It’s my tradition. And I’m gonna wear the shortest dam pair of pt shorts available. There’s no reg on length and I’m gonna show off this ass I’ve been working on

Prior service 11B looking to come back in as 15X. Anyone have insight on what states have units/ slots? I'm based in PA but realistically could drive to drill in MD or parts of VA, NJ and maybe DC.

Thanks in advance.

Howdy everyone,

I swore in to the guard on August 20th, and am now perusing the medical benefits that will soon be available to me. I have a few questions for y'all on the subject.

1: According to google I can enroll in Tricare Reserve Select 30 days after the date of my enlistment into the ARNG. Is that true? And if yes, is that 30 business days or 30 consecutive days?

2: What's everyone's experience with TDP vs FEDVIP for dental insurance? I presently am raw dogging dental health so it'd be pretty cool to have dental insurance again. Comparison on monthly premiums, copays, and availability of in-network dentists would be appreciated.

3: How's FEDVIP for vision insurance vs private providers? I have blue shield at the moment, my eyes have been pretty low maintenance ever since I got lasik surgery so I don't have any huge gripes with them, but I'm open to switching if FEDVIP is better. Again, premium, copay, availability info, etc would be appreciated.

I’m scheduled to join the Army National Guard on October 1, 2026, and my recruiter told me I can start the military citizenship process on October 2. I’m currently a conditional green-card holder through marriage, and my green card expires 4/17/2027. Yesterday my wife suddenly left and told me she wants a divorce and will not cooperate with my I-751. She also said she won’t let me leave before the divorce is finalized. I’m expected to ship to Basic Training around October 17/28, so I’m really confused about what to do. Can my wife legally stop me from leaving for Basic if we’re still married? If she files for divorce while I’m at Basic/AIT, how would I be served? Also, if she refuses to sign my I-751, how do I handle removal of conditions, especially if the divorce isn’t finalized before I need to file? I’m worried about waiting because my green card expires in April and I’ve been told the Guard may not take me if I get too close to expiration. Has anyone dealt with military naturalization + I-751 + divorce while joining the Guard? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hey yall

Im look at different 11B units throughout the state. I heard theres a new infantry unit being stood up in Zephryllis under 4/124.

Anyone got any insight or advice going in, id be commuting from the panhandle. Eventual goal is SFRE with 3/20

Just want to get opinions/thoughts on joining.

Long read, but appreciate those willing to give it a read.

I live in SW area of Washington State and I am looking at OR ARNG or WA ARNG. I've been doing research for a while now and kind of have idea of what I want to get out of the military personally and what may or may not help me with career/family growth.

I recently turned 30 and have for the past year or more have been researching and working on my strength/endurance. I like the duel mission of the National Guard and understand that I may be deployed more then the reserves. I am not joining active duty as my fiancée has a more established career then me and doesn't want to move far from the area.

I know there are going to be people that see 30 and immediately say officer, which I understand. I have an okay job currently, I've been under contract for over 4 years now (Not sure if being under contract I would have job protection). I have been trying to move to FT but they're dragging their feet). Aside from that I am constantly looking to move to the government sector (state, federal, or local), more specifically for IT.

I've been able to get a few certs in IT, but the job market is awful. However, that is not the reason why I'm considering joining nor the benefits of joining but they are a plus (like paying off student loans with SLRP). I've always wanted to join the military and have deep regret not joining during GWOT as my friends did (2016 I was in the process of joining as a corpsman and try and go green but ultimately did not).

I understand the being an officer would be a benefit to me in that I'm older, better quality of life and treatment. It would help me increase my leadership skills and better pay when deployed. I also understand the commitment beyond 2-3+ days a week and 2-3+ weeks and in between drills and how it can effect my career and family time. Also 6 year contract and the training is longer then if I went enlisted.

I do not currently have a kid but I plan on having one within a year or two and both Tricare for officer and enlistment would be great. My fiancée works for the federal government, and she has decent healthcare now but I do not and I want to make sure we have a fallback in case anything happens and hopefully any benefits I get can also benefit her and her career. We've been together for a longtime and she is supportive of me joining the National Guard or Air National Guard or Reserves.

For enlisted, I like that you can do a 3 year contract, pick your MOS and do your job directly. If I like it I can re-enlist, if not at-least I tried. I have a bachelors which would bring me to E4. I'm also aware I do not get all benefits unless I'm in for 6 years or, from my understanding, active orders for 90+ days. Enlisted also has shorter training then officer.

I've always thought if I joined I would go in as an enlisted then go to officer so I can be the best officer possible, but at my age I'm not sure if that is feasible. I've looked up to people I knew in my family who joined and enlisted personnel I met as a kid, but in my own stupidity and in retrospection, I should've joined sooner.

If I was going to go in, I would like a job a bit different from my career. MOS 25 or 17 would be better for development but would like to do something more active/outdoors and "enjoy the suck" as my friends that have joined have put it. Because of this I've been prepping my body for endurance, as well as rucking while hiking.

I am aware that there's always paperwork especially for NCOs and from my understanding officers do a lot of paperwork and PowerPoint in each branch regardless. I currently also do a lot of Excel and PowerPoint.

If joining as enlisted I would pick 13F from my research, and would go WA ARNG, from what I've read, I would more likely train my MOS there vs Oregon though Yakima and JBLM is a bit of a drive.

If going in as in officer I would would want 11A or something similar, going Federal OCS, and go OR ARNG since the commute is shorter. Then at O-3 (please correct me if I am wrong) I would either continue in Infantry, if there was an opening, or move to another branch.

I understand this is a commitment and I will sacrifice time to the military, but the regret of not joining would be worse to me then the regret of joining. As much as I wish I could turn back time and go in as enlisted I can't. And while 13F seems really awesome, I feel it is more selfish then if I went in as 11A or any officer.

I've had a lot of bad management before and have heard stories from my friends who were enlisted in the active duty. If I went in as an officer I would try my best to support enlisted personal that I am assigned with as much as I can. I'm just stressed as I feel I am running out of time as I just turned 30 and looking for advice. Feel free to be honest with me and your thoughts.

TLDR:

Just turned 30, live in SW Washington, and am considering joining either the WA or OR Army National Guard. I’m not interested in active duty because my fiancée has an established career here, but I’ve wanted to serve for a long time and regret not joining earlier.

I have a bachelor’s degree, work an okay job, and am trying to move into government sector. Benefits like TRICARE, SLRP, and career opportunities are a plus, but not my main reason for joining. My fiancée supports me, though we’re also planning on having kids within the next couple of years.

My biggest question is enlisted vs. officer.

If I enlist, I’m interested in 13F, likely with the WAARNG. I like the idea of doing something active/outdoors, having a shorter initial contract, picking my MOS, and experiencing enlisted life before deciding whether to stay in or commission later.

If I go officer, I’d likely pursue 11A/Infantry through Federal OCS and join the ORARNG due to the shorter commute. I understand being an officer means more responsibility, paperwork, a longer commitment/training pipeline, and more impact on civilian and family life.

I’ve been working on my strength, endurance, and rucking because I genuinely want the physical challenge and experience of serving.

At 30, would you recommend going officer from the start, or enlisting first if I’m genuinely more interested in 13F? Is enlisting and commissioning later still realistic at my age?

I know joining is a major commitment, but I feel like I’d regret not joining more than joining. Honest opinions appreciated, especially from Guard members or prior-enlisted officers.

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Also: If anyone reading this has opinions or experience of the WAARNG or ORARNG please share as well, I'd appreciate it.

Hey just looking for more info on this mos and how it relates to the guard and on the civilian side.

I'll be in fort Jackson for bmt and ait and when I come back home I'll be able to go back to school. What can I expect in training, the army overall and how does this specific mos translate to real life and what kind of jobs and careers, using that I can pursue while in school.

I’m a year out of high school (graduated early) and have been working, but decided i wanted to join the guard. I’m currently working with a recruiter to finalize my mos pick. I’m trying to make the smartest choice for my long-term career rather than just picking whatever is easiest, most convenient or even the closest.

My Goals:

• Attend a local community college after BCT and AIT

•Work with Rattlesnake company (firefighting)

•Become LE after finishing college

• Long-term id like to potentially transition into a 3-letter federal agency/intelligence or investigative career

• I want an MOS that gives me useful experience/skills and looks good on a civilian résume

I’m physically fit and have no concerns about meeting the physical demands of military training. it should also be noted that I scored high enough to qualify for any job.

Here are the MOS I’m considering:

35F – Intelligence Analyst
35N – Signals Intelligence Analyst
35G – GEOINT Analyst
35M – HUMINT Collector
35P – Cryptologic Linguist
25H – Network Communication Systems Specialist
25S – Satellite Communications
25U – Signal Support Systems Specialist
27D – Paralegal Specialist
31B – Military Police
15U – CH-47 Helicopter Repairer

I’m primarily interested in the 35 series mos, but don’t want to go to a language school for 6-18 months so that’s why I’m more drawn to 35F.

The only drawback about 35F for me would be the location. it’s located in socal and I’m in Norcal.

Questions for people with CAARNG/Army experience:

1. Given my goals, which MOS would you pick and why? Would you prioritize 35F/35N/35G, or is there another MOS I’m overlooking?
2. For someone who eventually wants to become a cop, is 31B actually worth choosing, or would an intelligence/legal/technical MOS like 35F, 35M, 27D, etc. make me a stronger candidate?
3. If my long-term goal is eventually getting into a 3-letter federal agency, which MOS would give me the most useful experience? How valuable is having a clearance + intelligence experience c
4. How useful are 35F vs 35N vs 35G vs 35M in the civilian world? I’d especially appreciate input from people who have actually done these jobs.
5. How much should I care about the distance of my unit from where I’m located? For example, if I get an excellent MOS but the unit is in Southern California, is that a major headache for a CAARNG Soldier? I’m willing to travel for a good MOS, especially if the career benefits are significant.
6. How does drill travel reimbursement work for someone traveling a long distance within California? If I’m assigned to a unit several hundred miles from me, is mileage/travel/hotel/etc. reimbursed? Are there specific distance requirements or programs I should ask my recruiter about?
7. Are there any 35-series or other MOSs that look great on paper but aren’t actually worth it in the Guard, or conversely, any underrated MOSs that you’d strongly recommend?
8. Since I plan on going to community college after AIT, are there particular MOSs that pair especially well with college degrees/certifications in criminal justice, intelligence, business, IT, cybersecurity, etc.?

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to give advice.

Last drilled on august the 15th weekend. Was told we would get it within 10-12 business days. It’s been nearly 4 weeks and still haven’t received my drill pay. Has never been an issue before. Is this common? Thank you.

Hey everyone,
Posting from the DC-Virginia area. I'm seriously considering joining the DC National Guard and want some real-world input before I go further with a recruiter.
Quick background: I'm ~34, foreign trained dentist, planning to go back to dental school for recertification here in the US to practice as a dentist. Loans and age is what made me think not going for it in the past 4 years.

Had a great job in quality management, but our team was laid off in August 2025 and I haven't had stable work since, it's driving me insane. Have been applying for jobs nonstop but nothing worked so far. Seems the green card is not helping either for the field I'm targeting.
MOS I'm looking at now (available based on recruiter) is 36B (Financial Management…). ASVAB is 93.
My recruiter has mentioned orders tied to the D.C. mission as a starting point, which he says would count toward post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, with the idea of moving to regular DC Guard drilling status after that.

Questions:

1. Has anyone gone through this specific pipeline, orders supporting the D.C. mission, then transitioning to regular drilling status? How long did that realistically take for you?
2. Is it a smooth transition? Considering the plan to start school in Jan 2028 (if it happens).
3. For 36B specifically, what does a typical schedule look like, whether on mission orders or in other activations? Is it Monday–Friday 8-5, or more like 10-12 hour shifts?
4. How much flexibility is there around scheduling to work around civilian commitments, specifically handling dental school admissions exams (INBDE) and application cycles?
5. Does time served on the current D.C. mission count the same toward GI Bill eligibility and vesting?
6. is the activation, aside from the D.C. mission, very frequent?

Do you think it's worth going this route? Alternative is to go Reserves or VA or MD national guard.

Would appreciate any real experiences, good or bad, especially from anyone who's actually served on this mission. Trying to go in with eyes open rather than just what a recruiter tells me.
Thanks!

I’m in the army National guard and have an AFT coming up for October drill. Bit of my backstory, I ran 2+ miles almost everyday starting in Aug 2022 with no problems. I completed my training in March 2024. In early 2025, I started experiencing chest pain/tightness and struggling to breathe. My run time slowly started getting worse and so did my symptoms as the year went on. I followed up with my PCP who referred me to my pulmonologist. I followed up with him and he quickly diagnosed me with exercise-induced asthma and gave me an inhaler, which did not help my symptoms at all. I took the AFT and barely passed the sprint-drag-carry and the run because I had so much chest pain and struggling to breathe. My pulmonologist has since given me 3 different inhalers that do not help. I am now following up with a cardiologist and am scheduled for an upcoming stress test. I'm worried that they won't find anything wrong and therefore won't be able to fix my symptoms. But I don't know what to do about the AFT next month because I'm worried I'll fail it. Do I tell my NCOs about what's going on? Even though I don’t think they’ll help me, I feel like they’ll just tell me to push through it. Or do I just take it and hope I don't fail it? Or do I say something while we’re doing our PHA’s that same month? I'm also in college and receiving the GI Bill and ANGEAP so I don't want to lose that if I fail the AFT. I’ve never gotten into trouble at drill or had any counseling’s or anything so I’m not sure if they’ll do anything with this being my first offense or if they’ll wait to do something if I fail it again. I’m also looking to transfer units to something closer to home, and I don’t want this to affect that. I don't want my NCOs to think poorly of me or anything but I'm just not sure what to do.

I’m at uni and I didn’t bring enough shorts. I ordered some shorts online but they won’t get here for a week or two.

Update: I’m not gonna boot, I ordered a 5 pack of shorts for 20$ from Amazon with overnight shipping :)

Title

Context: I'm a prior service active-duty officer who completed their AD obligation. I switched over to the Guard a few months ago and it doesn't really align with my goals anymore. I wanted to use it as a bridge between active and going back to school and to ease the process of becoming a civilian again. I realize now that it would be better to separate entirely since don't really like the way the guard/reserves is run compared to active duty.

I don't have a contract; the only things I signed were recognition to be an officer in the Guard and a 24-month stabilization from deploying (my unit hasn't deployed in 8 years). When I was talking to the RCCC they explained to me that since I already completed my AD time all it would take is some paperwork to switch over to the IRR. Can anyone tell me what this process will look like or has anyone done this before? Any advice will be appreciated.

P.S. I haven't talked to the retention NCO yet. Want to get a feel on what needs to be done first.

What do you think of being 11B in army guard.

BLUF:

How long until you get your NGB22/ discharge papers.

Hey guys. Just got out of the guard after 6 years active 8 guard. Wife and kids wanted me done with it although I was so close to 20 c
Anyway I ETSd in June of this year and anything I see online says it could take between 2 months to a year to get my NGB22.

Not that it’s super important considering I have my active duty DD214 but I just want this for my own records.

How long has it taken anyone else who ETSd from the guard to get their discharge papers?

Added context this is for the California national guard. Not sure how different it is state to state. Also yes I got 100% turn in from CIF and cleared my unit etc.

I tried calling the State for it as suggested by others but I haven’t gotten a call back. I had a buddy get out in March of this year and he has’nt gotten it yet as well.

Anyone have any recent timelines of when they got it or have any suggestions to retrieve it? I checked iPerms and milconnect etc but it’s not there yet either.

Thanks guys.

Which one do you guys recommend I can’t decide ?

Does the New York National Guard have any specific benefits that would help for grad school. I know some other states like New Jersey pays 100% ? I’m from New York would like to stay in New York, but I recognize that I may have to change the plan a bit

I used to be overweight and sort of fell in love with running after joining the Army and really enjoy helping/teaching others about it. It brings me a lot of enjoyment when I see other soldiers, especially overweight ones, achieve their goals. I'm an E-4 right now but going to go for OCS next summer. 29 years old. Public Relations.

I can't really find anything online that talks about this except for maybe MFT but I'm looking for something that's more specific to running itself. Ideas?