Does the Guard and Reserve still hold the stigma that they are not as good as active duty?

CMSgt Mark Schubert — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 10:19:59 -0400

For many years, the guard and reserve have carried the stereotype that they are not "squared away" or up to the same standards as the active duty component. I've served in both and have seen first hand how the Reserve has increased its capability equal to the active duty and some would say Reservists bring added value with civilian experiences as well.
What do you think?

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Jul 14 at 2015 10:24 AM

SCPO David Lockwood — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 10:24:55 -0400

I would like to let them know they are as good as we are. They are our backups!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 10:25 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 10:25:08 -0400

I have served on both sides of the fence. On both of those sides, you have squared away people, and you have not so squared away people. And that complex of "I'm better than you" also exists on both sides of the fence. These very people should realize that when the bullets start flying, those bad guys slinging that lead towards us, don't rightly care about the difference between Reserve and Active Duty.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Jul 14 at 2015 10:26 AM

SGM Steve Wettstein — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 10:26:23 -0400

IMO it never changed. They might have gotten better but from my vantage point they were lacking in areas such as discipline, tactical training and physical training.

Response by SSG Izzy Abbass made Jul 14 at 2015 10:54 AM

SSG Izzy Abbass — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 10:54:29 -0400

It's interesting and I think it depends on the unit, leadership and of course the troops. I was part of a Reserve infantry unit (when those things existed) and we had platoons which included CPAs, Attorneys, Engineers and Software guys who were RA Infantry. They did it because they loved it and we were able to pull off some great stuff because they could be very creative in solving problems. They kept up on tactics and systems in addition to having their civilian positions.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Jul 14 at 2015 11:40 AM

COL Jon Thompson — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 11:40:35 -0400

They have come a long way from the stereotypical units of pre 9-11 and are much more proficient and prepared then they were 20 years ago. I think the biggest issue though is physical fitness. I see way too many Army Reserve and NG Soldiers that appear unfit. For RC members, PT has to be an individual task since there is no way to stay fit with one weekend per month. That means they have to cut the time out of their schedule do this and that can be hard. In my last reserve unit, this was evident just from observations. Unfortunately when those Soldiers go to an active duty post, the stereotype is perpetuated and all RC Soldiers suffer.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 11:43 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 11:43:06 -0400

I been in the NG for seven years and six of them active guard.. Many members assume I came from active duty due to my experience and performance. My answer is the units and leaders I were under were squared away on the oraganizational level side, but there's always improvement at unit levels.

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Jul 14 at 2015 12:06 PM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 12:06:34 -0400

CMSgt Mark Schubert If they do then it's a problem they need to get over real quick. There are great soldiers in all of the branches of service (Reserve, Active, and National Guard) and we all bleed "Green". That mentality has left the building a long time ago. I believe that there is something to be shared and learned by all when they are down range. The civilian skills brought to the combat zone coupled with the "high speed, low drag" of active duty counterparts was a great mix for my experience and me. Just my opinion, I'm sure there are war stories on both sides of the fence.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 12:06 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 12:06:50 -0400

I am in the guard an have been for almost 5 years. Now that I am a sgt I make sure my soldiers are squared away at all times.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 12:20 PM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 12:20:48 -0400

With the amount of time Guard and Reserve units have spent deploying along side active duty ones I would say this stigma is not necessarily true. Of course it depends more on the unit, or specifically the individuals that make up the unit and their leadership, that determines their quality. Just as with active duty units, some Guard and Reserve units are great and some have shortcomings.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 12:23 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 12:23:00 -0400

Unfortunately we do. I have heard it the last 20 years, that we are not good enough or that we only play part time, but what about those who are active guard, are they not good enough? To be honest I have seen M-day individuals come in on a weekend drill and accomplish more in two days then the full time individuals. Sometimes these weekend Warriors bust our butts to make the full time staff look good but hey we dont work as hard as those active duty guys.

Response by SPC David Hannaman made Jul 14 at 2015 12:26 PM

SPC David Hannaman — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 12:26:16 -0400

I'm interested in the answer to that myself. The reputation used to be that NG and Reserves were where people went to hide and avoid combat. I think the war on terror changed that. In basic my company was mixed and at the end of eight weeks we were all pretty much equal as soldiers, so it stands to reason that how seriously the unit trains during their "one weekend a month" would be the determining factor.

I do think a strong reserve force is a good idea though, post conflict "reduction in force" is inevitable, it would be nice if the politicians learned something from history and didn't gut the military entirely.

Response by Capt Mark Strobl made Jul 14 at 2015 1:07 PM

Capt Mark Strobl — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 13:07:25 -0400

When I first separated (pre 9-11), I visited the local reserve commands. I was disappointed in the general disposition of those units. However, since I know that has turned 180-degs. Having a couple of friends in those units, I know they've deployed more than their active-duty counterparts. I'd say two factors made this happen: 1.) Actually DOING their jobs, and as important 2.) leadership changes.

Response by Maj Chris Nelson made Jul 14 at 2015 1:33 PM

Maj Chris Nelson — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 13:33:57 -0400

When I came off AD back in July 1990 and went to the Guard, I had the "lets party" concept of the Guard. I quickly found out that this is just not true. There may be SOME units like that, but all that I have had the pleasure of working with are good. There may be a little bit less training due to amount of time, but that is often made up for by the pure....we are here because we WANT to be here attitude. Now, after as many years of conflict, many guard/reserve units have had as much experience as some AD units.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jul 14 at 2015 1:35 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 13:35:37 -0400

I believe its mostly been the opposite in that AD thinks the NG & Reserves are not as good as them. I am confident in the fact that during our deployments the units I belonged to have shown AD of all branches that we can walk the walk as good as our AD counterparts. IMHO, the stigmatism from the AD side has been that "weekend warriors" don't train as often or as effectively as AD units and don't cut it. That perception is FAR from the truth. Having served a few years on AD, there's a lot of time and resources lost on training that can effectively negate the perception of how well and often AD units train compared to their NG & reserve counterparts.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 2:13 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 14:13:20 -0400

You know Command Master Sergeant, that used to be the case before we shed blood and sacrificed right along with our active duty brothers and sisters in both theaters. Not anymore. Anyone that still holds true to that old stereo type just doesn't know any better. I still hear it from the younger soldiers that don't know any better. We've lost people, we've stood shoulder to shoulder in combat and we've earned respect. Many of us lost jobs and family over the high OPTEMPO over the last 10 years. Yeah, I think we're just as good. I for one hope that we remain a operational versus a strategic reserve force. But the Army is cutting 40,000 and everyone will be fighting over dollars again. Sad. respectfully yours......an old tanker and cavalry scout.....86 IBCT VTARNG!

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 2:53 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 14:53:03 -0400

I believe that it really depends on the individual. I have seen both sides of the coin and whether or not someone is squared away can depend on whether or not they have prior service, follow the core values, or are intrinsically motivated individuals. If none of the above hold true then you may run into a dull professional with lackluster results. However, exceptions are always possible and I have seen individuals with no prior service outperform an individual with prior service. I believe it just comes down to the person.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 2:53 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 14:53:12 -0400

Depends what you judge them by, physical standards and military discipline, no reserves will always fall short by comparison, but technical abilities, intelligence and a desire to excel is much better in the reserve side of the house. Reserves will always outshine active duty units where the technical skills are highly correlated to civilian jobs. Engineering, and medical are great examples where AD just can never get the experience readily available to the reserves. Weapons and teambuilding are reserve deficiencies that are hard to overcome without significant training and funding.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 3:43 PM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 15:43:18 -0400

I work with Reservists all the time for Honor Guard, both Officers and Enlisted. They always seem squared away to me and I'd rather work with them than many Active/FTS Sailors.

Response by SSgt Erin McAuliffe made Jul 14 at 2015 4:40 PM

SSgt Erin McAuliffe — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:40:18 -0400

I was an IMA at the 569th on Vogelweh...The young ones had attitude, the older ones were happy for the help, once they understood I was not OSI lol

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 6:26 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 18:26:27 -0400

Well I'm in an NG Engineering BG and alot of people have real world experience in aspects of their MOS so we seem to be much more prepared than most.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 8:00 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 20:00:40 -0400

The stereotypes still exist. However, we hold our own, and in some ways excel in standards.

My only beef with the guard is the time limitations with regular training schedules.
Not enough time is alloted for essential, and more advanced skills.
By the time comes for the next formation, nearly everything has to be relearned.

Perhaps that issue can be reduced by assigning "homework".
I've thought about the assembly of a Study Guide CD with the Soldier's Study Guide, Ranger Handbook, Field Manuals, and TRADOC 350-6 ENLISTED INITIAL ENTRY TRAINING (IET); not sure if such an item would be a GO or NO GO though.

Response by Maj Mike Sciales made Jul 14 at 2015 8:31 PM

Maj Mike Sciales — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 20:31:52 -0400

I did the Army reserves while in grad school. We were on 2 week summer drill and an active duty MSgt evaluator was bitching and moaning about the reserves and I reminded him that we had two days per
Month to train soldiers on stuff that took the regular army 22 days per month. The fact is without the reserves or National guard the services couldn't operate. Where do they think war time Manpower comes from? The active force? Active duty units are place holders and speed bumps until the reserves and National Guard can be mobilized. Sorry, but it's true.

Response by SSG John Jensen made Jul 14 at 2015 8:43 PM

SSG John Jensen — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 20:43:54 -0400

I've seen Guardsmen that joined to get out of: Korea, Vietnam, the draft. who stayed in the Guard, and at some point: 10 yrs, 20 yrs, 30 yrs. consider themselves to be natural born killers, and never spent a day on active duty in their lives, and consider themselves more hardcore than a former medic from the 82d. And I've seen a lot of former active duty, who've got the rank now in the guard and are in the power-hunger privilege mode, who lead by 'do what I say, not what I do' that was old school on AD however long ago. Army has evolved in various ways, but the Guard still holds onto '1 person fucks up, punish the whole unit' of long ago. I'm sure a lot of Guardsmen got updated on deployments, but there's probably a lot more that are trying to hold on to the old school power and privilege

Response by TSgt James Spain made Jul 14 at 2015 10:27 PM

TSgt James Spain — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 22:27:59 -0400

I agree and have experienced AD, ANG, ands retired from the USAFRes. After 9/11, from my home station, the 1st deployments were 80% reserve.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 11:06 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 23:06:52 -0400

I think they are better then the active side. Due to the fact that guard and reserves know more than just their mos they have more than 1 mos and a career on tge outside, plusr standards have changed since before 9-11

Response by MSgt Jim Wolverton made Jul 14 at 2015 11:44 PM

MSgt Jim Wolverton — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 23:44:44 -0400

I don't think the answer is that simple. I don't believe that a guardsman or reservist should be responsible for active duty personnel at an active duty location anymore than an active duty service member should be responsible for reservists or guardsmen at a guard or reserve base. They do things differently and culturally it is different too. This is glaringly obvious during deployment and in NO WAY should a traditional reservist or guardsman every hold authority over an active duty unit/flight/section. The biggest problem is people not realizing that once you deploy, you are active duty and the need to adapt to that structure, not the other way around. The same could be said for active duty being stationed alongside reservists or guardsmen. For those reasons, different, not better or worse, active and guard/reserve best serve as separate parts of the same service, based on my experiences.

Response by MSgt Jim Wolverton made Jul 15 at 2015 12:12 AM

MSgt Jim Wolverton — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 00:12:47 -0400

To answer your question honestly Chief, yes we do (or did in my case). I think it's partly because some feel that people that join the guard and reserve aren't committing to the Air Force in the same way that active duty Airmen do.

Response by SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 1:30 AM

SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 01:30:15 -0400

CMSgt Mark Schubert I can attest to just those sentiments between active duty and the guard and reserve. Prior to 9/11 I remember guard and reserve showing up for 30 days and return home. It was a pain in the butt because by the time we got them trained up they would re-deploy. I tell you that to say, after 9/11 I deployed multiple times with Army and Air Force guard units. These units were squared away and suffered right along with us. To be honest you couldn't tell the difference between active duty, guard or reserve personnel. In today's joint environment I dont think we will ever go back to the days of differences between these entities. Matter of fact I have deployed with some guard personnel that could and would run circles around their active duty counterpart.

Response by TSgt Scott C. Brammer made Jul 15 at 2015 2:20 AM

TSgt Scott C. Brammer — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 02:20:47 -0400

That stereotype hasn't been true for at least 30 years. Ever since they implemented the "total force concept" back in the 80s the guard/reserve forces have proven they are just as competent as the active duty troops. I served both on active duty (Air Force) and also in the Air National Guard and I know this is true (at least as far as the Air Force goes). Another thing you have to remember is with all of the downsizing of the military, there are a large number of reservists that are prior service bringing all of their experience to the guard and reserve that they acquired while serving full time on active duty.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 5:29 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 05:29:02 -0400

I don't see it as we in the Guard thinking we aren't squared away, it has become more of the active component thinking that. I was told when I first joined that active army and guard don't play well togetherness, and they don't. Active duty generally had the idea that we are unneeded, lazy and not squared away. My unit has lost a deployment to Africa to regular army. I have had problems getting into schools because active duty doesn't want to give slots to the guard. So I think allot of it is that "big army" thinks they are better than little brother

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 10:36 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 10:36:32 -0400

Unfortunately while there are quite a few individual Reserve and Guard units that work to increase their capability, the same can not be said for all. I have served alongside Reservists and Guardsmen that unless they told you, you would have no idea they were not AD. However, I have also served with Reservists and Guardsmen that make you question whether you are witnessing Stolen Valor incidents. We have a local Guard unit here and there are more likely to be in civilian attire then in uniform and more likely to be fishing than training during their drill weekends. Until the Guard and Reserve pull their collective stuff together that stigma will always remain. Which is unfortunate because the Reserve and Guard can add tremendous value, sometimes we AD knuckle draggers need to be reminded that there is life outside of the uniform.

Response by SGT Hansen Paskell made Jul 15 at 2015 11:10 AM

SGT Hansen Paskell — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 11:10:01 -0400

It all depends on the command climate and how willing commanders are to make their unit, or Battalion, perform as well as the AD side.

Response by MSG Robert Baker made Jul 15 at 2015 2:22 PM

MSG Robert Baker — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 14:22:11 -0400

Yes

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 15 at 2015 6:42 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 18:42:32 -0400

They don't get to train enough.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 8:45 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 20:45:01 -0400

My opinion is the reserve components is equal or better than active component, by bring civilians aspect of thinking outside the box a added skills.
Nonetheless, the reserve components has changed.

Response by SMSgt Daniel Yoder made Jul 16 at 2015 2:46 PM

SMSgt Daniel Yoder — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 14:46:33 -0400

I would agree with you Chief. I have also experienced both the Guard and Active duty. There was a time where being in the guard and reserve may not have been looked upon as the equal to their active duty counterparts. I think this has changed alot especially since 9/11. Being in Security Forces the training started to become the same as our active counterparts allowing for intergration and consistency in how our troops were being trained across the board. But adding to that the majority of my Security Forces troops also brought alot of civilian law enforcement experience to the table that our active duty troops did not get. This especially helped on my last deployment where we were training Aghan soldiers in law enforcment techniques and policing. But this is just part of it. It can include the troop who is a civilian aircraft mechanic, to a civilian firefighter or civilian airline pilot all of which get experience and training our active duty counterparts did not get. But my last point is the intergration and grind of our guard and reserve has been so great in reality there is no more 2 weeks out of the year or one weekend a month anymore, and these troops are working with thier active duty brothers and sisters more and more everyday making a stronger force for tomorrow.

Response by COL Charles Williams made Jul 17 at 2015 12:37 AM

COL Charles Williams — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 00:37:14 -0400

CMSgt Mark Schubert I think especially since 911, the guard and reserve have clearly demonstrated their value and importance to the war-fight. But, I think it depends on who you ask. I believe that stigma is still there, and this is way. When I was dealing with LTs in the MP basic course (BOLC), and they introduced themselves (09-13), they would often say things like "I am only in the guard/reserves" as if that was a bad thing, or less worthy. I would immediately school them after that, as 80% of my branches (MP) force structure is in the RC. We need the RC, and we need them trained and ready.

Response by CPL Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2015 1:18 AM

CPL Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 01:18:24 -0400

There are good and bad units, and good and bad soldiers in every branch. To judge any one unit due to their reserve or active status is to err, whether that assumption is for the good or the bad.

Response by SSG Keven Lahde made Jul 17 at 2015 1:22 AM

SSG Keven Lahde — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 01:22:49 -0400

CMSgt Mark Schubert CMSgt I think the Guard has increased its capabilities to be better than Active Duty. Think about it, Guard has drilling one weekend a month and 2 weeks a year. We have our civilian jobs. Come to together, that's a lot of different skill sets that very unique. 1 individual can be good at 2 or 3 different jobs, where on Active Duty you might not have that wide range of experience within the ranks. Not taking anything away from the Active side cause I wish I were Active right now. That is my take on this matter.

Response by SGT William Howell made Jul 17 at 2015 7:03 AM

SGT William Howell — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 07:03:17 -0400

I was in the Guard and I can tell you that our unit was as good as the active duty unit that were in our AO. We were actually much better! The active guys were a soup sandwich. The had NDs in vehicles, they accidentally set a Iraqi car on fire with a smoke grenade (Yep not sure how you accidentally do that), The OPs Sgt was sleeping with one the jr enlisted. So we may not be better than some active duty, we were better than those active duty.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2015 8:53 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 08:53:09 -0400

No. Just from my little corner of the world. I'll take my NG Mech Inf Plt up against any AD Mech Inf Plt any day of the week. Is that a strong statement? Yes very much so, but I can also justify it. 2 yrs ago we did a XCTC rotation at Camp Shelby MS. It was "force on force" against an AD unit (3 ID, Ft Stewart). We want toe to toe against them on Off and Def ops. Surprised both them and the O/C's. I was filling in as PL, and my counterpart PL told me he was both shocked and impressed with how we operated. Now this included everything from mission planning to execution.

Now I'm sure not all are like that. I can only speak from my little corner of the world.

Response by MSgt Rick Hovik made Jul 17 at 2015 10:35 AM

MSgt Rick Hovik — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 10:35:33 -0400

I have worked many hours along side NG and reserve troops. I was in a RED HORSE squadron that had a NG Associate unit attached to it. Many of these folks were construction contractors on the outside so we all learned allot from each other. An intersting dynamic is the 50 year old Ssgt, who on the outside is the boss of the 24 year old 1Lt.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 18 at 2015 7:11 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 18 Jul 2015 07:11:28 -0400

My troops, and several others from different units, feel very confident in their responsibilities. Being a prior service active duty soldier and currently a National Guard soldier, the different talents these soldiers have make their "part time job" simpler. They are versed in several different skills on the civilian side which in most part carry over into their MOS. When I was a full time soldier, my job was the only job I had. In the Guard, I can do my job along with carpenters to build my hooch, electricians to wire them, plumbers to give me a toilet and chefs from five star restaurants to cook my meals. Spoiled we are.

Response by MSgt Mike Lucht made Jul 19 at 2015 7:17 PM

MSgt Mike Lucht — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 19:17:41 -0400

When it comes to aircraft maintenance the Guard and Reserve units destroy active duty units. They are older which means experience, been there done that. Most active duty units are short staffed, overworked and don't have a large force of E-5 thru E-7 who actually know what they are doing. In the Guard you might have a E-6/7 crewing the same jet for the last ten years in the active world your lucky to have a E-4 for 10 months.

Response by MAJ Laura Wade made Jul 26 at 2015 7:39 AM

MAJ Laura Wade — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 07:39:03 -0400

Ues I work with active duty, and as a retired guardsmen and active duty as well as an Air guard member I am still constantly defending the guard. The problem is standards are not upheld in any service or compo....

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 26 at 2015 8:27 AM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 08:27:43 -0400

I think the stigma is definitely still there. I worked in a unit that was blended Active and Guard for many years, and you'd always hear comments from the AD folks about how the Guard was a joke, especially when it came to military bearing and physical standards.

I was lucky enough to serve on both sides, and deploy with both Guard and Active duty crews. I think they each have pros and cons. In our until, the majority of the Guard was full time, with a mix of AGR and technician positions. Personally, I preferred serving with the Guard during real world operations. in most cases, 90% of the crew spent their careers together, some nearing 30 years. The amount of experience in one job made it so that things just "happened" when things got crazy. When you take away the constant PCSes, needs for duties outside one's career field for promotion (to some extent), and a lot of the "red tape" we see on the AD side, you're left with a group of people who know and love what they do, and they do it well.

In our case, our Guard unit actually had more time and experience on the jet in primary duties because they were required to complete drill on top of their daily status in AGR or as a full time technician. We maintained the same aircrew standards as our AD brethren, and had the added benefit of knowing the person we worked alongside for many years. You could step to the jet and know "Lt Col so and so is more of a hands on guy, so I need to be sure to send him this or that as in doing it." Or, "Maj so and so likes hourly updates, so I can get the tasks done and just have an update ready." Often, this level of proficiency was lost on the AD side, because just as you figured out someone's personal style, they were training in a new position, or packing their bags for their next assignment.

Currently, even the Guard is getting hit with PT enforcement, and many members (in my experience at least) had more incentive to actually attend PME in residence and practice their other skills alongside AD.

I know the traditional thought of Guard is your Army weekend warrior, and I'm well aware that my experiences aren't standard across units throughout the country. However, I felt the need to share my experience for those who hear Guard and have a common misconception about the units. I know that when I joined, I had the same "one weekend a month, two weeks a year" ideas. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how diverse our use of Guard units actually is!

Response by MSG(P) Rafael Aguilera made Aug 7 at 2015 11:46 PM

MSG(P) Rafael Aguilera — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 23:46:07 -0400

I still know that a lot of AD Soldiers look down to the "Nasty Girls". I have experienced it first hand and plan to experience it each time my unit moves into a co-occupancy where there is AD personnel. I advise my Soldiers ahead of time that we will be walking into an ambush.
As long as your DISCIPLINE is locked in; you will not have a difficult time "getting back on the bike" and completing mission to standard.
Guard and Reserve Soldiers bring a different mind set to the battlefield. They are often able to think outside the box and execute above expectations. We have tied this thought process into our drill training. We work with a lot of outside law enforcement (because we are MPs) with training. It increases the morale in the unit and in turn Soldiers will continue to go further for you when asked.
We are now able to walk into several AD bases and jump into the driver seat due to our reputation of discipline and professionalism. I have SNCO's that are able to act as shift supervisors on AD facilities.
We love the challenge and kill em' with kindness!

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 4:36 AM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 04:36:31 -0400

I think the stigma is still present. I have been in the guard for almost 12 years now and time and time again we have been labeled as less compitant than our active duty counterparts. Albeit unjustly, this stereotype still exists. I cannot speak for all of the reserve component but in NH, we have bested just about all the active duty units we have worked with and the very few who we have not bested we are on par with. Every single one of these units thought because we were guard we sucked... Until we proved them wrong.
In my experience with active duty the generalizations I have come to develop about the active component is this. Cohesiveness is not as tight. Crosstraining is less. Uniform standards are a bigger deal than knowing your MOS and lastly civilian skills are non existing. Primarily due to being in the military from the time they became working age has not allowed them the opportunity to develop such skills. While I sit here and type these generalities, I know that they do not hold truth in every situation. However, the same could be said about the guard. When push comes to shove about 80% of the soldiers I have interacted with, guard or active, are professionals and that's what counts.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 10 at 2015 8:00 AM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 08:00:45 -0400

There are good and not so good guard and reserve personnel and units just like the active component. Most guardsmen and reservists are professional

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made Aug 10 at 2015 9:35 AM

SGT Bryon Sergent — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 09:35:11 -0400

I think that it is upon the different units. I was in one that really, really didn't help the out look of the Guard. I am in a unit now that is really on track to be excellent. Haven't been there long but is looking really good.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 10 at 2015 11:11 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 11:11:10 -0400

CMSgt Schubert-

Speaking from the Guard side, we were singled out and harassed incessantly in Basic. While the Recruiters would often serve us KoolAid prior to Basic, the statistics showed that Guard members did well in the BCT/AIT phase of training...Prime example:

My class in AIT was D12-10. We started with 17, of which 7 of us were all NG members. I will also go to point out that all 7 members of the Guard were the top performing members in the class, and I was #2 of 17. Our DHG was a NG Soldier from Wisconsin, and you ll be happy to know he s in AQC to become an AH-64D driver. I am now a corporate pilot and flight instructor. The other ones have gone on and either gotten out or continue to excel in their current position.

Stigma s can hold all they want, but when it comes down to the rubber meeting the road, NG can handily do the mission the Active Component has and then some.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 10 at 2015 2:36 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 14:36:42 -0400

The stigma was alive and strong as of 2012 when I left the Army. From personal experience, it wasn't unfounded either. I didn't work alongside reservists or guard soldiers much when I deployed to Iraq, but during my Afghanistan deployment my unit was tasked to unfuck a situation that our local guard unit had fucked up on the regular. One particular scenario nearly got my Squadron Commander killed due the guard units incompetence. I'm biased and prejudiced as a result of my interactions with non active duty soldiers, fair or not.

Response by CW2 Michael Berthiaume made Dec 18 at 2015 6:13 AM

CW2 Michael Berthiaume — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 06:13:30 -0500

Having been in both type units and having Deployed to Afghanistan with both in Support Type units, I will deploy with Guard/ Reserve Units anyday. I am a Maintenance Chief and I had A Mechanical Engineer, Certified A/C Mechanics , Professional Generator Mechanics with me, and they Proved to be Incredibly Invaluable to the Entire Operating Base. Active Duty Rules in the Infantry, Armor, Artillery Type but I will deploy with my Brothers/Sisters in the Guard/Reserve anyday.

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 10 at 2016 3:13 AM

CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 03:13:15 -0500

The Guard and Reserve force are a key piece to making our mission happen. They have jobs on the outside they bring more to the table than just their AFSC

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Feb 28 at 2023 10:44 AM

MAJ Ronnie Reams — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 10:44:25 -0500

Not since ADC 29th Inf Div Norm Cota got his NG div off Omaha before the 1st Inf Div USA. There are folks that do not remember that and think USA's defecation does not stink. LOL