Should I move from Air Guard SSgt to Army Guard 2LT?

2019-01-07T17:48:34-05:00

Hey, everyone. I'm currently in the Air Guard. I have a degree and I'm transitioning out of the ANG to go back to the Army (I'm former Army Reserve...did 6 yrs).

In your opinion, is this a wise move? I have my opinion and I'd like a little insight from others, along with your thoughts on this. Will I be deploying a lot? Are there things you all think I should know? Please share.

Thank you all in advance.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2019 7:46 PM

2019-01-07T19:46:36-05:00

I guess it depends on what you want, I will say in 2007 I had the chance to commission in the reserves but turned it down to transfer to a unit closer to home, I wish I had taken it.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 8 at 2019 8:17 AM

2019-01-08T08:17:03-05:00

Hello, good luck on your decision. Your question is a tough one. I would guess since you've done both Army and Air Force, you have an insight on each service that is hard to understand for someone who hasn't done both. My gut says you should go with the service you enjoyed the most, since as you know, each service has a distinct culture, even from state to state for Nat'l Guard. As for "deploying a lot", I'm not sure about that, but as you know, many National Guard units regularly deploy to Southwest Asia, but likely on a rotational basis versus rapid call-ups (at the present time).
If you want to volunteer for mobilizations, I had no issues with doing that. I did an ADOS tour with an active duty unit and really enjoyed it. You can find many available mobilizations on the Tour of Duty website, for virtually any MOS and Rank. I There are some differences from the Reserve from what I understand in the mobilization process, but the biggest things I ran into was making sure I had a TAG waiver (releasing you from control of your state, your state assists you in building the mob packet), and some minor hiccups in inprocessing, like they did not have my medical/dental records. Otherwise, everything was seamless, and had an excellent experience.Good luck.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 8 at 2019 8:33 AM

2019-01-08T08:33:45-05:00

You can go active from Reserve or Guard (to title 10) - I was given the option, as I was GUARD, yet opted for a FEDERAL REC OCS slot. Yes, every national guard Soldier has what is called a state rec and a "FED REC" I can show you the paperwork, if you'd like showing my FED REC. It depends on availability of slots as well. Give the branch manager a call at Knox, they will direct traffic.

As for your question - the first thing that comes to my mind is your MOS - and what you want to do for a job - that will have a bit of weight on your decision.
* Always wise to better yourself and your career.
*Deployment will depend on the tempo of your incoming unit. Some are every 3 years, some are supporting units (attached to a parent unit) and some are "in the rear, with the gear" all the time.

Your questions are quite general - and depending on your MOS, lifestyle, family situation, debt, responsibilities, etc... those variables will sway your decision.

In short - look for units in the GUARD or RESERVE (Guard is state funded, usually more active and tight units - you get to do state supporting efforts, etc...whereas RESERVE is FED funded) on Google - if one tickles your fancy - reach out to them. Ask to speak to the S1 NCO or CO - and if they're busy they can direct you to someone who can talk to you about tempo, open PARALINE, etc..

Good luck bro - here to help.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 13 at 2019 4:54 AM

2019-01-13T04:54:03-05:00

It does depend on what you want. I can give you alot of advice for Guard. Commissioning is always a better. Since you are looking for an opinion. I would recommend AD over AR or NG in any Branch. But if you haven't herd obligations that require you to be part-time reserves is always the better of the two options that control joint.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2019 1:46 PM

2019-03-02T13:46:14-05:00

Yes