics than the AD forces, at least through Field Grade. I know a MSG in the Oregon Army National Guard and his expertese is in demand all over the country with a MOS in logistics. One other item is that most full time guardsmen are state employees about 5 days a week and only wear a uniform on weekends, but doing the same wartime job. In the Air guard, you may find yourself flying with an Air force Reserve unit sharing the same airplane. People doing the same job but being paid from a different pot of money in the Pentagon.

Response by MAJ Ward Odom made Mar 21 at 2022 2:16 PM

MAJ Ward Odom — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 14:16:09 -0400

Early in my military life (70's), I worked on the active duty side of OSD Test #2, a kind of battalion level ATT for infantry and armor battalions to determine their readiness. In retrospect, I think we somewhat shaded the testing. Interestingly enough, unit levels weren't too bad but individual soldier skills were lacking. Later on (1990) my National Guard Unit was called up for Desert Storm and we were Opcon to the 2ACR. Again, I think that they, the ACR, had some preconceived notions. Since we had a commander who was awarded a BS Valor for a BMP/tank battle since one of our missions was security of the RSS and both the commander and 1st Sgt were made members of the regiment during redeployment at KKMC, I think some attitudes were changed.

Response by MSG William Wold made Mar 21 at 2022 6:46 PM

MSG William Wold — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 18:46:55 -0400

Many years ago our Direct Support Maintenance National Guard unit, the rebuild shop was sent for 3 weeks to Camp Dodge, a major Depot rebuild facility. We out performed the Active duty personnel hands down. Of course it helped to have on our crew, two Detroit Diesel factory master mechanics, an ASE certified master mechanic, a NAPA store owner of the 8 persons that went plus myself, a marine machinery mechanic of 22 years. The rest were very well versed in the different tools and applications. Interestingly they caught one Sgt attempting to sabotage one of our rebuilds, in which we didn’t see again, so I have no idea what happened there.

Response by CMDCM John F. "Doc" Bradshaw made Mar 27 at 2022 5:02 PM

CMDCM John F. "Doc" Bradshaw — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 17:02:04 -0400

The Guard/Reserves strive to Train for the day they are CALLED To Report!!! There should no longer be bias because joining the Guard/Reserves almost guarantees you’ll be called up this day and time. They are backup or refills. Yes, they may not have the days of experience in the Field doesn’t make them unneeded assets. Work together as teams and bring everyone up to speed. We are All Veterans and should treat each other’s as such! There is enough confusion in the todays military without us causing more and unnecessary!!! We Are Americans Fighting For Our Country and To God Be The Glory because America is The Last Beacon of Hope for The World. Just My Humble Opinion. Semper Fi!!! Doc

Response by SMSgt Clayton Cortinas made Apr 11 at 2022 1:34 AM

SMSgt Clayton Cortinas — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 01:34:03 -0400

I have the advantage of having served in the Active Air Force, the Army National Guard, the Air national Guard, and the Air Force Reserve. In my 30 years of service I trained medical squadron, and companies as well as hospital staff both active and reserves. While the active units were all very competent and generally well trained, their various levels of experience were wide and diverse. The instructors from reserve and guard components were generally highly experienced and maintained professional certifications that our active team members lacked. Many of us worked in Level 1 Trauma centers, Fire Rescue, and Paramedic companies and had near continuous, heavy-duty, hard-core work experience to bring to the table. Some of our E-3 though E-5s had 10 - 15 years of experience. However, we did learn qui9te a lot through our training from the military scope of practice. So, I think that I can categorically state that there is a symbiotic benefit to all of us working together and sharing our skills and experiences. So----Let's knock off the BS (on both sides) and accomplish the mission!!
OOrah, horah, anchors away, and AIM HIGH!!!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 12 at 2022 9:12 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 09:12:20 -0400

I have been a Reservist and on Active Duty. Back in the day, Reservists were NOT permitted to report a gym membership to IRS as a tax deductible "business expense," which I felt was both ridiculous and dangerous to Reservist safety.

Response by SSG Richard Ingram made Apr 17 at 2022 10:32 PM

SSG Richard Ingram — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 22:32:16 -0400

I was active duty . The ribbing between active and reserve and guard will always be there, but a lot of reservist bring a lot to the table. Most guard/reserve soldiers do their military jobs in" civilian world" and bring experience that you only get by doing.In Iraq I was a Combat Heavy Engineer, in my platoon were 3 licensed contractors and most of them worked in construction, I myself am a licensed contractor . We ALL have experience that the active duty troops don't have. I was a section sergeant (E-6) in the grading platoon and yet with my civilian experience worked on electrical systems and plumbing systems and building construction and occasionally I got to do some grading work, and when we had problems it was nothing for an experienced E4 to be tasked with an E-6's responsibility to complete the project . As one of the old men 42 I was in shape. And yet it didn't stop an IED from paralyzing me ( temporarily thank God) I'm very proud of the men and women I served with and the job we did in Iraq , I wouldn't trade my experiences both Active Duty and National Guard.

Response by SSG William Hommel made Apr 28 at 2022 1:16 PM

SSG William Hommel — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:16:55 -0400

I think there are going to be very different perspectives here because of our different experiences as well as time frames. I served 11 active, 78-89 and then 2 short stints in USAR (93 and 98), and in my era and my limited local experience there was no question they were substandard. It's nothing personal, just a fact. I had to help them set up basic things when I arrived that should have already been in place. I'm not judging, either. They were part time.. And that was before 9/11, which in my opinion led to a renaissance of reserve/guard components raising their performance because they were forced to. Same thing in the WWII era. So yes, there was tension.. in the 80s anyway. Us young full timers could not understand how others could wear a uniform but not meet standards. Nothing personal was meant though, it was all about professionalism.

Response by CWO3 Robert Fong made Apr 30 at 2022 3:24 PM

CWO3 Robert Fong — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 15:24:42 -0400

Captain, before joining the CG I was a member of the Army Reserve and AD. While in Basic (60) we were divided up as follows: RA, US, FR, & NG. As an RA one had it made and was appointed the "Acting Jack", FR was considered second string, US were the folks they had to hunt down and drag to basic, and then there were the NGs whom no one cared for and seemed to draw Guard and KP on a more than regular basis and could never make the DIs happy. So the negative feeling went on down to the AD units where the NGs had to do their 6 months. I went to Basic from HHC, 100BN, 442RCT.
Talk about fitting into some tight boots, that fame stuck to me and carried into basic where I was expected to live up to the legends and unit history. So, regardless of all the scuttlebutt that drifts about the deck; here is what I know for a fact. I have never known a GI who had someone complete an occupancy application to share a fox hole or a firing position. All I cared about during Desert Storm was that they were one of the "good guys" and had their s--- squared away. So, the next time someone's firing position is about to be overrun be thankful some NG jumped in the hole and made the enemy's life just a bit more difficult, or when your shot up be thankful some NG Corpsman was there to patch your leaking holes. We all serve however and in the manner that we are able to do. Next time one takes a stroll through a National Cemetery, don't be surprised at the number of NGs who reside there. Just a passing thought. When the war is over the NG go back to serving their communities turning out after floods, tornadoes, fires, and NG Engineers are doing community building projects while waiting for the next war.

Response by SFC Barbara Layman made May 1 at 2022 6:44 AM

SFC Barbara Layman — Sun, 01 May 2022 06:44:50 -0400

An interesting topic.
In 1983 I was attending PLDC at FRKS. My military career began in 1965 in the WAC. When enlisted women were being accepted in the USAR, 1975, I raised my right hand for, at that time, a 6-year hitch as an SP4/E4, where I made E5. After several years, in response to family needs, I requested transfer to the IRR where I served for 2 years.
In 1981, I took an AGR assignment with the ARNG during which time I attended PLDC at FRKS in 1983. While at FR, as I recall, I was the only reservist in the class. Frequently instructors attributed reserve status to one or two of my classmates. In one instance it was recommended to a young E4, seated beside me at the time, take note of what a 'real' soldier looks like and look for guidance from me.
As it turned out, he WAS an AD soldier. Appearances can be deceiving so THINK first before you assume and do what the word implies.
BTB, after my ARNG hitch I was back on AD, RA and because of my WAC/USAR/ARNG service had some great assignments - one of which was a plum I likely would not have had otherwise.

Response by SMSgt Tom Ferrell made May 1 at 2022 6:41 PM

SMSgt Tom Ferrell — Sun, 01 May 2022 18:41:21 -0400

This is a Army discussion but the Air Guard is similar to the ArNG or Reserves.....Air Guard were constantly rotating in and out of Afghanistan and flying the same missions as their Regular counterparts. No complaints.....just do it......BTW many Guard units did not have any problems filling the manning document...there was no shortage of volunteers!

Response by MAJ Hugh Blanchard made May 1 at 2022 8:24 PM

MAJ Hugh Blanchard — Sun, 01 May 2022 20:24:56 -0400

While I served with 25th ID(L), we worked often with the Hawaii Army National Guard. They were great soldiers and many of them had more combat experience than their active duty counterparts. And as noted by COL Roach, they had a wealth of professional knowledge in many professions that proved VERY useful when we worked together.

Response by SFC Douglas Welch made May 1 at 2022 8:32 PM

SFC Douglas Welch — Sun, 01 May 2022 20:32:38 -0400

All good points here to read but the only thing that matters to me is a guardsman or reservist is there to stand up when needed, active duty was and is a calling. We all bleed red white n blue. God Bless!

Response by SSgt Russell Stevens made May 22 at 2022 10:51 PM

SSgt Russell Stevens — Sun, 22 May 2022 22:51:14 -0400

In 1985 my squadron was supposed to be relieved of duty for the two weeks the ANG was there. I was a new supervisor at the time and was quite shocked when in less than 24 hours all active duty were called back on duty. It seems the training was somewhat lacking where the guard was concerned.

Fast forward to Desert Shield / Desert Storm. My operation has a squadron of ANG assigned and once again the training was lacking. These people were supposedly trained to handle all aspects of my duties yet I spent the next five months having to train them to do my job safely. The average active duty airman learned that job in a few weeks.

I'm told training is better today but being old school and burned more than once I'm not likely to trust any Guard unit to tie their shoes without supervision.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 24 at 2022 3:39 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 24 May 2022 15:39:44 -0400

There once may have been a time that the NG was not as well trained then the AD counterparts. But let's look at the last 20+ years. The NG has been called upon more and more, they balance full time jobs , civilian and required military training . The old saying one weekend a month and two weeks a summer is for very few in the NG. Many of the officers, NCO's are doing at least several more weekends and several additional weeks each year. And this does not even include any operational deployments. One thing that the NG and even RC servicemembers bring to table is many dynamics to make the force well rounded. Just think of how many of these members are mechanics, electricans, IT and other skilled trades that often are overlooked. But when you are down range and you need something fixed in a pinch. These are the folks that you want in your unit so you are not waiting for support to get you going again. Just my view point from what I have witnessed on several deployments.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2022 11:36 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 23:36:33 -0400

I was on active duty for about 13 years as Military Police. During that time I can only recall one time working and training with a National Guard/Reserve unit while in Germany. I don't recall having any animosity towards those soldiers. They were willing to learn and we were willing to teach. I separated and immediately enlisted in the New York Army National Guard, 442 MP Co. I was recognized by my peers and the chain of command for my MOS knowledge. In 2003, the 442 MPC deployed in support of OIF. I was a platoon sergeant. We were assigned to an active duty MP battalion, the 716th MP BN. We supported the I-MEF. When the Marines redeployed back to the states, we supported the Multi National Division. We were located at Camp Babylon. Each platoon had a different mission. One platoon instructed at the Iraqi Police academy. One platoon, mine, supervised the Provincial Police Headquarters. Another platoon conducted patrols and made spot checks on local and village police stations. At one point, the company CO related the laudatory remarks he received from the BN CDR. That our NG MPs were having more success with our mission that the other three active duty MP Companies in the BN. Our BN CDR was LTC Kim Orlando, rest in peace, sir. I attribute that to a few factors. As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the average older age, and therefore, maturity, of Reserve Component Soldiers. The 442 MP CO is located in the greater area of New York City. My platoon, consisted of at least 50% civilian police officers, and most had at least 10 years of service in their position. This was a huge advantage because we were instructing, supervising, and guiding the Iraqi Civilian Police. When our year was up and it was time to redeploy, an active duty MP Co was our relief. We did the right seat, left seat training and missions. However, my Soldiers complained to me that these active duty MPs felt we could teach them nothing since we were National Guard. It showed when one of their patrols tried to take an M1117 through a crowded market, even though they had been told by one of my sergeants of the hazards of trying to navigate that route. The patrol came to a standstill. The M1117 could not turn around on the narrow street. Luckily no harm came to them. One of the gunners in one of the HMMWVs learned a hard lesson that day. Something hit him in the chest and fell to his feet. What could've easily been a grenade, was only a vegetable.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 16 at 2022 10:23 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 22:23:51 -0400

I served AD (9 years), AR (2), and NG (17). They each had strengths and weaknesses, and a good commander can use the strengths and help to improve the weaknesses.
I can say that the most technically savvy group were the NG troops. Many had been assigned to the same aircraft for over a decade and knew their AH-64 inside and out - mechanics AND pilots.
Upon arrival at LSA Anaconda/Balad AB, Iraq in 2005 we found the AD unit that our NG/AR unit relieved had stripped our hangar of every piece of garrison property and had taken it with them. We had no power, furniture, etc. Thankfully, the unit had a civilian journeyman electrician who quickly (within 1 hour) found that our hangar was actually connected to the Iraqi commercial power grid and was able to turn our power on until we were able to get a generator weeks later. No one had figured that out in three years! Additionally, the carpenters in the battalion soon had built all the furniture we needed.
I was assigned as the 18th Aviation Brigade Sergeant of the Guard. The Brigade was made up of 1 each AD, AR, and NG battalions who provided a daily allotment of personnel for are and perimeter guard. I assumed that any issues I had would be concentrated in the 2 part-time units. Imagine my surprise when well over 80% of manning issues for guard details came from the one AD battalion! I did NOT anticipate that.
I guess I brought my AD prejudices with me to the National Guard.

Response by SSG Roland Shelton made Jun 20 at 2022 1:50 PM

SSG Roland Shelton — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 13:50:40 -0400

I don't see the National Guard and regular army as different branches. The National Guard is a reserve component of the Army. I was national guard before I decided to go active.
My national guard command sergeant major fought on Pork Chop Hill in Korea. Our company First Sergeant, also a Korean war veteran, was the best 50 caliber man I ever knew. Both were old army and old infantry. They enforced regulations in our battalion. You didn't miss drill, I saw two guys escorted to jail by the state police for doing so. And your haircut and mustaches were in accordance with regulations.
After I went active and so guardsman coming in to train with us, the biggest complainers about the guard among the active service we're usually soldiers that needed improvement themselves.

Response by PVT Prentice Slitaz made Jun 24 at 2022 2:14 PM

PVT Prentice Slitaz — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 14:14:57 -0400

To start with a soldier is a soldier, ANY person nomatter what branch of military there in, all have one thing in common that is honorable and that is each person took a oath and not just a oath but a oath to GOD, that thatd die defending our US Constitution against all enemies foreign or domestic. Every person and group in the military sacrificed there on life if necessary to defend this country. Each group is important, Army Guard are civilian and soldiers, plus side of that is guardsmen are knowledgeable in civilian affairs, therefore they bring civilian knowledge and problem solving to the battlefield as well as there military training., Therefore in war the Civilian people in that country, guardsmen would probably be the best at keeping those civilians peaceful and alive versres other groups who are fulltime military and have less civilian experience, guardsman do have both worlds to offer civilian and soldier that's a fact. But all our military groups are just as important as the others, we all took a lifetime oath to our country and that oath, we said it to GOD aswell. Our oath never ends has no expiration date on it. Oath is for life until we die. We signed it by saying these words with our oath... Ill keep my oath until my last drop of blood falls from my viens. I told GOD I would and I'll not break those words i told him when in my oath...
SO HELP ME GOD,

35E US Army Iraqi Freedom
HOOAH

Response by COL Eric Burns made Jun 26 at 2022 9:49 AM

COL Eric Burns — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 09:49:29 -0400

I agree for the pt part national guard and reserve components need to step up their game with pt on training days ,but as for their job in theatre of operation my hat is off to them ,i served both with national guard and reserve components and active duty service men and woman and i gotta say you couldnt find a better class of soldiers anywhere. So lets not be to judgemental on our NG and Reserve components , most active go to the guard and reserve side after active duty enlistments , and as for the pa crews ,roll on .

Response by Lt Col Warren Domke made Jun 27 at 2022 4:33 PM

Lt Col Warren Domke — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 16:33:38 -0400

I served in a different service with different needs and resources and was privileged to serve in the Air National Guard, the active Air Force and the Air Force Reserve for a combined total of 31 years. Today's Air Force would be hard pressed to perform its missions without the Reserve Forces--including the Guard and the various Reserve elements, including individual and unit-assigned members. Age and experience, along with maturity, make for effective Guard and Reserve units and the officers and airmen who man them. The Air Force has effectively blended these components into a better service. The respect or lack thereof is more of an individual thing than something which is prevalent throughout the various elements which make up a highly technological and very expensive force to outfit and operate. Guard and/or Reserve units comprise a significant percentage of airlift, tactical fighter and support elements of this service. In order to maintain the current missions without the Reserve Forces it would be necessary to recruit, train and maintain a very large active duty Air Force. Thanks to the part time service elements we are able to get it done at a much lower personnel cost. I was privileged to serve with good people from throughout the Air Force as well as other services, especially Army, and we are all part of a much larger team. Griping? It's always been around. Where would we be without it?

Response by SSgt Ricardo Lugo made Jun 27 at 2022 8:37 PM

SSgt Ricardo Lugo — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 20:37:38 -0400

We the United States Warriors from the past, present and future; should always be united to are powerful vision; "We always operate as an Total Force Battle Components Warriors". The history of are victories speak for it self. God Bless America. One Nation Under God.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2022 8:08 AM

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 08:08:55 -0400

I worked (AD) as a ANG liaison to the Military Airlift Command, Command Surgeons office. We helped the ANG units out and provided AD guidance ("I'm from HQ and I'm here to help"). I was always amazed of the talent in a ANG unit (same for Reserve). You guys drilled, exercised, trained, deployed...all while balancing a full time job on the outside. AD, for instance, would give ANG and Reserve a hard time in Aeromedical Evacuation units, when actually, the AD had a 24 or 35 month assignment and back to the hospital. ANG and Reserve flight nurses spent an entire career in AE! Really, how do you top that? Think of it as an interservice rivalry. If the last 25 years hasn't demonstrated the true value and spirit of our National Guard and Reserve brothers and sisters... something is horribly wrong!

Response by SPC Robert Bobo made Jun 29 at 2022 4:19 PM

SPC Robert Bobo — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 16:19:16 -0400

Never had issue with Reserve, I did a couple years in Reserve , all were former active duty

Response by 1SG Albert Archuleta made Jun 30 at 2022 11:17 AM

1SG Albert Archuleta — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:17:25 -0400

I spent my entire 25 1/2 years as Army National Guard. Spent the first 12 years in combat arms as a 19K M1A1 crewman in 36 ID and 13 years as a 31B Military Police. We worked with 1st CAV and at the time 4th ID at Fort Hood to complete all tank tables. Active Duty Soldiers and they're day to day training assisted us greatly, especially when we went NTC, Fort Irwin California and JRTC. In 2002, 4 of our tank BNs including mine were activated in support of the war and at that moment no one saw themselves as National Guard and Active duty, we when were down range, everyone is a Soldier fighting on the same team. On my last deployment in 2017 in Kandahar, Afghanistan the Texas National Guard,, 36 ID was division HQs and ran TAAC -South, and the 101st, 3rd BDE, 187th Rakkasan's fell under our flag. Half way through he deployment when they ripped out, the 82nd, 1st BDE Devil's BDE, came in. What an honor to have worked with two of the most elite and legendary Airborne divisions in the same deployment! 36ID were the advisors on the ground and the Airborne units were our guardian angels, we had to be synched and operating as one force in order to prevent any Green on Blue attacks. Our Team was a 66 man team, hand selected by the MG and you must have a bachelor's degree, masters, or PhD for this mission. One unique thing about Guardsmen is, we come with a large skill set, military occupation skill set but also civilian skill set. For example our two-star was a corporate lawyer with a PhD in law for large oil corporations in down town Dallas his leadership & intelligence was superior and thus being the reason we had more kinetic strikes on enemy than any other TAACs in Afghanistan in 2017. When it came time to come home, we were replaced by the 40th ID, California National Guard.

I enlisted in 1993 and retired in 2018 during the height of the war with 4 deployments and as along as I was down range as a E-3 or E-8, I never saw or felt differentiated because we were Guard or Active, When bullets start flying, or driving through daisy chains on MSR Tampa in Iraq, or receiving indirect fire from the Taliban in Afghanistan, no one EVER stopped to say "Guard or Active!

Response by CSM Travis Heywood made Jul 27 at 2022 1:03 PM

CSM Travis Heywood — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 13:03:27 -0400

I agree. I have experienced both good and bad. I spent 40 years serving both active duty and guard. In aviation the guard excellent due to the tenure and experience. Maintenance is better without using contractors and our pilots are from active duty with loads of combat hours.

Response by MSgt Robert E. M. made Jul 27 at 2022 1:19 PM

MSgt Robert E. M. — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 13:19:18 -0400

As your Bro. Brownbear, you were blessed to have served on active duty and national guard. We who love you, don't care what others may say! But remember this always, our enemies are reading these comments/responses and trying their best to divide us! which will backfire on them! St. Mark 3: 24 - 27.

Response by MSG Tony Hughes made Jul 27 at 2022 8:55 PM

MSG Tony Hughes — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 20:55:49 -0400

I am retired active duty. Proud of anyone that wears the uniform. Some people go to college after high school, get a degree, nice paying job and join the guard and reserves. Nothing wrong with that, they are willing to put luxury aside for the defense of our great nation. Salute

Response by SGT Robert Martin made Jul 28 at 2022 1:22 AM

SGT Robert Martin — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 01:22:44 -0400

Name one difference between any two units NG Reserve active duty or any combination. It's what the military does. If you weren't in my squad you had some issue I was going to give you crap about. It is simply what was done. At the sametime if you were a marine ( I was a soldier)and I saw a civilian starting something with you I would jump in to back you. It's a really strange world all its own but it's definitely worth the price of admission. To this day I enjoy giving my VSO a marine a hard time.

Response by MSG Thomas Currie made Jul 28 at 2022 2:51 PM

MSG Thomas Currie — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 14:51:38 -0400

It's hard to discuss any "tension" between the Active Army and the National Guard because the relationship takes so many different forms and exists in different ways at different levels.

Most of the time, the Active Army underestimates the National Guard -- sometimes this is the "good natured ribbing" that others have mentioned, other times it can be a serious problem.

Overall I'd say that most of the National Guard was significantly less Combat Ready than most of the Active Army -- as well they should be!

Even within the Active Army we have units that are supposed to be at different levels of readiness, but even the lowest level expected of the Active Army is supposed to be above the level expected of the National Guard. Active Army units train about 50 weeks each year -- National Guard units train the roughly 5 weeks each year -- and about half the NG training time is taken up by mandatory training completely irrelevant to the unit METL.

Most National Guard equipment is literally used Active Army hand-me-downs.

The Active Army has always been content to consider the National Guard as the second string team - and most National Guard units have been willing to accept that status. A few National Guard units would strive for excellence, some would be content to live down to the Active Army expectations.

Then came GWOT that screwed up the entire status quo. Actually the turmoil began a little before GWOT officially started. Here on RP we undoubtedly have quite a few who recall when Iraq invaded Kuwait. The first thing that Pentagon Planners did was run to their book shelves, grab the CAPSTONE manual, and dump it in the trash. The US Order of Battle for ODS had less to do with readiness and more to do with which commanders needed their tickets punched for advancement (no one expected there to be another opportunity to get some 'combat time'). The pentagon refusal to use the National Guard units that were part of the "Rapid Deployment Force - Heavy" sent a clear message to the National Guard that readiness didn't matter.

Then, just a few years later, the OPTEMPO of the never-ending GWOT left the Active Army barely capable of maintaining even the pretense of readiness, suddenly National Guard units were welcome to deploy.

About that same time, the Active Army leadership decided that all brigades were interchangeable, resulting in every combat arms brigade acting as HMMWV Infantry and forcing skills like reconnaissance and tank gunnery below the line in the unit METL. One by-product of this (besides the loss of irreplaceable skills in POG combat arms units) was that suddenly several national and international military competitions were won by National Guard units -- OMG! Heresy!! How dare a bunch of weekend warriors think they could even compete, much less win, against Active Army units?

Response by SPC Rodger Bell made Jul 28 at 2022 4:05 PM

SPC Rodger Bell — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 16:05:00 -0400

i served in both each has their up and down i liked both, when i was on active duty i talked about the guard and i talked about active duty ups and downs neither one better than the other

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2022 5:13 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 17:13:52 -0400

All things considered, I believe that the NG did very well most of the time during the GWOT. They were more well rounded as individuals, and were better able to handle the mental aspects of deployment to truly s____y places. Their civilian occupations also brought unexpected bonuses to the requirements of making do. Their age may have slowed them down a little, but most battlefield evolutions don't need to be done at the speed of light. Except in certain COIN missions, they stayed ahead of the power curve provided their leadership allowed them to get there in the first place.

Response by SFC Richard Desrosiers made Jul 29 at 2022 4:49 PM

SFC Richard Desrosiers — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 16:49:26 -0400

I also wonder why the tension, considering, if you properllist the national guard with its' proper name; Army national Guard. Sadly some time ago, the Army itself segregated themselves from the active duty(this went up the chain pretty high. If u were Guard u were treated as 2nd class members. When and where u went, since u were Guard. Funny thing, u had to have the same classes required for your future advancement in the army.
I will add this. That is unchanging for the better.

Response by SN Sheldon Kaminsky made Jul 29 at 2022 8:31 PM

SN Sheldon Kaminsky — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 20:31:15 -0400

I was in the National Guard for (1) year. I was behind (2) soldiers and overheard them talking to each other. This was 1979 and Russia just invaded Afghanistan. I heard them say if we got activated they would take off for Canada. I remember thinking what if they don't make it to Canada and I get stuckin combat with these yahoos. When my year was up I relocated from NJ to Los Angeles. Never looked back. 50th AD military police. I had already done a tour in Vietnam. I just didn't need to be in combat with people I could not trust.

Response by Lt Col Bill Fletcher made Jul 30 at 2022 10:10 AM

Lt Col Bill Fletcher — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 10:10:06 -0400

I am a Wet Point Grad who flew F4s. Helped a unit transition to that jet got off active duty and stayed for 11 more years. The Air Guard was a superb way to keep Fighter Pilots current in case we were needed. As Col Roach also mentioned our Drs, Heavy Equipment operators, Electricians, Carpenters, Cops and Cooks all did their tasks professionally outside of their service. Lots of quality performers who out performed their active duty counterparts not because they were Guardsmen but because they were professionals in their jobs and didn’t need to rotate out their positions or be relocated so the teamwork was even better.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 30 at 2022 10:15 AM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 10:15:26 -0400

Howdy all. Tension is built by leadership whenever they define something as different from them or their unit. One type of unit always belittles another type of unit or is trained to respect that other unit as more special then them. We also are taught by our leaders to judge others accomplishments. We are taught by our senior NCOs that people who barely pass a PT test are bad and 100%s are good. This is the culture of the military. It sets a hierarchy of confidence. Same as a Boxer or MMA fighter going into the ring. A positive perception of themselves can bring a mental victory that may be the slight edge to wining a bout. Same with the military. We are trained and practice to “think” we are better then the enemy. Better equipped, better trained. That edge may make contribute to a decisive victory.
I’ve been in the Guard, 39 years, much of it full time. 7 overseas deployments, and I travel an average of 100 days a year. Somewhere I was told just one weekend a month and two weeks a year.

Response by Sgt Mervyn Russell made Jul 31 at 2022 6:58 AM

Sgt Mervyn Russell — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 06:58:42 -0400

I was in the Arkansas National Guard before joining the Marines. The statement is true about the Guard being inferior to the regular Army, but in some respects, they were superior, When I joined the Guard in 1963, there was a wealth of WW11 Vets still active. They had all this experience of a combat veteran, some even had multiple awards, silver stars, Brone stars, Purple Hearts galore. Being of Arkansas decent they were skilled hunters, able to shoot the eye out of a Nat, (spelling?) So, from the prospective of once Guardsman, Don't sell these guys short. Even today, Reservist are mostly combat veterans, once active duty.

Response by CPT Earl George made Jul 31 at 2022 9:52 PM

CPT Earl George — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 21:52:37 -0400

I had one experience with the National Guard while on active duty. I commanded a BCT company at Ft Knox. In 1976, the National Guard unit that would take the place of the regular Army personnel in my company (in case the balloon went up) came to work with us for two weeks. To be honest, I was in total disbelief. Their CO was a lawyer in Detroit. They only showed up with 13 people. Three of the group were in civilian clothes and they had three Drill Sergeants. We were going to let one of the drill sergeants teach a class. Even with three days notice, he did not feel he had enough time to prepare(he was an E-6).

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2022 1:10 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 13:10:53 -0400

Tension? The Post 9-11 influence by Reservists and National Guard has compromised the national security of this country. In the past twenty years there has been an attack on the core of our national defense. Two key challenges caused by reservist and legislators; both due to lack
or comprehension or federal regulations and the laws which govern DOD and Military roles across the branches. Civilians have threatened the core of issues with advocacy that omitted Oath of Service/Office of Enlisted and Commissioned by legislators like congresswoman Jackie Speiers who dominated in her fight for Military Sexual Assault victims. MST because a legislative agenda that heightened d attention on military culture and the huge budgets to support the community. Layers of unauthorized activity by civilians and reservists making demands on our DOD with no valid authority. These legislators must be held accountability. Reservists demanding benefits and privledgrs they don’t qualify as gold Star Moms and Blue Star Families who are clueless with their aggressive agenda dominating military affairs. They have assumed authority at the table and dictating policy for veterans and service members and have no idea about regulations or other Congressional mandates. Great conversation and I hope that the Active Duty can get representation because the Reservist Post 9-11 have created pandemonium amongst the ranks!

Response by LTC George Morgan made Aug 3 at 2022 9:33 PM

LTC George Morgan — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 21:33:44 -0400

Throughout my time in the British Reserve, the unit to whom I was attached as their Regimental Medical Officer's Assistant, was always welcomed by our regular components, why, because of our hours of commitment, to which we signed on for. We had to personally maintain a level of fitness, comparable to our regulars, in order to be able to mobilize in two weeks. If that were not commitment enough, our training schedule was as follows:

Two evenings a week, Tues, and Thurs, each of two and half hours.
Every other weekend, Friday pm to Sunday pm.
Two-week Annual Camp.
For myself, this meant two Annual Camps, one with the Infantry Regiment to whom I was attached, and being cap-badged, Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), I was obliged to complete a second RAMC camp in order to maintain my Medical Field Crafts, Administration, etc.

The other benefit of the reservist is that within any one Unit, at your elbow, you had bricklayers, plasterers, painters, electricians, plumbers, and carpenters, in company with all the medical professions, from doctors to transport. In my days as a regular SNCO, there were times I would have appreciated having these skills available to both utilise and to teach.

The bottom line is that we all wear the same uniforms', Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the two greatest elements of military life are camaraderie, and esprit-de-corps. Not division, and derision.

Response by PO1 Robbie Bell made Aug 6 at 2022 1:50 PM

PO1 Robbie Bell — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 13:50:55 -0400

This is a common issue among all the branches of the military. I served on active duty in the Navy and the Army as well as in the Army National Guard and Naval Reserves in the Seabees. I think I have a pretty good grasp of what you’re talking about. I can tell you that in the Navy/Navy Reserve, the active duty 20 something year old Navy Seabees don’t hold a candle to the 30 and 40 something professional equipment operators, plumbers, electrician, steel workers, and mechanics when it comes to doing the actual work expected of a Navy Seabee. Those youngsters may be able to run all day and do a lot of push-ups but I’ll never outwork an experienced professional that only wears the uniform part-time. I know for a fact the public works departments of ever base I visited as a reserve Seabee was thrilled to have us because we got stuff done without tearing crap up!!

Response by SFC Stephen Everett made Aug 9 at 2022 12:02 PM

SFC Stephen Everett — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 12:02:35 -0400

My duty station was in the State of Oklahoma Army Reserves as an AGR. Who housed the facility was National Guard. Reason, the State and DoD support the facilities throughout the State. However, as a Senior Non-commissioned Officer I hear the stories, like “ National Guard today is the new Special Forces”. Yeah, we all laughed about it but during the day. Both Army Reserves, National Guard, US Navy we work together as Armed Forces to help each other to sufficient. Not only as leaders, but the Armed Forces stronger and better. I hope that still happening as today.

Response by SSG Ralph Watkins made Aug 31 at 2022 11:44 PM

SSG Ralph Watkins — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 23:44:52 -0400

I did 13 years regular Army & 13 years in the PA Guard. It wasn't until I went into the Guard that I understood how important they are. They are not always pretty or going by the book. Who has time to read the book in the first place? My Guard unit was often given new TTP & equipment to test out for a weekend field exercise or during our summer camp. It was much easier to have the Guard do it that the active component. Not all Guard units are equal either. Some states have excellent units, some Guard units are seriously ate up. In Iraq my Guard unit was assigned to the Marines during the first battle of Fallujah. General Mattis said we were the best Army people he ever had under him. We then went on to work alongside the Navy SEALs doing a Tier One mission. I had to ask. Who's bright idea was that? JSOC. The Guard is like a blank slate. We have the military know how, we can easily deal with civilians, do jobs without much training & no manuals, we are older, more educated, & we aren't into the mission in order to get medals & promotions. The mission required us to sometimes be disrespectful to superiors & to break the rules in order to ensure the success of the mission. The active duty is too wound around the axle with regs & pleasantries. The Guard is better focused for special missions. By the way, in our first 2 months in Iraq, most of us dropped enough weight to meet the regs. We did have one active duty unit on our FOB that constantly harassed us. Their assigned mission was being civil engineers. Water, trash, & sewage. We rubbed their noses in it everytime they bothered us.

Response by Sgt Dennis Doty made Sep 1 at 2022 1:33 AM

Sgt Dennis Doty — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 01:33:12 -0400

After 10 years in the Corps, I served a year in a NG unit. The only complaint I had was with their lying recruiter, but I understand that the Battalion Commander handed his ass to him when they found out that I'd inserted his promises into my enlistment contract and initialled them while he was out of the room.
There's always that spot in the contract that says "No promises or inducements have been offered me except herein indicated." Great place to insert a line or two.

Response by SSG Deb Fox made Sep 1 at 2022 10:39 AM

SSG Deb Fox — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 10:39:19 -0400

Frankly many national guard have real world disaster relief experience that some active duty doesn't. They occasionally have been forced into riot police roles as well. They are expected to keep in shape on their own and work on their mos during weekend drills once a month and one two week drill a year. They do this as well as holding down a job and/or school. Also some of those national guard and reserve soldiers/sailors came from active duty too.
So just because they don't sit in the motor pool doing another maintenance check, have another class from the common task manual, impromptu drill and ceremonies practice or have another full platoon equipment inventory, makes them inferior to active duty? Okay, whatever makes you feel better about the busy work you have to do while waiting to use your training for something.

Response by SFC Someone Retired made Sep 1 at 2022 3:14 PM

SFC Someone Retired — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 15:14:46 -0400

Greetings, Meet the standard. Past your pt test, and pass your height and weight just like every one else. Ensure your uniform(s) look presentable and they fit. Nothing worse than seeing overweight police officer or an overweight/out of standards no more officer in any branch. You see a substandard issue, you tactfully and respectfully address and ensure it’s squared away. You lead by example. You yourself should be squared away if you even think about approaching me about an issue. Ensure that your tone in voice supports that tactfully and respectful approach. If need be, kindly pull me aside if I am around anyone else so I can unf?!$ myself and never be in a soup sandwich of a situation ever again.

Cheers

Response by SGT Jeff Everhart made Sep 1 at 2022 7:49 PM

SGT Jeff Everhart — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 19:49:43 -0400

There are many Guard Soldiers who try to out hooah the next guy, but it doesn't mean National Guard troops are less than the Active Duty Soldiers. At the end of the day, the uniform still says US ARMY.

Response by PO1 Terry Scott made Sep 1 at 2022 7:59 PM

PO1 Terry Scott — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 19:59:46 -0400

The Guard are the point of the spear that the left has filed down. They leave their families to care for others and their families. Remember Ohio State? While that hippie agitator put a flower in their gun barrel the comments when looking at the name tag, "Hey (your name here) we know where you live, who's protecting your wife and kids?" They are the ones the Militia look to for guidance when the sheriff calls the rest of them/us up. Then when the regular forces on deployment get back filled with The Guard, who's looking our for our families while they leave their's? Typical military, tradition unhampered by progress and common sense. Do more with way less than DC. The lights will never go out in the District of Columbia, nor will they go hungry. On active I had the opportunity to serve with them deployed and drilling. Now in my ripe old age I'm expendable if need be because if that happens they have the best medical at their beck and call. You can do a lot worse than be a reservist. Maybe a lawyer that gets their loans paid off. Sorry that was a low bar.

Response by PFC Martin Potashner made Sep 3 at 2022 4:57 PM

PFC Martin Potashner — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 16:57:18 -0400

When I was in the army we called them week end warriors.

Response by SPC Charles Osmun made Sep 11 at 2022 10:56 AM

SPC Charles Osmun — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 10:56:10 -0400

Here's my perspective as someone who only served in the guard and was only ever "active" while deployed or training.... Guardsmen and Reservist might not be as young or fit as their active counterparts (i.e. e6 type guardsman might be older or a little less fit than e6 active duty) but like Col. Roach says those guardsman are usually skilled professionals in the civilian world and can help solve real world issues. I was 11C and I know for 100% fact the only skill that taught me applicable to a civilian job was how to read a level. The way I look at is it doesn't matter if you're a little out of shape, a little older, not as proficient in all your battle drills, what matters is can you effectively complete your mission

Response by SP5 Philip Sanders made Oct 17 at 2022 4:01 PM

SP5 Philip Sanders — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 16:01:35 -0400

Sir, as you know, the National Guard and Reserve's are held to the same standards as active-duty units. They undergo training at a different pace but are expected to meet the same criteria as active service members. Add on to this the fact that they also have civilian jobs that require them to be split three ways, family, civilian employer, and Guard or Reserve duties. This is not the way it used to be many years ago when they were weekend warriors. They deploy on a rotation basis with active units. In the case of the Guard they are also providing state support to fight fires, provide COVID vaccinations, work in food banks and many other duties as determined by the State. They are also used to quell civil disturbances such as the Capitol January 6 insurrection. I was active-duty years ago. Currently I volunteer as the WA State Chair with a DOD office titled, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR.mil). Our mission is to Educate, Inform, and Mediate. We work with both employers and service members regarding USERRA. This is the federal Act which protects citizen service members from workplace issues that endanger their employment due to being a Guard or Reserve service member.
My son is an Active Duty LtCol and had the opportunity to be assigned to the WA NG 81st SBCT for 2 years as their S6 (Signal). He found the soldiers in the Brigade to be highly motivated and dedicated troops. The Reserve components are an integral part of all service branches and make up about 46% of all service members. Those of you reading this might want to consider becoming an ESGR volunteer in your state!

Response by SSG Merry Metzler made Oct 24 at 2022 7:21 PM

SSG Merry Metzler — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 19:21:40 -0400

I've been AR, NG & Reserves! A lot of 'griping' that I've heard has been pretty good natured, just giving each other a hard time. The snottiest was when I was activated for Desert Sheild/Storm. On the flight from Germany to Saudi - some active duty (carrying his big boom box on his shoulder) said all the Reserves should go home - they could handle it!! All I could think was that yep - most of us would rather be at home. Me - I left a 14 yo with a nephew watching him. Yep - single parent, my parents were ailing, & now where for the cats, dogs or horses to go. Might be a bit light on the physical side of it - but we had to pass the same MOS tests & be just as proficient in our MOS's as active - all in one weekend a month & 2 weeks annual training! Reservists & NG's ROCK!!

Response by 1SG John Millan made Jan 24 at 2024 1:12 AM

1SG John Millan — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 01:12:23 -0500

I served in both. Yes! It's love-hate! LOL

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Jan 29 at 2024 6:27 AM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 06:27:47 -0500

I served on active duty for 22 years. I was in Desert Shield/Storm. We could not have have maintained the airflow or logistical support without the guard or reserve. When our reserve and guard units arrived to help us so that our manning allowed for 24/7 365 plane launch, load and recovery, we found we did things differently. Not wrong, just differently and we all had to learn from each other to do it in the most efficient, effective way. We all learned to "play nicely" and put the mission first as it always should be. It is or should be the same for the other services.

Response by LTC Trent Klug made Jan 29 at 2024 12:28 PM

LTC Trent Klug — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 12:28:22 -0500

It's more of a playful thing most of the time. When it's not, it's because of abject stupidity on the part of the person projecting it.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jan 29 at 2024 6:32 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 18:32:03 -0500

Sometimes the NG does not follow or enforce standards. That make for an interesting unit.

Response by MAJ Hugh Blanchard made Feb 18 at 2024 7:07 PM

MAJ Hugh Blanchard — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 19:07:10 -0500

At 25th ID we had a great relationship with the Hawaii Army NG. Many of them had some serious combat time and were very well trained in jungle warfare. Of course there were differences but we both had contributions to make and respected one another.

Response by SFC James Lussier made Feb 23 at 2024 9:55 PM

SFC James Lussier — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 21:55:51 -0500

Many times I had the joy of Training with, and evaluating NG Units in the USA. From a 'Weekend 4 Wheel Drive Club' (their description) to the superb units I dealt with in the Gulf War Zones. Each unit did their job. Some Active units could learn from some of the 'Weekend Warriors' that I dealt with also. They were able to get the job done with out all the BS many Active Duty Units are bogged down with. Everyone is a link in the chain that keeps the wolves at bay. Your specific job is to figure if you are a strong link, an average link or a weak link that breaks the chain and build on that.

Response by SSG Gary R Peek made Feb 25 at 2024 11:35 AM

SSG Gary R Peek — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 11:35:12 -0500

Thankfully I have had the opportunity to train and observe both active duty and the Guard over my 20+ years in the Army. I was a Master Gunner in Ft Benning and trained my soldiers most every day on maintaining the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the Bushmaster 25mm Automatic Chain gun, the 60, the TOW System, up to the qualification ranges. Repetition on these procedures made my soldiers very knowledgeable and proficient where as our counterparts do not have that opportunity as 1 weekend a month does not make soldiers proficient.

For my final two years in the Army I was sent to Ft Chaffee AR as an OCT (Observer Controller Trainer) We trained soldiers from light Infantry Units to heavy Units, from Arkansas, Ft Hood, Ft Polk, panhandle of Oklahoma, MO, Idaho, to NTC. The heavy Units were trained on operation/maintaining the Bradley to qualification tables. In speaking to the multitude of Guardmans who have the Bradley’s most all said they did not have much direct contact with them. They also explained, as COL Roach said, most of them were older, not in the best of health, and liked to train inside when it was hot or trained inside when it was too cold.

They often expressed that the senior leaders found it more like a mini vacation from family and an opportunity to “party.” I believe most all active duty soldiers have the same sense of the Guard as I initially thought. My very first experience with the Guard as an OCT was observing them do simple map skills, to moving to their Objective, to setting up an ORP. I was left scratching my head as I had been from Berlin as a light Infantry Battalion to Ft Benning as a Heavy Unit soldier and had never saw the things like they were preforming. I corrected the leaders along the way to no avail. Then came the ORP. Yes it’s hot here in AR and you must be in full uniform in front of them the entire time.

They set up their ORP and set out to stripping down because they were too hot. Some of them even had their private weapons strapped on their side, loaded. I couldn’t believe my eyes and I took the LT and the E-6 to the side and made it clear that no one will be out of uniform during this training period and their private weapons had to be moved back to their Armory or their vehicles. No it did not go well but I had no sympathy whatsoever as I was setting the example.

Then came a light unit out of North West Arkansas led by a now Congressman. His name; COL Steve Womack. His unit was clearly trained and with only a few most all of them were in pretty good shape. They expressed that COLONEL Womack was tough on all his soldiers because he refused to believe that his unit enlisted in the Guard just to party and have mini camps. He also believed that his unit was able to fit in with their counterparts on active without much of a transition issue.

Professional, extremely intelligent in all Military fields of operations, fantastic communicator, and in great shape. COL Womack wanted it straight as to how the operations went, the deficiencies, their knowledge of Military skills, and this was in the field as he knew that the take home packet would be a watered down version of what he now knew. He changed my mind of the Guard and to this day I make sure to keep supporting him as a Congressman because he’s done a lot for Arkansas, the River Valley, and the Veterans who live in his district.

From what I have seen and heard over the years since I retired is the the Guard and Reserves have upped their standards as they too deploy almost as much as their active duty counterparts. God bless you all.

Response by Sgt Jim Belanus made Feb 26 at 2024 9:15 AM

Sgt Jim Belanus — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 09:15:51 -0500

The 164th kick the hell out of Japan, fighting along side the Marines

Response by 1SG Dean Mcbride (MPER) (CPHR) made Feb 26 at 2024 11:07 AM

1SG Dean Mcbride (MPER) (CPHR) — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:07:17 -0500

For two years, I spent a few weeks each summer at Camp Williams in training exercises with the Special Forces National Guard... Deployed 7th SF Group to assist in the training. I had a lot of respect for NG the troops! They fit in well with the active duty SF and were well thought of!

Response by SFC Eric Harmon made Feb 26 at 2024 4:19 PM

SFC Eric Harmon — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 16:19:31 -0500

Served in both, finished as AGR. I enjoyed both and would stack National Guard Soldiers up against their active duty counterparts all day long. US Army is on both uniforms and either one would have your back.

Response by SCPO Rev. Dr. Thomas Peavy made Feb 26 at 2024 8:33 PM

SCPO Rev. Dr. Thomas Peavy — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 20:33:04 -0500

I had a combination of service, four years USN, four years Army Reserve, Medic, two years GA Army National Guard, Medic, remainder Navy Reserve and attached to Fleet Marine Force as a Corpsman. Good training USAR, GA ARNG had its issues. USNR and Fleet Marine Force superior training. Compared to my USAR unit and USNR/FMF unit the NG lacked resources and training opportunities for a Battalion Aid Station and were not ready for work in an Army Hospital. The NG Soldiers were dedicated and as proficient as training would allow but way too much "state politics" and Old Boy" system at work. USAR unit drilled in an Army Hospital, USNR unit drilled in a near by Army Hospital or Navy Branch Clinic or Fleet Hospital training site. ARNG didn't have those opportunities on usual drill weekends. Assessment by Col. Roach is correct. In my USNR unit we had Physicians, Dentists, Registered Nurses and Physician Assistants and a Pharmacist as officers. In the enlisted ranks there were Registered Nurses, a Psychologists, a University Professor, Emergency Medical Technicians, an X-ray technicians, a Lab Technicians and an Educator. My USNR unit could man and run any standard hospital, Fleet Hospital or Battalion Aid Station where we were assigned. FMF Corpsman ran Marine Corps PT if serving with Marines. At age 45, I was chasing 18 and 22 YO Marines around in the Field. ARNG where I served couldn't do that. Readiness of the ARNG depends much on the state in which they are located.

Response by LTC David Baird made Feb 27 at 2024 11:40 PM

LTC David Baird — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 23:40:20 -0500

I spent 32 years in uniform. National Guard, reserve, active duty, and yes to combat deployments. I can tell you that no one component can do it alone we all need each other and of course there’s a lot of jabs and we’ve been going on, but it should all be in good fun. We are stronger and better when we all have that mutual level of respect and work towards a common goal.

Response by SGT Brian Jarvi made Feb 28 at 2024 7:44 PM

SGT Brian Jarvi — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 19:44:07 -0500

My Guard Unit was an Engineer Unit that held the vanguard of the German Panzer divisions trying to get through at the Battle of the Bulge. They held them for three days until relieved by Patton. Had they gotten through they would have gotten into 3 million gallons of gas and probably would have retaken Paris. I was in the active Army, Army Reserve and with the National Guard. I served in combat with both active and guard and both are an integral part of the Army.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2024 12:57 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 12:57:23 -0500

The active will always look down on the NG. There's no changing that. The thing is in the NG most of us do our job in the civ world gaining much more exp. I've worked with a rice units that all they did was train simulated missions cause that's all they can do. Where as I have both trianing & applied it to civ jobs & gained actual real world exp & learned to adapt & apply it to military missions.

Now there is always that friendly joking on each other that is just all fun & games. We laugh & they laugh. All in good fun. Cause at the end of the day we all wear the uniform & took the same oath. While I believe the NG is better is better than active because of our real world applications since we are called to do the job in emergency. There are things active will do better cause they have the time & resources to do it.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2024 3:49 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 15:49:59 -0500

Like water off a duck. When soldiers stop talking smack, then it is time to worry…. Something is about to blow…

Response by SSG Steve Knox made Mar 28 at 2024 11:55 AM

SSG Steve Knox — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:55:32 -0400

I started my military career as a National Guard warrior. Like all active and guard units, you have your "soso's" and your "standout" units. I deployed to Bosnia, Italy and Iraq under the Guard. I deployed to Kuwait, Arifjan, Camp Buring and the Kuwaiti Naval Base as an active duty OCT/M. Doesn't matter if you are Guard or Active, it's your damn sworn duty to be the best damn soldier for your assigned unit be stateside or deployed. Your only concern as a warrior is to prove to yourself that you deserve to be a part of the best damn fighting force in this world...Active or Guard,