Considering enlisting in the PA Army National Guard

[jtkratzer]

Well, I've never been in the service, but I've always had an interest and desire to serve. I know that since I've never been in any branch of the military that I'll have to go through basic, but other than that, what can I expect? I'll be 26 in October and it's just something I feel is a "calling" to at least put a few years in. It's not something that's been a history in my family. On my dad's side, my grandfather was bomber pilot during the Korean War, but my dad and uncles were too young to be in Vietnam but too old for everything that's been more recent.

Any one else in the National Guard?

Should I expect to be deployed overseas?

Where is basic training?

Since I have already started a career, should I take the most basic option or something that requires the least amount of training possible for my MOS?

Is there any assistance in finding employment using my MOS should I decide to make a career change if I really enjoy whatever it is I'm learning?


Is there pay during basic training and any other time I will be away from my regular job? I ask because I'm self-employed and do not get any kind of salary, not that those who have salaries would be paid by their employers while deployed, but you know what I mean, I need to be able to keep up with the bills and what not, especially since I'm married and have more than myself to look out for. What's that pay like?

Is there any money available for college even though I already have my degree? As in, will I get money to pay back the school loans I already have?



I know most of those questions could probably be answered by a recruiter, but I'm hoping to get some history from people who are currently in or recently were. I haven't talked to a recruiter yet, but I submitted my information to be contacted by one.

[speedracer211]

Looking forward to hearing some of the responses. I have been toying with enlisting in some sort of reserves or what not, because I too feel I have to pay my dues. I am a teacher, married with a 2 1/2 year old. I am a teacher and what I have found out is that I can do basic one summer and training the following. I also found out that you can go to officers training as well since I have a college degree. At least that is what the recruiter and my buddies who have been in for 8 years have said.

[jtkratzer]

Originally Posted by speedracer211

Looking forward to hearing some of the responses. I have been toying with enlisting in some sort of reserves or what not, because I too feel I have to pay my dues. I am a teacher, married with a 2 1/2 year old. I am a teacher and what I have found out is that I can do basic one summer and training the following. I also found out that you can go to officers training as well since I have a college degree. At least that is what the recruiter and my buddies who have been in for 8 years have said.

I was told the same thing by a friend of the family a few years ago. He is in the Air National Guard I believe. OCS, officer candidate school, I believe.

Fortunately, one of the bases, Fort Indiantown Gap, is not far from where I live, maybe 45 minutes or so just north of where I went to college. I assume this is where I'd end up once it's all said and done.

The installation is an active US Army National Guard Training Center and serves as headquarters for the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Pennsylvania National Guard. The Eastern Army Aviation Training Center and Northeast Counterdrug Training Center are also located here.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania owns the facility, but it has leased portions of it to the US Army for various operations throughout its history. The post is undergoing major installation changes in preparation for the arrival of the Stryker Brigade. It will be the home to the largest mechanized Brigade aside from Fort Knox, Kentucky. The post dates back to before World War II (probably the 1930s). It is the largest training post for Active, Reserve and Guard forces in the United States. It has more munition ranges than all of the Army TRADOC posts combined. The post can serve 75,000 soldiers at one time and has been a mobilization and embarkation center in the past for World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the first Gulf War and recently the operations in Kosovo and the Balkans.

[Cannibul]

If you think that the Infantry MOS requires very little training then IMHO you really need to do a LOT more homework.

[jtkratzer]

Originally Posted by Cannibul

If you think that the Infantry MOS requires very little training then IMHO you really need to do a LOT more homework.

That's not what I meant. I'll correct that as it's not clear.

The website says this:

"After you complete basic combat training, the next step is AIT (advanced individual training).

AIT, which usually lasts 2 to 10 months, is where you learn your MOS (military occupational specialty)—your Army National Guard job."

www.1-800-GO-GUARD.com | Advanced Individual Training, AIT

I meant as far as going for something geared closer to the 2 months as opposed to the 10 month training.

[jcabin]

Hey Kratzer. I just decided i'm going to join the army. Im only 22, im a year into my associates degree. I want to finish up my 2 year degree and enlist, then work on my 4 year while im enlisted. that way ill by out by the time im 28 with a 4 year degree and 4 years of military experience. i plan on going into law enforcement so this would really pad my resume. If you find any info that could be helpful to me, please share, ill do the same for you.

[jtkratzer]

Originally Posted by jcabin

Hey Kratzer. I just decided i'm going to join the army. Im only 22, im a year into my associates degree. I want to finish up my 2 year degree and enlist, then work on my 4 year while im enlisted. that way ill by out by the time im 28 with a 4 year degree and 4 years of military experience. i plan on going into law enforcement so this would really pad my resume. If you find any info that could be helpful to me, please share, ill do the same for you.

Well, since I'm 25 and already have my degree, I'm really hoping to get some money to pay the school loans I already have.

This is from the website, but I don't know what's involved in qualifying for that benefit:

Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) – Pays off existing student loans up to $20,000, as well as student loans acquired after enlisting

I'm sure it will help in discipline and what not but at this point, what I do for work, military experience really doesn't benefit me that way.

I'm considering it because I want to serve. If I can get training out of it that will give me an even better and more lucrative career, I'm fine with that.

This is from the site on the FAQ:

How long do I have to commit for? Your total enlistment period will be eight years, but you can serve as little as three, four or six years, and spend the remainder in IRR (Individual Ready Reserve). A recruiter can explain how this works, discuss your options with you, and help you make the best choice for your needs.

As a college graduate:

You’re automatically eligible to enter the Guard as an Officer, with a rank of second lieutenant or higher. That means better pay, more responsibility and a chance to develop your leadership skills.


You’re also eligible to become a Warrant Officer or go into the Special Forces.

This website is a bit, well, all over the place. I'm finding answers to things I couldn't find before and visiting the site the second time, I've certainly traveled through it differently and I'm not sure how I went the first time around. I typically don't have any issues with websites, but there is a ton of information here, some of it is repeated.

[matlt]

The way things are right now, it is very, very likely you will be deployed at least once during your enlistment. There are several basic training sites. Benning, Jackson, Leonard wood, and Knox. Think I'm missing one. Jackson is the biggest, but for many jobs, the base you go to can be completely random. Basic is now 13 weeks long. You can take the most basic option if you want to, but that's your choice. If you choose a job you don't enjoy just so you can go through a shorter AIT or something, you'll likely have a pretty rough 6 years. I'm not sure what the shortest training would be, but it would mean you'd be a ground pounder or driving trucks or something. Which is fine, if you think that's what you'd enjoy. You won't really find any official programs to help you find a job. Any help you find would just be suggestions and experience from others in the unit. AIT is nothing compared to college, for most jobs, the fact that you learned it in the military really isnt much more than just typical experience. Any time that you spend working for the military, whether it's just 4 hours or a deployment, is going to be paid for. You won't be rich , but the military pays enough for anyone who doesnt have expensive taste. You get extra money for being married and/or having children. The pay overseas is fairly good for a job you dont need a college education for. The army does have a student loan reimbursement program, but I don't know if it covers a loan you took out before you joined. You may have a base close to you, and if you choose a job that exists there you will more than likely be drilling there, however, you arent restricted to only jobs that exist at that base. I am in AZ and we have people that come from texas, new mexico, and california to drill here every month, because their jobs don't exist in that state. Do not depend on anything at all that your recruiter tells you. Many recruiters will tell you anything it takes to get you to sign. Talk to people from the unit you will be joining, talk to others in the guard, get your advice from here and other guard members. Do not believe what a recruiter tells you, no matter how trustworthy they may seem unless you can get a service member or two to verify it. Dont listen to any promises they make. If it isnt in your contract, it isnt happening. A recruiter's only job is to get you to sign that paper.

[jtkratzer]

Originally Posted by matlt

The way things are right now, it is very, very likely you will be deployed at least once during your enlistment. There are several basic training sites. Benning, Jackson, Leonard wood, and Knox. Think I'm missing one. Jackson is the biggest, but for many jobs, the base you go to can be completely random. Basic is now 13 weeks long. You can take the most basic option if you want to, but that's your choice. If you choose a job you don't enjoy just so you can go through a shorter AIT or something, you'll likely have a pretty rough 6 years. I'm not sure what the shortest training would be, but it would mean you'd be a ground pounder or driving trucks or something. Which is fine, if you think that's what you'd enjoy. You won't really find any official programs to help you find a job. Any help you find would just be suggestions and experience from others in the unit. AIT is nothing compared to college, for most jobs, the fact that you learned it in the military really isnt much more than just typical experience. Any time that you spend working for the military, whether it's just 4 hours or a deployment, is going to be paid for. You won't be rich , but the military pays enough for anyone who doesnt have expensive taste. You get extra money for being married and/or having children. The pay overseas is fairly good for a job you dont need a college education for. The army does have a student loan reimbursement program, but I don't know if it covers a loan you took out before you joined. You may have a base close to you, and if you choose a job that exists there you will more than likely be drilling there, however, you arent restricted to only jobs that exist at that base. I am in AZ and we have people that come from texas, new mexico, and california to drill here every month, because their jobs don't exist in that state. Do not depend on anything at all that your recruiter tells you. Many recruiters will tell you anything it takes to get you to sign. Talk to people from the unit you will be joining, talk to others in the guard, get your advice from here and other guard members. Do not believe what a recruiter tells you, no matter how trustworthy they may seem unless you can get a service member or two to verify it. Dont listen to any promises they make. If it isnt in your contract, it isnt happening. A recruiter's only job is to get you to sign that paper.

Well, that's why I posted here. I know how the job of the recruiter goes.

As far as a job, that is something to consider more than just how long the AIT takes.

Got the married part down, so that's good since it means more money. So basic is now 13 weeks...I guess I won't be seeing that wife of mine very much during basic.

What's it like during AIT? Just for an example, say the AIT takes 6 months...is that a continuous 6 months, weekends only, or what?

With how big the base is at Fort Indiantown Gap, I'd expect that most jobs would be available there.

I guess I have a lot of questions still and since you're recommending not going solely on what the recruiter tells you, who do I get those answers from if I don't know what my job will be or what unit I will be a part of?

[matlt]

Unless there's been a major change, you will be able to see your wife when you ship out for basic, and not again until your graduation 13-14 weeks later. AIT is very relaxed compared to basic. If you dont get in trouble and keep passing your PT tests it's generally enjoyable. If your AIT is long enough, say 6 months, you can bring your wife and live off base with her. AIT is continuous, 5 days a week. You can get special passes on some of the federal holiday to leave for 3-4 days, and you always get 2 weeks of vacation during christmas, even if you're in basic. AIT is still similar to basic in the sense that you will be treated...well, like dirt. It's still training and though it's not nearly as harsh, you will occasionally see some rough days. Drill sergeants are around during basic and through AIT, and their job, to make the description short, is to ruin your day. However, the majority of AIT isnt much different from going to school, just with a lot of discipline. Your recruiter should show you the list of what jobs are available to you. Just think of him as an introduction to the army. Listen to what they tell you, but never rely on any of it until you see it in your contract. The length of your term, your MOS, enlistment bonuses and rank will be in your contract to begin with. Other promises can be guaranteed in there too if you want to pursue them, but those are the basics. Not all recruiters are bad, but they cant afford to lose your signature. Many of them will ruin a soldier's life with lies and false promises that werent covered in a contract. See if you can visit the unit you'd want to join, try and get on the base, talk to people there and take a look around. See what they do and decide which job you'd want. The guard has a very nice federal technician program, where you'd work full time, get hourly wages, benefits, etc. Basically a civilian job in uniform. Just dont rely on the recruiter as your only source. Get involved with the unit before you join