What's the easiest or smoothest way to switch from the TX National Guard to Active Duty?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 20:32:05 -0500

I love the Infantry and I want to do it full time, one weekend a month has not been enough for me. I want the whole experience!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2019 8:38 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 20:38:47 -0500

Go to a local recruiter, have them fill out and give you a 368, give it to your unit. If they allow you to leave the NG, the 368 will have to be approved by your entire chain of command. Expect anywhere from a 1-3 month wait.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Mar 7 at 2019 9:10 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 21:10:54 -0500

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 8 at 2019 3:05 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 03:05:24 -0500

Do as much research as you can on active duty man.... you’ll either hate it or you’ll just tolerate it. Combat jobs in active duty are 20% your job and 80% everything else

Response by SGT Aaron Rippee made Mar 8 at 2019 11:49 AM

SGT Aaron Rippee — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 11:49:57 -0500

The time you are waiting you better be PTing EVERY DAY, just like they do on active duty. Even if you do, you will probably still be behind on the physical side of the house. Better start working hard.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 8 at 2019 3:19 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 15:19:57 -0500

A 368 conditional release along w a 4187 and a letter of why you are wanting to go Active then it has to go all the way up to your two star for the state in order for you to be released then in the meantime get w your active recruiter and start the process.

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Mar 9 at 2019 3:29 AM

SPC Erich Guenther — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 03:29:11 -0500

Thats what I thought in 1982 when I switched from NG to Active Duty. Your going to learn though that doing the same thing over and over again gets to be repetitious and eventually boring. You don't experience as a NG beacause you only meet one weekend a month. Yes, you can move up in rank, move onto another MOS at re-enlistment time, but even those paths only challenge you so much. At your age though I would still say go for it regardless because your going to meet some great people and have some great times and you can afford the small detour an Active Duty tour is going to be on your 45 year work lifespan. My advice would be to have an exit plan though. Don't jump in the pool without an exit out if you find you do not like it. Be it the college fund, a plan for vocational training once your in, or whatever else. Always have a plan B in life and a plan C for everything you do. You will run into people on Active Duty that hate being there and feel they are trapped with no way out...........that never had a plan B, they just jumped in and hoped for the best, only finding out later they did not like it that much. Oh yeah agree with what others say, you need to push the 368 yourself, your NG Retention NCO's job is to discourage you from leaving the unit in anyway he or she can.

EDIT, sorry I meant to say I switched in 1984 not 1982, my memory is already starting to fail me....yikes.

Response by SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA made Mar 9 at 2019 6:34 AM

SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 06:34:42 -0500

Most of the job of AD Infantry is sitting around waiting on stuff. Be careful what you wish for.

Response by 2LT Earl Dean made Mar 17 at 2019 11:36 PM

2LT Earl Dean — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 23:36:03 -0400

They go see a recruiter and ask them for help. As for transfer to RA.