Is the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) still the best kept secret in the army?

I think this discussion merits a dose of cynicism:<br><br>I left the Regular Army in '03 looking to get a 92Y slot in the KS NG. After hanging out for months after my interview with no response, I tried my luck with the USAR.<br><br>I eventually got an AGR slot in '05. Everyone in the RA, I want you to think about that. It was a year and a half before I got picked up. I went into it at a time when the AGR program had shortages and I went into a shortage MOS. <br><br>My advice to those in the RA who wish to earn an active retirement: Reenlist. There are no guarantees these days.<br><br>My advice for those who really wish to be USAR AGR:<br>1. Have a plan B with a civilian career.<br>2. Do not turn down any assignment (even recruiting in North Dakota)<br>3. Have an MOS with a large AGR presence (92Y, 91B, 42A, 79V, or perhaps SQI 8). Reclass if needed.<br>4. Find a vacant position, and impress the command that owns it.<br><br>Good parts about AGR: <br>1. You get active duty benefits.<br>2. You largely avoid the silliness inherent in most active installations<br>3. You've got a bit more say in assignments than in RA.<br><br>Bad parts:<br>1. There are no guarantees. <br>2. You serve at the whim of HRC and the command. I have met Soldiers who were not retained on AGR. <br>3. AGR was intended as a limited tour, not a career path. You were supposed to spend 3 years on active duty, then return to a drilling status. There are some who wish to make that intent reality.<br>4. No bonuses (at least not any more).<br>

I don't know about best kept secret but it is not a bad program that has morphed from its original purpose. A big problem is the lack of understanding of how the army works by some AGRs. &nbsp;Another is the lack of interaction between a large group of peers for support and guidance. A lot of units are off by themselves without a large post for support.

I'm with the AL AGR, and have also spent time on Active Duty.  The AGR program is a great way to work towards your 20 years active duty retirement.  I must admit that it gave me the opportunity to acquire an additional MOS, and to learn a lot that will help me in the civilian world once I retire.  The Active National Guard allows you to work in dual status, when working at the MACOM level I was able to work with active duty personnel that were in our unit, and the dual status with ARNORTH allowed our MACOM to work within our state, and with other states.  As a Guardsmen I can honestly say that our training is well-planned and implemented during our scheduled monthly drills, and on the full-time side, well we work just as hard as anyone else working everyday for the military.  As of matter of fact we work for our soldiers as well as the military.  For those that want an AGR position, just keep applying until you get a position, and remember you don't have to posses the MOS to get an AGR job, once hired you have a timeframe in which you must go to school to become MOSQ.