Commissioning into the National Guard?

tigers06

5-Year Member
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Oct 29, 2013
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From the looks of this forum, I appear to be one of the few people who actually wants to commission into the National Guard rather than AD (please, no lecturing on me how I should be aiming for AD). I'm only a freshman, so I have a while before I really need to worry about this, but I thought I'd ask anyways. If I put down NG as my first choice, am I likely to get it seeing as a majority of cadets go for AD? I plan on having a solid OML score and my PT score is nearly 300 already.
 
Yes, if you want National Guard you will go to the National Guard.
The guard hasn't met it's quota for new officers in years.

As the story goes, the #1 cadet on the OML a few years ago went National Guard.

By the way, there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing that path.

Good luck to you.
 
There are actually a few that post here that chose NG. I agree, nothing wrong with wanting the NG at all.
 
From the looks of this forum, I appear to be one of the few people who actually wants to commission into the National Guard rather than AD (please, no lecturing on me how I should be aiming for AD). I'm only a freshman, so I have a while before I really need to worry about this, but I thought I'd ask anyways. If I put down NG as my first choice, am I likely to get it seeing as a majority of cadets go for AD? I plan on having a solid OML score and my PT score is nearly 300 already.

You'll get it and most likely whatever branch you want if you are proactive.
 
That's great to hear! In my battalion, it seems pretty frowned upon (at least among the cadets) to want anything except AD, so I haven't spoken up about wanting Guard. Anyways though, thank you guys for the info!
 
Your peers have don't have any experience to base their opinions on. A good number of them will probably end up disappointed with active duty once they live it for a few years. Don't let them influence you and feel free to speak your mind around them.
 
Also, the further you get in ROTC, the more your peers will end up wanting to go into the Reserves or NG. It's a strange occurrence that happens when people get burned out on ROTC.
 
Don't forget the old saying too that "Life Happens".

In 2 or 3 years you may decide you want AD. People get girlfriends, wives, kids (hopefully in that order but maybe not). Priorities change and goals change.

I would just learn what you can now and make that decision when the time comes, unless you are going to take GRFD or state guard money to pay for your education, then that is when your decision is made.
 
Don't forget the old saying too that "Life Happens".

In 2 or 3 years you may decide you want AD. People get girlfriends, wives, kids (hopefully in that order but maybe not). Priorities change and goals change.

I would just learn what you can now and make that decision when the time comes, unless you are going to take GRFD or state guard money to pay for your education, then that is when your decision is made.

Very true but taking GFRD now as a means to pay for college isn't a bad deal. The only catch is you have to get a regular job like 99% of the country. However, having 0 debt and an extra ~400 bucks a month as a 2LT isn't a bad gig.

If I was going to a private school and got offered a 4 year GFRD scholarship vs a maybe 3 year AD or non-scholarship contract at junior year I would most likely take the GFRD.

All just depends on goals, if the cadet has a 4 year AD and a 4 year GFRD lined up I would definitely take the AD to postpone the decision
 
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So, how does it work in selecting where (geographically) one joins the NG? does one automatically get slotted into the State/area where they went to school? Their 'home' State? Is it one's preference, or is it driven by the branch choice?
I also wonder what happens when one then takes a job/ moves far from their unit. Are transfers between States/units reasonably possible?
 
So, how does it work in selecting where (geographically) one joins the NG? does one automatically get slotted into the State/area where they went to school? Their 'home' State? Is it one's preference, or is it driven by the branch choice?

None of this is guaranteed, just how it happened this year.

NG and USAR had tents during the branch day at LDAC. You could go sign up. It varied on the state on what you could sign up for. The USAR would let you sign up for actual slots. Some state guard units let you do that too. Others let you sign up that you were interested and then are waiting till the OML list comes out to assign their slots. Chances are there is a guardsman that works with your Btn to help cadets who want to do it in that state. (I go to school in Wheaton, so it was the ILNG that came to our Btn. They have contacts with other states too though.)


Does that help at all?
 
Thanks much. That does help.
I wonder , too what one does if say they join a NG unit near 'home' and later find a need to move beyond a reasonable commute. Is transferring between States reasonably possible?
 
In my ROTC battalion, they told us that it's pretty much the same process as trying to get AD. More people than you think try to commission in the Guard and Reserves, so just do as well as you can and get high up on the OML list. I know a couple guys that tried to go reserves and got forced AD so it's definitely not a guarantee.
 
In my ROTC battalion, they told us that it's pretty much the same process as trying to get AD. More people than you think try to commission in the Guard and Reserves, so just do as well as you can and get high up on the OML list. I know a couple guys that tried to go reserves and got forced AD so it's definitely not a guarantee.

I don't see that happening in this day and age :thumb: Some cadets would kill for that switch!

Exceptions are nursing or green to gold which usually have to go AD
 
When was this? I'm assuming before the drawback

This happened to one of the guys I know a few years ago before the cutbacks. But the other one actually happened this past May when he graduated. I don't think this happens very often, but unfortunately it did to him. He's back at home now living with his parents still looking for a job, so like I said, branching NG is NOT a guarantee.
 
usmawebb,

If your friend went AD (Active Duty) in May why is he still looking for a job? Is he waiting for his BOLC date then Active Duty? Your previous post indicated your friend was 'forced AD' Active Duty. I know years ago this could happen....my year it did, but I'm really old.

Scholarship Green To Gold have to go Active Duty.....
 
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usmawebb,

If your friend went AD (Active Duty) in May why is he still looking for a job? Is he waiting for his BOLC date then Active Duty? Your previous post indicated your friend was 'forced AD' Active Duty. I know years ago this could happen....my year it did, but I'm really old.

Scholarship Green To Gold have to go Active Duty.....

Wow I feel like an idiot now. My friend that graduated in May tried to go AD and got forced NG, my mistake.
 
Wow I feel like an idiot now. My friend that graduated in May tried to go AD and got forced NG, my mistake.

No need to feel like an idiot. Mis-stated ... it happens to all of us. I did have a LT my year that wanted reserves because he had a great job all lined up and was forced to Active Duty. It will be many years until we see that again.

This year will likely be bad with a large number to NG not by choice.
 
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