What can I expect when joining to the National Guard as an 11B?

I'm NG. Luckily, I'm AGR. Understand this, once your graduate basic and AIT, you're right back to your civilian job with civilian pay. Your benefits aren't free. And when you retire from the guard as a regular Mday soldier, you don't get your retirement untill your 60 and you pay full price for Tricare. Go active, my friend. If you're not a single parent, go active. Especially since youre wanting 11B. 11B will not help you in the civilian sector. 25B, yes because of the IT knowledge and certs. If you're looking for the Army life, the career, the benefits, and the retirement, go active.

I crossed over from USMC in 1979 to the Guard and it was a big party...now it's more like the Army. I was a rare Corrporal in the Guard when they booted me to the curb in 2004...Rejoined 2002...I was a 19D Cav and 11B at age 47 (deployed 11B AD). If your doing this MOS for fun like I did, a Sunny day drill will eventually turn into a bloody one with mayhem, injury and death. Same could happen with Air Traffic Control but at a more personal level as a dogface. Some of my MOS's I held have crippled me, especially combat arms. Iam 194% VA calculator math disabled. Many from my unit are now 100%+ mostly TBI from IED in Iraq. I was injured many times in training; Mostly brain. Tank blast ...sitting on the turret when it fired..now deaf in that facing ear..falls, Vehicle turn overs. Then the mental side.. dead bodies 10+ ..Suicide 2...murders 2. Sst shot..PFC ran over by Duce and 1/2 after argument at Club. ... assaults... 10+ ...heart attacks 2 older soldiers both died...heat stroke death 2... Drunk driving deaths 3 off duty. Air crashes Dean Martin jr... Airborne accidents ( Gallant Eagle 1982. ) think hard and long about 11B..I never made it to 20 years...16 good ones. Over a span of 30 years 1974 to 2004. Don't give up your rank... check other units and other recruiters. Even though I get good retirement...today Iam laying in a bed of pain...hip and lower back..plus I am crossed eyed and see double...And I a lucky one. THINK

My advise would be to go in the air force reserves or guard as an air traffic controller. You have a very valuable skill and we are all apart of the fight.

How hard the training will be will vary between Units/States and the operational tempo of the units. Some of the units were deploying on a three year rotation, so if you are in a unit scheduled to go overseas, expect it to be busy and the PT and weapons standards tight.

Don’t... unless they let you keep your rank. An E4 in the Army is like an E3 in the Marine Corps. You will be the cleaning the bathroom at the end of drill, doing working parties,etc. You won’t be a CPL you will be a SPC (specialist) which is the Army’s equivalent of a LCPL. I was a squad leader in the Marine Corps infantry and after transferring to the guard I am now a team leader as an E5 because a team leader in the Army is a SGT(E5) billet vs. the USMC that’s a Cpl(E4) billet. My recommendation...tell them you are not willing to lose your rank, odds are they will find a way for you to keep your rank. If they don’t, find a different job that will. Good luck.

Right away, request to go to whatever they’re calling BMCOC these days. This will help knock off some of the rust and get you acquainted with the Army tactics and techniques. Get a copy of FM 7-8 and start studying. I envy your path, for I miss it every day.

You will go as a Specialist not corporal.