Army National Guard ???

[GaGen2Teg]

It skipped thru my mind the other day of joining. I went to the website checked it out. Doesn't seem that bad. I wanna know a lil more or basically a personal pov. How much money do you make? What the basic process? :blah:
I know I know you should go talk to a recruiter. But I just want to get IA's thoughts.

[4uhaterz]

It skipped thru my mind the other day of joining. I went to the website checked it out. Doesn't seem that bad. I wanna know a lil more or basically a personal pov. How much money do you make? What the basic process? :blah:
I know I know you should go talk to a recruiter. But I just want to get IA's thoughts.

I would like to know also! Looking to do something totally different.

[wannab20hatch]

the national guard sucks. everyone in the military will make fun of you. lol pm truegiant on here and hell tell you. hes a good friend of mine and hes in the army right now. good guy to talk to.

do either of you have criminal records? speeding tickets are ok

[keva52]

i dunno how much national guard makes but when i was active duty i made around $1500 a month and i was pvt-e2

[keva52]

heres a pay table..
active duty: http://www.defenselink.mil/militarypay/pay/bp/paytables/2009%20capped.pdf

national guard: http://www.1800goguard.com/careers/pay.php

[JBrakeS2K]

Guard is completely different from active duty as well as reserve. You get paid like a part time job, and it depends on drill weekends. I am not up to par on Army per se, but i know the Air Force Guard is a great way to go. The state that the guard unit is in will be the funding for it not like how the federal govt pays for active duty. So slots for different fields will have different availability versus active duty. Terms of enlistment are usually longer than active duty, but its not like you are there 24/7. The cool thing with the Airforce Guard is that there are active slot positions, which you can get paid as a civil service employee to do the job you are enlisted as..which means you just wear the uniform to work, an 8 or 9 hour day, and dont deploy if you dont need to. Unless..that guard unit gets activated. Now what i am guessing with the Army is that most of their Guard units are active, which means you will probably end up deploying...but i could be wrong. Dont hold me against it..lol. If you need any help, call recruiters, they will be up your ass after but if its something you really want to do, just look into it. The Army is alot more leinent with charges, but i know with the AirForce you have to deal with alot of stuff, even charges as a minor. Check out retirement aswell, its definitely not as good as active duty, and takes longer to recieve, but it might be a good route if you are looking for something long term. Best of luck. If you need any help dude let me know.

[wannab20hatch]

if you want to join your better off just going army reserve or something youll make more money and work just as much. i just did my asvab and meps a little while back. im DEP'in right now to be able to go to school.

[wannab20hatch]

the army is just as strict when it comes to charges. trust me im dealing with it right now. i have a battery charge and im waiting for a waiver. before you call a recruiter you need to think ot over really hard and be ready to completely open your life up to the army. i mean everything. if you are allergic to bees they want to know. its serious when you get down to meps. no games.

[Nubz]

okay with the guard your pretty much going to be known as a tampon. you go to drill once a month and make shit. but..they pay for your school and depending on your mos you can get a 20k signing bonus. but it does get taxed to around 16. basic training is 9 weeks but you can make it longer if you want to go straight to doing your ait training. which is your job. it would make basic 15 weeks. its easy as fuck. if you cant pass the basic you fail at life. but i would get with a recuiter and talk more about it. if your doing it for the uniform and money your doing it for all the wrong reasons. check out your options.

[keva52]

no pov through training, which is 9 weeks while your in basic training and several weeks depending on your mos at ait, you can have one in your second part of training after so many weeks of being there and being a phase 5+ (when your in AIT, you go through phases that give you certain benefits, phase 4 is like your still in basic, phase 5 you can wear civilian cloths and go off base between certain hours, 5+ you get to spend all weekend off base.) after that your free to have your own pov.

let me know if you have any other questions

[JBrakeS2K]

meps...haha..they make it seem that way man.. trust me there are loopholes. You dont even know what i had to go through, they wouldnt even of let me in if i had a battery charge. I know felons that got into the Army.. they say they dont do that but trust me, there are loopholes man.

[wannab20hatch]

ooh yeah there are. thats why you just gotta worth a good recruiter. ;)

the scariest part of meps is when you get to the hotel and see all of the local bars then get on base the next day and they hand you a breathalizer straw. alot of people practiaclly pissed themselves. lol

[JBrakeS2K]

exactly bro, a good recruiter will go along way..

[keva52]

haha my recruiter told me she would sign anyone up no matter what the crime they had committed

[JBrakeS2K]

WHAT? there recruiter never told them there would be a breathalizer? Thats retarded man, those recruiters need to meet quotas.. and the only way they do that is if the people actually MAKE it to basic. At least in the Airforce.. i dunno man, but i dont believe the army and the air force are too vast apart in that criteria

[keva52]

ooh yeah there are. thats why you just gotta worth a good recruiter. ;)

the scariest part of meps is when you get to the hotel and see all of the local bars then get on base the next day and they hand you a breathalizer straw. alot of people practiaclly pissed themselves. lol

what meps did you go to? the hotel they put me in didnt have a bar anywhere around it i had to walk 2 miles to get a pack of cigarettes..

[wannab20hatch]

i went to meps in atl. we stayed in a nice hotel. had a ps3 and xbox360 with big screens in the basements. trying to suck ppl in. and they told us not to drink because we would be drug tested and breathalized but ppl did it anyway.

[keva52]

the double tree, thats the one i was at, there was the bar in the lobby, they wouldnt even let us near it, but thats the only one i saw around there.

[JBrakeS2K]

yeah that makes sense, there were so many morons when i went in. i think people just were forced to go and didnt really want to. i dunno.. i just dont understand it. why get that far and blow it all away?

[keva52]

i joined for the wrong reasons.. note the awol..

[wannab20hatch]

the double tree, thats the one i was at, there was the bar in the lobby, they wouldnt even let us near it, but thats the only one i saw around there.

there are like 3 new bars across the bridge now. and spondivits is there to. alot of guys were there with felony charges and were joining just to get out ofthe charge. their recruiters worked out a deal with the courts.

[keva52]

see there was only a gas station and an arbys across the bridge when i was there

[wannab20hatch]

theres quite a bit there now. i was there in like sept i think.

[keva52]

i havnt been up there in 3 years..

[Bruce Leroy]

soooooooooo....

I have a pending misdemeanor poss of marijuana charge. And my court date is not till 2010. Would that prohibit me from joining the air force?
My parents are really pushing for me to go, and I thought about it, and talked to some people that are currently enlisted. I probably wont join, but i'm just curious if I would be wasting mine, and a recruiters time.

[wannab20hatch]

you wouldnt be able to join until the case is disposed. meaning fines paid probation over with. and i doubt the force would take you. the army probably would. but youll have to apply for a waiver and it takes forever.

[keva52]

idk about that since its a pending charge but call a recruiter and just ask.

[wannab20hatch]

your right if he took his asvab and the recruiter went to court with him they may just charge a fine and suspend probation in way of the armed forces.

[4uhaterz]

I was mainly thinking about the National Guard because they pay for you schooling. I'm not looking at this for long term.

[wannab20hatch]

the army will to and youll make more money. get a student loan up to 60k then joi th reserves and theyll pay it for you.

[GaGen2Teg]

thanks for all the input

how does the army reserve route work??? i have nothing on my record far as i know...

[Just_CHill]

thanks for all the input

how does the army reserve route work??? i have nothing on my record far as i know...
Make sure you keep it in the back of your mind that you might get shipped out to another country no matter what branch you join. Airforce is about the best route to go these days. Short deployments, paid more, taken care better than any other branch, and schooling is pretty damn good too. Not sure what kind of sign up bonus or any other incentive they may give you.

Also, National Guard is known to be ragged on but we all wear the same uniform, all fight the same war, and train under the same rules. Neither is better than the other. They just give different pluses and negatives. National Guard is great if you want to finish school. Usually people already have a decent job before they go in but just want the extra money and education benefits. But even though it is one weekend a month, there are still other training exercises that you will attend. They aren't all bad either. Some are like weekend trips. One of my favorites is getting to stay in the Marriott off of River Street in Savannah for 2 days for a Warrant Officer seminar. Paid for food, travel, plus for the three days I was down there.

Oh, and PLEASE make sure you join for something you really want to do and not something the recruiter think you will be good at. The military has every fukking skill set that you can imagine. But definitely continue to do your research. You will thank yourself in the long run!

If I am wrong about anything above, please correct me.

[GaGen2Teg]

word i feel you yeah i been researchin but havent talk to any recruiters yet but i will be going to see them next week

[wannab20hatch]

the reserve is one weekend a month 2 weeks in the summer. but like just chill said be willing to leave because no matter what you may have to. also the a/f just requires higher asvab scoring and since they have better housing usually unless your genuis or have a degree they usually dont have much to offer for bonuses. and the recruiter will try to talk you into all kinds of shit but he has ntohing to do with your job its the liason at meps that sits with you to pick your mos.

heres a word of wisdom. if a job offers a big sign on bonus its usually not all that great otherwise they wouldnt have to offer the bonus. i.e. scouts were getting 10k when i was down at meps but they also sit up on hills and get shot at while calling in artillery. doesnt sound fun to me.

[DurtySpeed]

Don't go guard. You will wish you went active. I am active currently stationed out of Ft. Carson, Co, which rocks btw. We are deployed to Diwaniya, Iraq currently and I am having an awesome time. With guard, you don't get nearly the benifits and basically no pay but still get all the risks of deploying. Don't listen to the people that say you won't deploy. With Iraq and Afganistan, and the increasing sit in N. Korea. You will deploy. Keep that mindset. Don't think if. You could somehow never do it, but just go into it thinking you will.

If you want some life changing experiences, a good career option, then any branch is a good option. It has been a fun ride. I will prolly get out when my contract ends in 2012 but I have no regrets.

If you want to enlist, I suggest do it quickly. With the economy going down, enlistment bonuses are going away. Don't do it for the cash but it is nice, lol. I got 24k. The pay is decent and even better oversees.

As others said, do it for the right reasons, not the money and the uniform. The uniform isnt even close to cool looking. Now the combat shirts, they are cool, lol.

Oh, and a good recruiter will help you no matter what. They will also lie to you, lol. Be careful on that one. Basic was so easy and ait is even easier. I am a 63B(light wheel mechanic).

If you, then good luck, I wish you the best, and welcome to the few that do what we do willingly.

[DurtySpeed]

As for the air force thing. I wish I would have went air force. They get a extra substandardized living pay in some places, because their barracks aren't 'nice' enough. The army, you just deal with it, lol. Unless you are married of course, then you get bah and can live on or off post. Post housing on Carson is crap so I got an apartment about 2 miles outside the gate.

[Danny]

I would think long and hard about joining the armed forces for the college money. One must remember the military was NOT established to give you school money. It was established to send people around the world to enforce the governments political will. No matter how nice the websites and recruiters are, you have to remember you are signing up to go to war, not signing up for college money.

I could be mistaken, but doesnt the Nat Guard only give guardsmen college money while they are currently under contract? This makes it particularly hard to use that college money when your getting deployed back to back and your thousands of miles away from your college of choice.

[GaGen2Teg]

im not worried bout getting sent off but the only reason i thinkin national guard because i didnt finish school and they got a ged program all the college reasons and what not. plus i heard all the other branches dont take geds.

[Danny]

im not worried bout getting sent off but the only reason i thinkin national guard because i didnt finish school and they got a ged program all the college reasons and what not. plus i heard all the other branches dont take geds.

not sure. Sounds like its time to think of some strategic questions for a recruiter.

[BanginJimmy]

A lot has changed since I went AD in 97, but a few things to think about before you join.

1. Why do you want to join? Just giving that "I want to serve my country" BS wont get you far. If you want to learn a trade that can be transfered into the civilian world, and get paid decent money to do it then I say go for it. Yes there are some fairly strict rules, but at the same time, its easier than any civilian job.

2. You need to be able to roll with the punches of life. You will get shit on for a while, but as you gain rank people will remember how you delt with getting shit on. If you handle it well you will get more respect than someone that complains th whole time. I also leard that life was MUCH easier as an E-2 and getting shit on than being an E-5 and getting shit on. An E-5 getting shit on means MANY extra hours of paperwork where an E-2 means mopping the shitter and taking out the trash.

3. You used to be able to apply for a early court date for a misdemenor charge. A friend of mine did it and the judge gave him a small fine suspended probation pending sucessful completion of bootcamp. At that point the case was closed. Talk to a recruiter and the prosecuter about doing it.

4. AD and the guard are in no way comparable. I would always reccomend doing your first enlistment AD to gain a skill and really learn your job. My AD time was the best years of my life and I wouldnt change a thing about it. I am in the guard now so I can get my 20 years and get my retirement.

If you have specific questions about AD army I cant help you, but I do know AD Marine Corps and I know a bit about the guard. I can try to answer any specific questions if you have them. Also before you talk to a recruiter PM me. I can add you into the system and have a recruiter contact you.

[Z33_kid]

It skipped thru my mind the other day of joining. I went to the website checked it out. Doesn't seem that bad. I wanna know a lil more or basically a personal pov. How much money do you make? What the basic process? :blah:
I know I know you should go talk to a recruiter. But I just want to get IA's thoughts.

well the process might be long juss to go to meps n all that, the pay sucks if ur aN E-1 guard is only good if you have a good career already and want some extra side cash and prolly want to go to iraq or something

[jamesb18c1]

I have been in (active duty) for a year and a half. In that time I have doubled my rank, I live in Germany, and not to mention being in the army is the easiest job I have ever had. The hardest part of the day is getting up 5:30 morning. Its to easy...
as for you I would suggest thinking of every thing you want to know and make notes of it. Make a list of all your questions and go to a recruiter. I.M.O I would go active duty or nothing.

[GaGen2Teg]

yeah i was thinkin active since thats what everyone is sayin

[wannab20hatch]

in order to get money for college from the guard you have to go to military college. like north ga college. and as for your GED man theyll take you without as long as you score good on your asvab the army will send you to south carolina and you can take it there. or if you really want it tell the recruiter you want to take the test and go to dekalb technical college. they offer the testing once a week. i got my results back in a month and best of all the army covered the 100 bucks to take it.

[GaGen2Teg]

word

[DurtySpeed]

Also, if you join. Like the last post on page 2 or whoever said they were guard. Give someone like them a break and contact them to let them put you in the system, lol. They get some change for recruiting, lol. May as well help out a fellow soldier if you can.

[WANTED]

im not worried bout getting sent off but the only reason i thinkin national guard because i didnt finish school and they got a ged program all the college reasons and what not. plus i heard all the other branches dont take geds.

Last time I checked, nobody has a GED program. They all require you to AT LEAST have the GED already. It used to be that you couldn't join unless you had a high school diploma, but that changed while I was in basic/AIT during 2001. If I were you, I'd sit down with a recruiter and enquire about that.

Word of warning though, they all need to make their numbers, as they all have a quota. They look for both of "quality" as well as "quantity". Without a GED, you'd fall into the later. I'd get my GED or finish high school (this would be more beneficial), and take the asvab and score well on it. Otherwise, you won't be offered a quality job that will transfer into a nice civilian occupation.

[soul]

shit i leave in one month, usmc, just trying to get into a little better shape, so i can make that e3 by the time i finish basic, then a lil ait, and as soon as recon becomes available ill be trying out.

[Danny]

shit i leave in one month, usmc, just trying to get into a little better shape, so i can make that e3 by the time i finish basic, then a lil ait, and as soon as recon becomes available ill be trying out.

but force recon no longer exists. Do you mean having recon as your MOS?

[jumpin800agl]

Ok after browsing through this thread let me spread a little knowledge. I am an E-5 on Active Duty. I just finished a recruiting tour in Griffin, GA and moved to Italy.
- Army does accept GED's. You do not have to have a GED to enlist, BUT to be allowed to go to the Army's GED school you must score a 50 or above on the ASVAB test. At one time they did have what was known as a GED+ program which was mentioned earlier that allowed you to enlist and you attended a GED course at local technical schools and shipped out to training after completion of the GED. As of December when I left, GED applicants could not have any serious criminal misconducts. These include felonies, DUI's, etc.

-Waivers are granted to applicants on a case by case basis. if the charges are within regulations a waiver may be granted. Applicants fall in to different categories, some of which open and close throughout the year.

- Job selection is based on several factors such as ASVAB score, physical results, education levels, and needs of the Army. With the Army and Army reserves you choose your job from a list that you are qualified for. You will be told up front if you qualify for a bonus or other incentives before you sign your contract.

- As far as the Army experience, I have been in for 7 years now and do not regret a minute of it. I am Airborne Infantry. I have deployed 3 times. I have lived in NC, GA, and now Italy. I have a guaranteed pay check with good benefits. I am engaged and my fiance will be covered also. My college is paid for with tuition assistance while I am on active duty and still have my GI Bill money for when I get out, if I don't give it to my spouse or children. I spent almost 2 months on leave before coming over here ad never missed pay, gotta love that lol. The Army paid for my house and living expenses while I was in GA. Had plenty of extra money to spend on my car habit.

- To anyone thinking about joining just give it serious thoughts. This job has alot of benefits and can be the easiest job you have ever had. The experience is what you make of it.

[mchsoutlaw]

i'm in right now. currently at fort lewis washington. if you have any questions you can pm me. ill answer anything.

[89BluIrocZ]

forgot i was logged into mchsoutlaw. pm this one.

[DurtySpeed]

Well said. :cheers: I love this job. It can take you anywhere you want to go. It is just what you make of it. If I don't get out and reenlist, I am looking into CID :police: That should be fun.


Ok after browsing through this thread let me spread a little knowledge. I am an E-5 on Active Duty. I just finished a recruiting tour in Griffin, GA and moved to Italy.
- Army does accept GED's. You do not have to have a GED to enlist, BUT to be allowed to go to the Army's GED school you must score a 50 or above on the ASVAB test. At one time they did have what was known as a GED+ program which was mentioned earlier that allowed you to enlist and you attended a GED course at local technical schools and shipped out to training after completion of the GED. As of December when I left, GED applicants could not have any serious criminal misconducts. These include felonies, DUI's, etc.

-Waivers are granted to applicants on a case by case basis. if the charges are within regulations a waiver may be granted. Applicants fall in to different categories, some of which open and close throughout the year.

- Job selection is based on several factors such as ASVAB score, physical results, education levels, and needs of the Army. With the Army and Army reserves you choose your job from a list that you are qualified for. You will be told up front if you qualify for a bonus or other incentives before you sign your contract.

- As far as the Army experience, I have been in for 7 years now and do not regret a minute of it. I am Airborne Infantry. I have deployed 3 times. I have lived in NC, GA, and now Italy. I have a guaranteed pay check with good benefits. I am engaged and my fiance will be covered also. My college is paid for with tuition assistance while I am on active duty and still have my GI Bill money for when I get out, if I don't give it to my spouse or children. I spent almost 2 months on leave before coming over here ad never missed pay, gotta love that lol. The Army paid for my house and living expenses while I was in GA. Had plenty of extra money to spend on my car habit.

- To anyone thinking about joining just give it serious thoughts. This job has alot of benefits and can be the easiest job you have ever had. The experience is what you make of it.

[GaGen2Teg]

Last time I checked, nobody has a GED program. They all require you to AT LEAST have the GED already. It used to be that you couldn't join unless you had a high school diploma, but that changed while I was in basic/AIT during 2001. If I were you, I'd sit down with a recruiter and enquire about that.

Word of warning though, they all need to make their numbers, as they all have a quota. They look for both of "quality" as well as "quantity". Without a GED, you'd fall into the later. I'd get my GED or finish high school (this would be more beneficial), and take the asvab and score well on it. Otherwise, you won't be offered a quality job that will transfer into a nice civilian occupation.

its on there website.