Anyone in the National Guard?

[Guardian of the Rain]

I've been thinking about joining it and I'm thinking about finally filling out the application. The website makes it seem all great, but that could just be a strategy for recruiting more members. So, I'd like to know what it's like from someone who knows what it's really like.

 

[silmarill]

what country is it?

 

[Guardian of the Rain]

what country is it?

U.S.

 

[Hipster Madara]

Thought you were going to starve yourself... :|

 

[Guardian of the Rain]

Lmao will you guys please forget that?
I was going to, but then I was convinced not to. I still have suicidal thoughts, but thoughts of a decent future overpowers 'em. xd

 

[Dreckerplayer]

Lmao will you guys please forget that?
I was going to, but then I was convinced not to. I still have suicidal thoughts, but thoughts of a decent future overpowers 'em. xd

Life can get like that sometimes, but I refuse to fall for the b^tch called suicide...

 

[Jin Hayami]

I've been thinking about joining it and I'm thinking about finally filling out the application. The website makes it seem all great, but that could just be a strategy for recruiting more members. So, I'd like to know what it's like from someone who knows what it's really like.

if you're gonna go go active duty. Every single guardsman and reservist I went to basic with regretted not being active by the end and deploying with them is a nightmare because they aren't professional military. The army is a weird thing. They treat you like **** for 9 weeks and at the end of it you're so proud of yourself that you want to keep doing it...Its sorta like battered wife syndrome lol. It will change your view of the world if youre just getting out of high school i can promise you that. I can say this though. If i could go back i would make the same decision.

 

[Guardian of the Rain]

if you're gonna go go active duty. Every single guardsman and reservist I went to basic with regretted not being active by the end and deploying with them is a nightmare because they aren't professional military. The army is a weird thing. They treat you like **** for 9 weeks and at the end of it you're so proud of yourself that you want to keep doing it...Its sorta like battered wife syndrome lol. It will change your view of the world if youre just getting out of high school i can promise you that. I can say this though. If i could go back i would make the same decision.

Lol yeah I heard it does strange things to the mind. Tbh, I just want to join it for the money and for the benefits. Most people say they do it for serve their country, but I doubt I, as an individual, will make a big impact. Plua, besides writing, I have no talents or skills to fall back on. Soo eh, National Guard has to be better than being a waste of space. *shrug*

Life can get like that sometimes, but I refuse to fall for the b^tch called suicide...

Well, that just means that you have a better head on your shoulders than I do.

 

[Jin Hayami]

Lol yeah I heard it does strange things to the mind. Tbh, I just want to join it for the money and for the benefits. Most people say they do it for serve their country, but I doubt I, as an individual, will make a big impact. Plua, besides writing, I have no talents or skills to fall back on. Soo eh, National Guard has to be better than being a waste of space. *shrug*

Well, that just means that you have a better head on your shoulders than I do.

Army will give you all the skills they need you for. The army literally has every job you can get as a civilian so take the ASVAB theyll give you a list of jobs you qualify for and do it. Beats the hell out of sitting in your moms basement smoking pot or working at Starbucks for **** money. When your life comes to a stand still institute a change. I didn't have **** to do after high school so that's what i did. Stop with the suicide ****. The other soldiers will hate you if they hear you talking about it. We have to sit through endless hours of bull**** sexual harassment, suicide prevention, and safety briefs all the time and they only get worse when someone threatens to kill themselves or gets a dui or something. Just do it man it really sounds like you need some motivation and stability in your life.

 

[Wang]

I'm surprised that starvation thing didn't work, but this is a good idea too

 

[Guardian of the Rain]

Army will give you all the skills they need you for. The army literally has every job you can get as a civilian so take the ASVAB theyll give you a list of jobs you qualify for and do it. Beats the hell out of sitting in your moms basement smoking pot or working at Starbucks for **** money. When your life comes to a stand still institute a change. I didn't have **** to do after high school so that's what i did. Stop with the suicide ****. The other soldiers will hate you if they hear you talking about it. We have to sit through endless hours of bull**** sexual harassment, suicide prevention, and safety briefs all the time and they only get worse when someone threatens to kill themselves or gets a dui or something. Just do it man it really sounds like you need some motivation and stability in your life.

Hell yeah that'll be better. My older brothers are complete bums, so I'd hate to end up being burdens to my family like they are. Coming from a lower middle class family, I need the motivation and stability, like you said. Along with support and benefits. Loneliness is the main cause for my suicidal thoughts, so hopefully I'll meet some lifelong friends and eventually find myself a woman who's perfect for me.
Having people watch my every move would be annoying, but I understand that you can't always remain in your comfort zone.
Ughh, please tell me that the majority if the time isn't spend sitting on your ass? Too bad I live in MN. If I lived in CA, the National Guard there probably has the recruits spending a lot of time in the wilderness.

 

[Guardian of the Rain]

I'm surprised that starvation thing didn't work, but this is a good idea too

Yeah. I'd be of more use to the world this way than being a corpse.

 

[Jin Hayami]

Hell yeah that'll be better. My older brothers are complete bums, so I'd hate to end up being burdens to my family like they are. Coming from a lower middle class family, I need the motivation and stability, like you said. Along with support and benefits. Loneliness is the main cause for my suicidal thoughts, so hopefully I'll meet some lifelong friends and eventually find myself a woman who's perfect for me.
Having people watch my every move would be annoying, but I understand that you can't always remain in your comfort zone.
Ughh, please tell me that the majority if the time isn't spend sitting on your ass? Too bad I live in MN. If I lived in CA, the National Guard there probably has the recruits spending a lot of time in the wilderness.

You'll make friends alright. The weird thing for me was how fast the clique system broke down. My school was really cliquey and I didn't really like to play into that ****. When I got to my unit my three best friends became a nerdy little dude from Ohio, a gangster from New Orleans, and a Mexican wannabe rock star from San Antonio who actually ended up as my brother in law for a little while. Lol.
I'm not gonna lie to you kid you will spend more time with a broom in your hand than a rifle. All the free time is usually filled with training or details or something else. On those days we know we aren't doing anything I usually take my team and we go golfing or shoot funs or something. That said there are days I've been stuck at work so bored that I stole a coloring book from my soldiers kid and drew the **** outta some batman. It doesn't matter where you're stationed. 2-4 times a year you will go out to the field and play Audie Murphey.
Having someone watch your every move usually stops after you get to specialist. I have five soldiers on my team. Two specialists and three PFCs. I don't have to watch the specialists because they've been around long enough to know what they need to do and what ill do to them if they don't do it. The PFCs need a little watching over but they're catching on quick.

 

[Guardian of the Rain]

You'll make friends alright. The weird thing for me was how fast the clique system broke down. My school was really cliquey and I didn't really like to play into that ****. When I got to my unit my three best friends became a nerdy little dude from Ohio, a gangster from New Orleans, and a Mexican wannabe rock star from San Antonio who actually ended up as my brother in law for a little while. Lol.
I'm not gonna lie to you kid you will spend more time with a broom in your hand than a rifle. All the free time is usually filled with training or details or something else. On those days we know we aren't doing anything I usually take my team and we go golfing or shoot funs or something. That said there are days I've been stuck at work so bored that I stole a coloring book from my soldiers kid and drew the **** outta some batman. It doesn't matter where you're stationed. 2-4 times a year you will go out to the field and play Audie Murphey.
Having someone watch your every move usually stops after you get to specialist. I have five soldiers on my team. Two specialists and three PFCs. I don't have to watch the specialists because they've been around long enough to know what they need to do and what ill do to them if they don't do it. The PFCs need a little watching over but they're catching on quick.

LOL. Man, I want to have good times and good stories like yours. I'm really liking the idea of joining the NG ASAP. The only thing I have a problem with is if the federal government deploys me and it's after I already graduated, I'll be deployed for a minimum of one year. That's pretty crazy.
Thanks for being honest with me. You informed me of the pros and cons and it definitely seems like the pros outweigh the cons.

 

[Jin Hayami]

LOL. Man, I want to have good times and good stories like yours. I'm really liking the idea of joining the NG ASAP. The only thing I have a problem with is if the federal government deploys me and it's after I already graduated, I'll be deployed for a minimum of one year. That's pretty crazy.
Thanks for being honest with me. You informed me of the pros and cons and it definitely seems like the pros outweigh the cons.

Deployments are awesome as long as your with the right guys. I got to do pretty much whatever i wanted work wise and the odd explosion is always interesting. Plus the promotion board was easier there. I was 20 years old came back and I had 16k in my pocket. Paid off my wedding and put a big down payment on a truck.

 

[Guardian of the Rain]

Deployments are awesome as long as your with the right guys. I got to do pretty much whatever i wanted work wise and the odd explosion is always interesting. Plus the promotion board was easier there. I was 20 years old came back and I had 16k in my pocket. Paid off my wedding and put a big down payment on a truck.

Oh, awesome, man. I guess it's not that inconvenient if you get paid like that. Although, I'm well aware that it depends on your rank, amount of time you've been enlisted, etc.

 

[Aim64C]

I've been thinking about joining it and I'm thinking about finally filling out the application. The website makes it seem all great, but that could just be a strategy for recruiting more members. So, I'd like to know what it's like from someone who knows what it's really like.

I'm in the Reserves - not the National Guard, but the schedule and training are often along the same lines.

Keep your expectations in check. You'll see a lot of awesome pictures and other such things on their recruiting ads - and you -can- get into some of those things (if you're motivated and push hard to get into those outfits), but you're mostly going to be doing a lot of paperwork and "yes, I'm still alive and fit to report for duty in the event of a natural disaster or some war fighting effort."

That said - the National Guard is state-run. You are probably safer joining that than the federal military, at this point. The Military is going to be cut in half (manpower-wise) in the next five years. Attrition is ridiculously high and it's only going to get worse. The National Guard will probably end up under manpower increases (funding from the feds, ironically enough, for homeland security purposes; though the NG will still probably be doing a considerable number of deployments to Afghanistan).

Just don't plan on dropping your civilian career, completely. It can, however, help you with some networking to get into a career field with better advancement opportunities and other things.