What's it like being a 11B in the Army National Guard?

It is dependent on your unit (situation dictates, haha). Mostly, It is a place that is all about training on a low budget. Depending on your state there are times that training will have some nice things. It is possible to be trained up but leadership is mostly prior service or people that have been downrange. When a recruit makes it out of basic training they will have experiences and sometimes gear issued that comes from more contemporary training. So, the Guard make the best out of what it has. Conversely, in my experience- When/if your Unit is called to get spun up, then it becomes a different ballgame. People will fall out to avoid going downrange, personnel get shifted and training intensifies. So, It's mostly a peacetime operation and thrives off of the value that Prior service & Active Duty Veterans have. Couple that with the civilian skills counterpart and the recruit mentality we can see a diverse group. I wasn't Active Duty but I'll take a leap and guess that there is a difference in rigidness compared to being full-time Big Army.

Lots of good posts on here, I don't feel the need to elaborate. Most rewarding job I've ever had. Only you can decide if you have what it takes to attempt to earn the blue cord..

I was 11B from 1994 - 2014, changing only recently.

The experience was mixed and depended on whether it was a home station drill or one that took place at our major training facility.

When I was at 104th LRSD, we were right on our major training post, plus we availed ourselves of PA Guard aviation assets for jumps quite often, so there was a good bit of field time. But later, with the Guard Stryker Brigade, home station drills were mostly admin and typically boring, clean weapons and equipment from the last drill at the training station, etc.

From a troop point of view, a lot of maintenance..weapons, gear, and skills. Many of the weekend drills are dedicated to all of the mandatory stuff like EEO briefings, CCT tests, Riot Training, PT tests, and preparing for annual training (i.e. inventory and maintenance of equipment). So many units have leaders with combat experience now, that a lot of the training has been adjusted accordingly (breach and clear a building/rooms, check point operations, etc).

Annual training is typically two weeks of war games with a live fire or two. Practicing patrols, ambush, reaction to ambush, and marches. It is up to you to stay in shape, because one weekend a month isn't going to do it.

The fun can be a lot of fun, but there is a lot of hurry up and wait. Like others have said, find out when the until is drilling. If you work with your local AGR(full timer) at your unit, they can help you coordinate the time/date/location and even get credit for drilling with that unit (note: that may not always work out - get permission first).

I'm not an 11B, but I hear you get out of it what you put in (on a drill weekend).

Yes, because it tends to better meet the needs of the Guard!

I was a 11H in the guard we trained on our weapons proficiency and maintained our gear when mobilized we did everything AT we trained with our weapons movements and tactics when you deploy you do your job but that's my experience