What is the difference between National Guard and reserve? Besides one being state and the other being federal. Also what is active guard?

2016-08-10T13:56:07-04:00

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 10 at 2016 2:14 PM

2016-08-10T14:14:01-04:00

You hit the nail on the head - the National Guard is under state control (Title 32 normally, unless mobilized for federal duty, Title 10) and the Reserve is under federal control. Active Guard (AGR) are those individuals that are National Guard members essentially on active duty ("full time" Guard). After 20 qualifying years, AGR qualify for a "regular retirement" (traditional active duty retirement) while M-day National Guard (and regular Reserve members) gualify for a "non-regular retirement" (retirement pay is determined solely by points accrued and time of service does not matter).

Response by SPC Loran Taylor made Aug 10 at 2016 2:20 PM

2016-08-10T14:20:20-04:00

reserve has one set of bosses (federal) and command of national guard is shared between federal and the respective state. Active Guard is the full time unit staff for each unit and command structure

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 10 at 2016 3:19 PM

2016-08-10T15:19:40-04:00

Active Guard or AGR are members who report to a permanent post within their state. They fall under a full-time chain of command and are no longer considered "M-Day" or drilling Soldiers. Also, AGR Soldiers receive paychecks on the 1st and 15th, like their active duty counterparts, as well as BAH. ADSW positions are also full-time NG positions, but these orders are temporary, and Soldiers usually have to report to their units on posted weekends. Hope this helps.

Response by SFC J Fullerton made Aug 10 at 2016 3:51 PM

2016-08-10T15:51:57-04:00

Aside from state and federal, differences are USAR units are all combat support and combat service support. There are no combat arms maneuver units in the USAR. Reserve CS and CSS units are meant to augment Regular Army units, corps down to bde level as whole units, or piecemeal. TRADOC has USAR drill sgt and instructor units that can mobilize and take over IET at a training base. ARNG is structured more like Regular Army maneuver commands, deployable as bde, divison level assets. USAR units get all their funding from the federal DOD budget. The ARNG gets a percentage of federal funding, but most comes out of the state budget. AGR- Active Guard/Reservist, is the term for a full time active duty guardsman or reservist. Most of those positions are administrative, recruiting, supply, and maintenance (3rd shop).

Response by MSG Pat Colby made Aug 10 at 2016 8:16 PM

2016-08-10T20:16:26-04:00

AGR = The Reserves and Guard has full-time Soldiers to perform routine Administrative functions for the Unit. Typical S-type stuff. S-1's do pay and promotions, etc.. S-3 orchestrates MOS and NCOES Schools, Security Clearances, Mobilization Prep, etc... S-4 Folks routinely count their ball point pens and only issue the Ink refills to the Reservists while they maintain and service their own stash of Pens.

The size of the Unit (and sometimes equipment #'s) determines how many Full-Timers are assigned there. Many times multiple Reserve Units are consolidated in the same location. Sometimes Units are out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by bean and corn fields.

The reality? AGR types spend the week prior to the Unit's scheduled drill setting the stage for their Unit's leaders to be successful. During the Drill, you are THE GO-TO (and designated Fall) Guy when shit isn't going down as planned. The week following the Drill you get to un-fuck everything they messed up. Sometimes the un-fucking process takes up to 2 weeks. Example ~ The Unit does the APFT, as the S-3, you get to fix and consolidate all the 705's, input the scores in the system and determine the actual status of the individuals and find the shammers developing a list for the Section NCOIC's and 1SG to hound and Counsel.

As a drilling Reservist, there are a lot of chances to get on ADSW (Active Duty, Special Work) orders depending on your MOS and who you know. You are basically on Active Duty for an established period of time to complete the "Special Work". Those orders can be anywhere from a week to a year.

Response by SPC James Gromley made Aug 10 at 2016 11:48 PM

2016-08-10T23:48:22-04:00

The biggest difference is that the National Guard answers to the State government and can be called up for almost any thing from some thing as mundane as a search of a large area of land in the state to some thing truly dangerous. I am certain you have seen First Blood that was the National Guard being used to look for Rambo not the regular army or even a reserve company. The details are a bit complicated but I personally have worked with members of the Idaho National Guard while fighting forest fires in that state. I was going to be there 2 weeks and was working for the Department of forestry if they would have been Reserve units they would have been done in 2 weeks as well like myself. But being National Guard they had no idea when they would be going home. The fact that they answered to the state government and not the federal meant that they can be used and abused for any type of thing which the state feels need of their use. The reserve units being controlled by the Federal government would only be used and abused for 2 weeks at a time before they would no longer have to be there. It would take a act of congress to make them stay any longer.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2016 3:23 AM

2016-08-11T03:23:33-04:00

AD, NG, and AR all receive the same IET. After that it differs.

NG and AR go to drill status, your one weekend a month (one weekend my ass) and AD is exactly what it is full time. NG and AR can both be activated for Active Duty by the Feds, the NG however is not only part of the Army but also part of the United States National Guard a.k.a your States Militia. So the NG can also be activated by their respective States governor for whatever reason such as natural disasters, civil unrest, border problems, etc.

Or you know in case Arizona wants to invade California... Just sayin.

AGR is when the Reserves and National Guard are put on active status for their State and not Federal. It can be for various things, usually support roles such as Recruitment, Maintenance, Admin, or in other cases assisting Border Patrol.

Response by SPC Jacob Hostetler made Aug 11 at 2016 10:32 AM

2016-08-11T10:32:58-04:00

From my understanding, Active guard just like Active duty, but pay by the state. But the difference between Guard and Reserve, I start with most guard offer full College ride, and are little more local. On note Reserve also offer college funds, bit at 100%. But the main difference is if the army reserve needs MOS: for example: in TX and you have that MOS you live in Ohio, the can send you orders. But the Guard they can still do this, but come down through your chain of command, and your choice to transfer or not. I been out for minute and with all deployment s the my have change.

Response by MSG David Holmden made Aug 11 at 2016 11:26 AM

2016-08-11T11:26:59-04:00

As I read other folks responses above or below, wherever this response falls many if not all are correct in more depth answer.

A simple answer: Reserve does one weekend a month and generally 2 weeks during some point in the year, but can do more if you have an NCOES school or other type school. That's generally it unless you get deployed.

National Guard: same in aspect of one drill a month and 2 weeks AT usually during summer and more if you need schooling. Now the big difference is there are usually always some type of "job(s)" available, either AGR (Active Guard Reserve), or ADSW (Active Duty Special Work) or Federal Tech jobs which AGR and Tech you can build and retire from. AGR is more like Active Army or what many guardsmen call "Big Army" where your able to retire with the same benefits as someone in "Big Army" Federal Tech is your age plus years etc etc have to ad up to some number that's about all I know about that one.
Nice thing about Guard you get to pretty much choose your path career vs someone telling you what your going to do. Many many opportunities vs Reserves, and by no means am I dogging Reserves, Big Army or any other services as we all have our jobs and I respect all members of the services.

Hope this is kind of a simpler way of looking at the differences between Reserve and Guard. But like I said at the beginning much of what folks said is correct but in depth.

Good luck