What is the difference between active duty Army and AGR from cultural standpoint?

2022-04-05T00:22:49-04:00

I'm interested in a warrant officer perspective but all input and experience is helpful. For the sake of specificity let's say it's a Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 5 at 2022 12:26 AM

2022-04-05T00:26:38-04:00

ASk one of the following gentlemen... they are knowledgeable in military related questions.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 5 at 2022 10:39 AM

2022-04-05T10:39:41-04:00

Chief, the difference per cultural standpoint is that you will be Full Time Staff for Reserve and/or Guard units. Which in itself has many cultural differences when compared to Active Duty. Instead of working with the same people all day every day, you work with a limited number of folks every day and the rest sporadic times to include phone calls and once a month. It's the mentality that is the cultural difference that I have seen between them.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 5 at 2022 3:58 PM

2022-04-05T15:58:35-04:00

I will give input later.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 5 at 2022 4:22 PM

2022-04-05T16:22:34-04:00

I was active duty and worked with the NG for two years.

- Some AGR worked hard.
- Some did not work. As an example, an E-7 was the bookkeeper for our unit account. She gave the books to me and said I don't know how to balance a checkbook. I was disgusted.
- AT can be fun although I thought I might lose a rank as female soldiers in bikinis drank and used the slip n slide.
- There is hypocrisy. We were told to drive our military vehicles to AT. As an AD soldier going in a convoy means that I will ride in the convoy. All the f@cking officers drove their POVs to AT. I was pissed.
- There is definitely nepotism.
- Sometimes coordinating with soldiers was difficult because the Friday night meetings before drill decisions are made.
- The unit told me to write my own award when I PCSed. I told myself screw that. If they can't write an award, then I guess I don't deserve one.
- Obviously some people were promoted who did not deserve it, but the flipside was I was able to go to the COL to promote an AGR soldier who was a stud.

Response by SFC Dan Thomsen made Apr 7 at 2022 10:13 AM

2022-04-07T10:13:56-04:00

AGR(Guard) you will be surrounded with a lot of wisdom from people who have been in that same unit their whole careers (or in and out of it due to transfers to sister units). You don't leave the state (PCS) unless deployed. as a warrant it might interest you a bit to talk with the Warrant Officer recruiting manager for the state and see what your pyramid for upward mobility is in your concentration so you have a good idea if you can make CW4 or possibly CW5. I can't speak on the reserves as they are their own ballgame and they shuffle the deck so it changes things because your global in your slot and assignments. As a warrant you will be the go to guy for stuff and as we called it...part of the warrant officer mafia. The warrants take care of each other and have the ear of the senior enlisted. Hope this helps if you we're considering AGR in the Guard.

Response by SFC Katy Hammond made Oct 20 at 2022 12:37 AM

2022-10-20T00:37:52-04:00

In my opinion, the AGR Program has always been the best kept secret in the Army. I spent over 10 years in the AGR program in the Special Ops...and wouldn't change it for the world. I was Senior Enlisted but I can't imagine being a Warrant would be much different.