Thinking about joing the Reserve or National Guard

2014-07-14T00:36:19-04:00

I am ETSing in 2017 I want to stay active but the way the Army is going I may just ETS but can someone who was Active and now in the Reserve tell what is the different beside the pay and locations. Also, is it possible to get promoted quicker and possible come back Active. Thank you for posting.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2014 1:09 AM

2014-07-16T01:09:27-04:00

Maybe SFC Patricia Beltran can assist you. She went from active component to reserves then on AGR.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 8 at 2014 12:08 PM

2014-08-08T12:08:00-04:00

I, too, am very interested in the differences between the Reserve and National Guard.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 8 at 2014 4:04 PM

2014-08-08T16:04:49-04:00

I've been in the reserves since 2008. A couple of the obvious differences with the USAR vs. ARNG, is that there are no combat arms units in the USAR. We do have Engineer BNs as well as MPs, but the big four: Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry, and armor, are non existent in the reserves. For the ARNG, I can't tell you much because it all depends on what state you join in. Some states, such as Texas have really impressive NG systems that are much more active than the one weekend a month two weeks a year. That's another thing about the reserves as well. Your career is really what you want to make of it. You can do the 1 weekend a month thing, or you can do more, especially if your unit has a high OPTEMPO.

I'll use myself as an example: I graduated AIT in FEB '09. I went to drill in March and recieved 5 day orders to drive up to FT. Hunter Liggett to provide medical support for the Best Warrior competition. In May of that year, I did a week of Home Station AT (basically you work the day to day at your unit) then I had my orders suddenly amended on the second week to drive out to JFTB Los Alamitos to assist in teaching a CLS class for the 63rd RRC. July I went to WLC, August was a month long AT at the unit because our unit was coming home from deployment at the end of the month. Then on the flight line as I was helping unload the plane, my 1SG handed me orders saying that I was being crossleveled out of the unit up to Seattle to deploy to Iraq. Part of this was making myself available, and putting effort in to what you want to do.

Other admin in the reserves would be You need to get used to PT on your own. Most units don't do unit PT during Battle Assembly because we have way too much stuff to accomplish, and if we hold first formation before a certain time, then command is required to provide breakfast, just like, if they hold us past a certain time at night, then the unit needs to provide dinner. And remember, a lot of stuff you're used to having provided for you is no longer there. Example: sick call. If you injure yourself while at drill or on orders, you still have to report to a civilian job that pays you to work and explain yourself to them too.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 8 at 2014 6:21 PM

2014-08-08T18:21:20-04:00

I have been in the reserves since 2005 and would recommend it if you want to stay in the military but want to also pursue a civilian career. The reserves, as has been previously mentioned, do not have any "combat" units and are primary units that have been considered "support" in the past. This does not mean that deployments are rare and that you will do nothing but your weekend each month and 2 week training in the summer, however. I've found that if you work hard you will still have the opportunity to do schools and training events, even overseas.

Another large part of the reserves is that there is a really good camaraderie that seems more relaxed and friendly than I've seen with active duty groups that I've worked with. This tends to drive individuals crazy that come straight from active duty as they are not used to having lower enlisted, NCOs, and sometimes officers hanging out together.

Promotions in the reserves depend very heavily on the unit and type of unit. I've seen a cycle where lots of people get promoted and then a few years where nobody gets promoted. You should be able to keep your rank moving from active to reserve, but I have friends who were taken down one rank when they moved back to the active side, so beware if that is something you are planning.

The benefits from the reserves are a big draw since you can go to school full time and still make a living from the GI Bill. You an also go to school and work and have a good amount of money available to yourself, which is what I'm doing. In addition to the GI Bill there are also reserve-specific benefits such as Tuition Assistance (TA) that gives you a set amount of money each year to put toward tuition. If you use all the benefits you have available you should be able to be a full-time student and live more comfortably than most students with jobs on campus.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 8 at 2015 7:26 PM

2015-01-08T19:26:01-05:00

Whether Reserve or National Guard, it comes down to what goals you want to achieve and ultimately what works best for you. You have to look at future education prospects, stability in or unit, stability with your employer, is the unit going to deploy?

I will echo the comments already made here, it's what you make it, you're in charge of your career.

Are there AGR opportunities, yes, you have the same shot as anyone to apply, get qualified, interviewed, selected and hired for a position. Reserve AGR opportunities, HRC handles those.
ARNG AGR positions, each state runs their own AGR process.

Reserve pay table:
http://www.dfas.mil/dfas/militarymembers.html

Military Members

Information on many military pay topics including TDY and PCS travel, pay tables, pay dates, deductions, entitlements, and SGLI.

Response by SFC A.M. Drake made Jan 8 at 2015 7:41 PM

2015-01-08T19:41:30-05:00

Your best bet is to speak with your Career Counselor about your options