5 Tips Before Joining the Guard/Reserves

Educate yourself (first)

For teens and young twenty-somethings out there, looking to broaden your horizons, learn about the world, and maybe even pay for college... educate yourself first. This can and should be taken two ways. If you have the financial means to go to school (post-secondary education) before joining - do it now! If you don't plan on ever attending college, then educate yourself on the service before you ever talk to a recruiter.

Chances are, you may be considering joining the guard or reserves for the college money. Before I tell you why that is the wrong answer (tip number 5), let me first start by explaining that you will not have as much time as you think. Joining the National Guard or Reserves requires just as much commitment as does joining active duty; depending on your MOS (military occupational specialty), be prepared to head to training for up to two years before you ever start your "one weekend a month, two weeks a year" commitment. The time for you to get your education is now - ask your recruiter about SLRP (student loan repayment program) options before you sign the contract.

If school just isn't your thing and you feel you must "find yourself" on uncle Sam's dime, be sure you know what you are going to do before you join. Come up with a list of questions to ask your recruiter before you ever sit in his or her chair... and for heaven's sake make sure you find out the answers before they tell you. They made search engines like Google for a reason! Learn about your benefits, possible bonuses, schools, and the commitment you will actually be giving. Before you take the ASVAB... Study. If you thought the SAT was the most important test you would take when you were not even considering college, consider the ASVAB as the test that is truly the most important to your career. The better your score, the better your options.

You may want to learn about your benefits in advance. Although 20 years may seem far away for you now, meeting that retirement requirement doesn't actually do much for you until you are about age 60. Sure there are a few stipulations and extenuating circumstances you can laugh about here, but it's not that common to hop on six 15-day mobilizations in the same fiscal year (yes, there are other possibilities mentioned, that one is just the most funny example they give)...

Learn to juggle

This ties into the education topic as well. When you find yourself in reservist land, be prepared to be away from work/school/family longer than just a one weekend-a-month commitment. Depending on your MOS, you could find yourself being gone twice as long for regular training during the year (and yes, even after your initial training is completed). If you think this means you will have sufficient time for college, while also paying the bills (assuming you can find a job or start a career), then you go for it - it is easier said than done and will take more than just a little hustle on your part.

Be prepared to be turned down for promotions in your civilian jobs because other candidates are "more qualified" and be prepared to be under the microscope for anything you fail to accomplish in that job. Employers do not receive a tax credit by hiring a Guardsman/Reservist like they do when they hire an active duty veteran (who will more than likely not have a commitment that takes them out of the working world more than two months a year). In fact, you may have spent more days on active duty than a former active duty soldier ever did in their one term and you could still be viewed as a simple economic liability.

Don't take it personal, just learn to juggle and excel in your career at the same time and you won't have to worry about hearing excuses as to why you have been let go. Yes, you think you are "protected" under USERRA laws - but they won't protect you from that one time you were five minutes late to work.

The simple fact is, your military commitment outside of work, while honorable, may mean just as much to your employer as if you took the day off to go play football. If a supervisor/manager has to deal with you being gone all the time and make others on your team work around your schedule, your one slip-up is an opportunity to legally get you out of the door. Think of this as an opportunity to get to work extra early. And by the way, on the off chance you ever get to a Guard/Reserve unit that isn't mission-focused and plays games on the weekends, fix it from the ground up - we have a job to do.

Grow thick skin

As a reservist, you will more than likely attend some of the same training schools as your active duty counterparts; many of whom, may have less experience than you. Be prepared to hear jokes about being a citizen soldier, weekend warrior, and an overall tone that you are less important to the team. Realize that you have the same mission, be the better Soldier/Marine/Airman/Seaman, and carry on.

Have patience

The best thing about the military is that we're all equal, regardless of race, gender, religious or sexual preference, you name it... With the exception of being a reservist/guardsman. On active duty, when you have served your minimum requirement in your rank, and you haven't shanked your fellow soldier - it's not too difficult to get orders to an NCO academy or military career school and rank up. This just isn't so in the Guard/Reserves. Be ready to be highly competitive to get one of the few slots available for the fiscal year, so you can actually rank up. There are only so many available positions, per unit, per state in the Guard and Reserves. This means you will be competing for a position to earn rank, or you will really need to know do it the wrong way and play the unit-transfer game (which is not such a great idea).

Be assertive

You're not on active duty, and neither is your chain of command. While you have work, school, and family to tend to, so do they. Be prepared to have to remind your superiors you need your orders more than a day in advance so you can go to that training school or get your promotion packet pushed up. In the same light, be prepared to email and call your unit administrators more often than you should, in order to make sure you actually get paid for the month (which may take more than a month to get to you). Consider that you may not be getting paid by your employer while you are away, so put in the extra hustle it takes to actually get the food on your family's table. You will not be successful in the Guard/Reserves unless you know how to be the "squeaky wheel" when you need to be.

Know why you join

It goes without saying, but it has been said, and I'll say it again - don't join for the money. Don't join for the benefits, since they are not all their cracked up to be. Don't join for the fame and glory, you will probably be the outcast in active duty circles at least once. Don't join for your resume, since it's a shame many civilian employers may view you as a liability.

Join because you love your country and you are the best that we have to offer. Join because not just everyone can handle living 5+ lives at once, while also standing ready to save the nation.