Tension between National Guard and Active Duty Army?

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.

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!

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

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.

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?

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 .

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

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.

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.

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.