Chris in VA Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Son may be thinking of joining the Nat'l Guard to help pay for college. His goal would be only to spend 2 years in it, using the money to help pay for college. So, would he be "activated," given we are in a war? Would he really be able to work just one weekend a month and several weeks in the summer? Or would he end up in Iraq or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I have no idea, but if he doesn't want to go to Iraq he shouldn't join. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulfbourne Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I have no idea, but if he doesn't want to go to Iraq he shouldn't join. I do agree with this, but we are supposed to be leaving Iraq within 16 months (if Obama keeps promises). That being said, there is still Afghanistan where troops need to be beefed up because of situations there. Also, there are several other countries that could potentially cause problems. When he signs a contract it will be an 8 year contract, he needs to keep that in mind. All contracts are. He might only spend 2 of those years actually drilling or on active duty, but the rest would be in IRR, inactive ready reserve. They can, and have been, pulling people from the IRR to supplement troops overseas because of shortages. I just got my discharge papers from the Army saying I was finished with my IRR obligation Oct. 31st, so I know the sick feeling of fear in the stomach everytime you hear on the news a new rotation is going to be called, and wondering if it will be you and you'll have to leave your kids (or whatever else is in your life at the time). http://polybius.blogs.com/left_of_way/irr_information/That guy has a lot of stuff about IRR folks there. Most people don't even know it exists unless your in it. They think its 2-4 years and your out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 Thank you so much. I agree, if he signs up, it will be with the intent to serve his country, no matter where that takes him. I will pass on to him the 8 year commitment. I have the utmost respect for the military, and would want him to go in with his eyes open, and also not go in just to get paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 To join the National Guard is to agree to join the US military full time--and be activated to deploy to the war. If he's apprehensive about going to war, it might not be the method to pay for college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulfbourne Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Thank you so much. I agree, if he signs up, it will be with the intent to serve his country, no matter where that takes him. I will pass on to him the 8 year commitment. I have the utmost respect for the military, and would want him to go in with his eyes open, and also not go in just to get paid. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time in for the most part. I met a lot of great people, learned a lot, and saw a bit of the world (fortunately Germany instead of desert). You make a lot of great friends and learn a lot about yourself and what you are capable of. My attitude only changed when I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter. We had been planning on waiting until I was out to have kids because of the potential to be deployed. My daughter surprised us 2 years ago though, and I spent my last 2 years on the military terrified of being separated from her. 8 years is a long time and a lot of things change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 National Guard troops are being deployed. I've read that even though jobs are to be kept for them that doesn't always happen and they aren't paid like full time Army (my brother). Maybe some of this has changed. In the Army now they are only guaranteed to be back in the States the length of time they serve over seas. There are many reasons to join the military but I wouldn't join thinking I wouldn't be deployed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 (edited) Son may be thinking of joining the Nat'l Guard to help pay for college. His goal would be only to spend 2 years in it, using the money to help pay for college. So, would he be "activated," given we are in a war? Would he really be able to work just one weekend a month and several weeks in the summer? Or would he end up in Iraq or something? My friend's dh (former recruiter for the Guard; just got back from Iraq himself, now works in marketing) says your ds should be prepared to go. They have no idea what the chances are, but recruits should plan on one deployment. Bottom line: you can't join the armed forces in today's environment (regardless of Obama's 16 month plan) and expect not to be called to serve. Edited January 27, 2009 by DB in NJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I would always assume that , yes, joining the National Guard would mean having to serve. Since there is no draft, if troops are needed anywhere the Guard is ready to be used to supplement our existing troops. Both of our friends who have been in the Guard here in Illinois served in Desert Storm...and one almost was sent over again this time around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 We are in many more places than what we see on the news, so he should plan on being called somewhere if he joins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 If things are anything like they used to be about 10 years ago when my DH was in the Army Reserves, National Guard or IRR are called up first and more often than regular Army units. I say the chances of deployment are very high. Many people have been deployed 2-3 times now and are burning out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Family friend who's in NG is on his 4th deployment.....think very seriously before joining if he doesn't want to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaC Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 (edited) I would always assume that , yes, joining the National Guard would mean having to serve. Since there is no draft, if troops are needed anywhere the Guard is ready to be used to supplement our existing troops. Both of our friends who have been in the Guard here in Illinois served in Desert Storm...and one almost was sent over again this time around. I am one of JFS friends who was in the Guard and went to Saudi for Derest Shield and Storm. I joined the Guard to pay for school and joined a unit that had never been deployed during war time, including WWII. Thought I was safe but our Colonel wanted to make general something he would never do in the Guard. So he lobbied for us to be deployed and we were. He then had himself declared medically unfit for Saudi and spent the war in his office at O'Hare reading the Sun Times and drinking coffee. He made general after the war on our backs :glare: and then retired. Such a nice guy. Of course quite a few of us spent time in field hospitals, some came very close to dying but he made general drinking coffee. So if your child is willing to pay any price for serving his country sign up other wise........ I think I should post that I do not regret my service. I learned to love my country more than I ever had because of Desert Shield and Storm. Just thought I would give a word of caution if he joins up be prepared to serve his country where ever and how ever it sees fit. Edited January 27, 2009 by RebeccaC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 A friend of mine from another message board has a husband in the National Guard. He just got back from his second deployment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I didn't read all the replies. But, I would say it could be very likely. Has he looked into the Coast Guard? My dh was in there and it was a pretty good experience. Enjoying boats and water is a must though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommytobees Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 If you do not want him to deploy, then he had best not join. At this point, he would be better off joining one of the military branches or the Coast Guard. He'll probably face a deployment, but his training will be better (other than possibly the grunt-branch of the Army) and his placement will be better. Until we actually see what Obama does with the military and what actually happens............. you need to assume that things will stay the same for the immediate future. Remember, pulling out of Iraq can NOT be a "tomorrow" thing. It will NOT happen overnight. And so, we still need to relieve the men and women over there. Plus you have Afghanistan. Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alte Veste Academy Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Son may be thinking of joining the Nat'l Guard to help pay for college. His goal would be only to spend 2 years in it, using the money to help pay for college. So, would he be "activated," given we are in a war? Would he really be able to work just one weekend a month and several weeks in the summer? Or would he end up in Iraq or something? You've received some good and accurate answers here. Another thing to consider is that when NG or Reserve soldiers are called up, they're generally away from their families for a longer period of time than active duty soldiers. They can gone 18-24 months total (compared to 12-15 months for active duty). This is because they generally need extra time before to train up for the specific mission, something active duty folks do it in the course of their daily jobs. If I was going to make any kind of recommendation about the military and educational benefits, I would lean toward the Air Force Reserves. AF deployments are only 4 months. I was born in the Army, a lifelong Army brat and now an Army wife but the load these days is just too great. Yes, your son would be very likely to be called to duty as a member of the NG. Good luck helping your son make this decision. I have an enormous amount of pride in my husband and there are some wonderful things about this life. However, heartbreak is constantly lurking around the corner. My husband returned safely from his 15 month deployment on Sunday (napping now due to jetlag!) and we're in heaven now but...ugh. It was hard. Very, very hard. I'm like a ship without a sail without him. :crying: My oldest says he wants to be a soldier and fly helicopters in the Army just like his dad. I tell him how brave and wonderful that is. If he was 18 and told me that, I might urp. It would definitely be a tough conversation. I don't envy you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 We have a NG friend deploying next week for a year in Afganistan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 My uncle is in it and he has been deployed twice to Iraq and it seems very hard to keep a job because he is always being required to go to training for 3-6 weeks at a time and employers don't like that. Also I would think that it would make it difficult to finish college in a reasonable amount of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 The one National Guard man I know has been on two tours in Iraq already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 My uncle is in it and he has been deployed twice to Iraq and it seems very hard to keep a job because he is always being required to go to training for 3-6 weeks at a time and employers don't like that. Also I would think that it would make it difficult to finish college in a reasonable amount of time. It is illegal for an employer to let someone go or even demote them because of their service requirements/trainings/deployments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 It is illegal for an employer to let someone go or even demote them because of their service requirements/trainings/deployments. That's what I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 He should expect to go. Things may be slowing down now (emphasis on MAY), but Afghanistan is still an issue. Several family members joined the guard and all were called to active duty. One cousin had 4 deployments - 2 in the Phillipines, 1 in Iraq and 1 in Pakistan (guarding the US embassy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Illegal based on reserve duty, yes. But many employers can and do find other "reasons" to let a reservist go. I'm sure, but there are legal options. We had a pay issue w/dh's civilian job after he returned from active duty. The ombudsman was on it and amazingly the company saw the light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I'm sure, but there are legal options. We had a pay issue w/dh's civilian job after he returned from active duty. The ombudsman was on it and amazingly the company saw the light. Large employers are typically much better about treating Guard/reserve employees fairly. My DH was on IRR status for 4 years so we had to look carefully at company policies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayle in Guatemala Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 My sil joined on Sept. 1st, 2001. Yeah. Needless to say, she's spent her fair share of time overseas in Iraq. At the time it wasn't even on the horizon that she would be deployed somewhere, she's national guard! I think in these times you should maybe expect it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time in for the most part. I met a lot of great people, learned a lot, and saw a bit of the world (fortunately Germany instead of desert). You make a lot of great friends and learn a lot about yourself and what you are capable of. My attitude only changed when I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter. We had been planning on waiting until I was out to have kids because of the potential to be deployed. My daughter surprised us 2 years ago though, and I spent my last 2 years on the military terrified of being separated from her. 8 years is a long time and a lot of things change. I could have written that post (except for the Germany part - all INCONUS here). I was TERRIFIED I would get deployed. Sick over it. (We also planned to wait - but God's timing is perfect!). People ask me why I didn't stay in the reserves and it was simply the fear of having to leave my kids behind for months at a time or be stationed somewhere away from DH. It completely was not worth it for me. If you aren't ready to be fully deployed, then you aren't ready to join. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I'd say there's a very good chance of being deployed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 99.856% chance. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 My dh is active duty and he has never deployed because of his career. But we have known lots of NG or ANG who have deployed. Especially in the AF, it is more likely for the Air National Gueard or the Reserve units to deploy than for the regular AF. THe regular Air Force has many more people in it who are not involved in flying therefore much less likely to be deployed. FOr example, space people don't get deployed since we still need satellites and rockets and we aren't fighting in space yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted December 18, 2009 Author Share Posted December 18, 2009 Boy, that's an old thread!! He didn't join. He went to VCU and is hoping to get into the cinema school there for next year (got as far as the interview this year). I definitely agree that you should be ready to go if you join. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayle in Guatemala Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 :lol::lol::lol: OMW!!!! That's funny--January of this year??? How did this get resurrected? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 My nephew's been in a year and is deployed there now. Here our local guard is on their third rotation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Ah...old, old thread. Boy, that's an old thread!! He didn't join. He went to VCU and is hoping to get into the cinema school there for next year (got as far as the interview this year). I definitely agree that you should be ready to go if you join. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 His chances are very good. I've been in the guard before and even when I had been out for 8 years and had 5 kids I got papers saying I was on the list to be called into the Gulf war. I was told when I contacted them telling them I had many children they said it didn't matter that if they needed me they would call me back to active duty. Our 25 year old son is a Federal Border Patrol Agent and talking about joining and we are counseling him not to at any cost. So far he hasn't. And we are still praying he won't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairie rose Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 My dh served AD AF for 10 years (which meant he didn't not have an IRR requirement when he separated, you only have IRR commitments if you serve less than 8 years). He went to Saudi twice (3 mos and 6 mos) and Iraq twice (4mos and 1 year) He now works as a civilian on an Air National Guard base (he is not a member of the guard but a civilian contractor employed by the Guard). The guard members deploy, frequently, but I haven't heard of anyone from the unit dh works for going to Iraq or anywhere in the Middle East. They go on what we always called "luxury deployments" :lol: They went to Armenia, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Cuba, Hawaii...and some others I can't think of. They stay in 4 star hotels for the most part and get to enjoy where they go frequently. I'd say this is unusal, not the norm, but I just wanted to add our experience with the guard since it is so different. I do agree, when joining any branch of the military, guard, reserve or active duty, you should expect to be deployed...it's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when". It's hardwork, life changing and rewarding but it's definitely not a lifestyle that is good for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I have no idea, but if he doesn't want to go to Iraq he shouldn't join. :iagree: I also think he should fully expect to be deployed if he does join. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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