Given that I have spent my whole initial enlistment with the same unit, is it worthwhile for me to re-enlist?

2017-03-06T17:37:17-05:00

I'd like to re-enlist and continue to serve my country. The only down fall is that I've only been at Brigade level my entire first 6 years of enlistment and only know that type of work culture. I'm a 25B and I love my job and also hope to be a DS one day but I feel like it may not be worth it to re-enlist. The first 4 years of my enlistment consisted playing on my phone. No job or cross training.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 6 at 2017 6:03 PM

2017-03-06T18:03:36-05:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member Did you inform your supervisor that you were ready for more responsibility and would like to cross train in your spare time? Please provide more details.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Mar 6 at 2017 6:08 PM

2017-03-06T18:08:40-05:00

Well 2 things cross my mind. You say you spent more time playing on your phone. Does this mean you had no opportunities to cross train or you had no initiative to cross train?

I was with a single unit my entire enlistment, but I personally went to 9 different units to cross train and expand my experience. I did this of my own volition. If you are waiting for someone to tell you to learn something, your leadership might already give you up as a lost cause because of the lack of initiative. Maybe they're letting you play on your phone because they think you have no interest being a part of the organization.

The next thing I wanted to say is do you enjoy what you are doing? If you aren't enjoying yourself, then it's pointless to reenlist because a change of scenery doesn't mean things will get better. The whole "grass is greener" thing. But if you do want to stay in, put your phone away and cross train. Learn a new skill, get a new cert. Because when you get out, these are the things you'll put on your resume.

Playing on your phone won't look so good on a resume.

Response by COL Charles Williams made Mar 6 at 2017 11:04 PM

2017-03-06T23:04:05-05:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member That is all based on your goals and objectives...

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 6 at 2017 11:31 PM

2017-03-06T23:31:11-05:00

Where to start?
First, yes it is worth it. Service comes with a cost, but it also has been rewarding. Making a difference for my Soldiers and the mission gives me far more pride than what I did at drill last weekend.

Second, for the love of all that is holy, GET THE HELL OUT OF BRIGADE. HQ units are where souls go to turn black and find new souls to consume. You will love being a Soldier far better if you can get out on the line, get dirty, and do Soldier stuff for a while. 25Bs don't get out much, so perhaps a reclass to another MOS is in order. There are plenty of opportunities out there.

Third, you need to invest in some self-development if your unit or NCOs don't seem interested. You won't get a lot of opportunities to set up a TACLAN in a Guard unit, so look for opportunities to support the facility, armory, or installation that you're on. Get permissions, certifications, and accesses and you will suddenly find yourself to be invaluable as Colonels bang their heads on their monitors trying to install a printer or get EES to work.

I love the Army and what I do, but it took me half a career to find my true calling and passion for putting on the uniform. It was hard to leave my comfort zone, but now I never look back.

Response by CPT Jacob Swartout made Mar 7 at 2017 12:17 AM

2017-03-07T00:17:49-05:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member Give another enlistment a shot and see what else is out there for you. I was supposed to leave after my initial enlistment of 3 yrs but decided that staying in to learn and grow more in my careers was a fair gamble. In the end, I'm still serving after all these years. You honestly can't base your opinion of the unit as a direct reflection of the ARNG as a whole. Each unit has it's ups and downs but should allow yourself an opportunity to compare with another unit or two. If your goals are to seek more in the military, then take that route.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Mar 8 at 2017 10:04 PM

2017-03-08T22:04:01-05:00

I may be giving an outdated opinion, but, is there any possibility of requesting training in another field that interests you as a reenlistment option? Obviously, since I originally enlisted for three years and ended up retiring after 25 as a fairly senior officer, I consider a military career well worth pursuing.