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i will be a Sergeant First Class soon, but i can't divulge the info because of OPSEC
Lots of questions:
What has your overall experience in the National Guard been like? ok
What is the committment? 6 years for me
Are memebers of the National Guard ever deployed oversee's or out of state? expect to be deployed up to 50% of your time in
I have some postgrad degree's so if I move forward I'd want to pusue OSC? What should I expect if I do that? dont know
Is the committment to being in the Guard a strain on your family/personal life?yes
Lots of questions:
What has your overall experience in the National Guard been like?
What is the committment?
Are memebers of the National Guard ever deployed oversee's or out of state?
I have some postgrad degree's so if I move forward I'd want to pusue OSC? What should I expect if I do that?
Is the committment to being in the Guard a strain on your family/personal life?
I guess I'll start with those, but I'm sure lots of other questions will also come to mind
commitment: ??? absolutely.... i'm divorced, almost twice now... it will rip your family apart if you let it. if you bring them in, it will be ok
Could you clarify what you mean by this? If you keep them near or something? I know this can be a very sensitive topic...just trying to understand is all.
if I may be so bold.....
when you deploy, especially as a Guardsman, you form a bond with those guys. I say even more so in the Guard because your with the same core of Soldiers for 10 plus years in some [mine] instances.
when you get back, regardless of if you were deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Arizona or the Horn, that void is tough to fill. The void that comes from putting it all on the line day in and day out. Regardless of what you did on your deployment. Again, I dont think it matters where you go- its when you get back to the family that im talking about.
everyday stuff, taking out the garbage, feeding the kids, mowing the lawn, going to your job and banging out 10 hours in the hot sun...none of it really seems as important anymore. I work for my family, in the trades- and its a tough, high stress day. It doesnt really matter anymore, and its damn near impossible to relate it to your spouse. They dont always understand the nightmares, or the Tums, or why you want SO f***ING DESPERATELY to recreate the times you had with those guys.
They [she] tries tries and tries with all her heart to be there for you, but if you dont let here in, she cant get in.
So, you stop talking about your days. It becomes about the kids. The groceries. The bills.....
Then drill comes. Or AT. And for a couple days after, everything is great again. Like being on R&R again. You laugh, and sit on the counter drinking a beer when the kids are asleep....bliss.
Then its gone, like smoke....cant really put your finger on when it went, but its gone. She wont stop with the nagging, (you know, about stuff like why are yu drunk at 1500 on a wednesday? Are you getting paid this week? where is your daughter? Is the house on Fire?)and you wont tell her why you hate her f***ing guts right now.(You dont, but she doesnt know that, because you dont talk to her) and your back to the same ol day in day out BS....but no Rhinos. No losing your fill when you hit a bump on Irish. No IDF. No clearing before you go inside the house. No sandbags. no T Walls....its all gone...nope. No patrol brief before you head out to the driveway and fire up the fbcb2.
You come home, and now you dont speak at all, just 'acknowledge'. You move from beers to booze. Whats she say? Nothing, cause shes busy raising your kids, and taking care of your house, while your still trying to figure why the hell you came back at all.
Ill tell you why, cause shes still the girl you fell in love with, no matter where you are now. And when your done feeling sorry for yourself, cause you didnt get what you wanted out of the deployment, or perhaps you did-You need to man up, shake it off and remember, your kids need a daddy, and your girl needs her husband.
Sometimes it takes months, sometimes years, but eventually-married or not-you go thru it.
I think i needed to write this.
dibs on GRAP, bitches.
if I may be so bold.....
when you deploy, especially as a Guardsman, you form a bond with those guys. I say even more so in the Guard because your with the same core of Soldiers for 10 plus years in some [mine] instances.
when you get back, regardless of if you were deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Arizona or the Horn, that void is tough to fill. The void that comes from putting it all on the line day in and day out. Regardless of what you did on your deployment. Again, I dont think it matters where you go- its when you get back to the family that im talking about.
everyday stuff, taking out the garbage, feeding the kids, mowing the lawn, going to your job and banging out 10 hours in the hot sun...none of it really seems as important anymore. I work for my family, in the trades- and its a tough, high stress day. It doesnt really matter anymore, and its damn near impossible to relate it to your spouse. They dont always understand the nightmares, or the Tums, or why you want SO f***ING DESPERATELY to recreate the times you had with those guys.
They [she] tries tries and tries with all her heart to be there for you, but if you dont let here in, she cant get in.
So, you stop talking about your days. It becomes about the kids. The groceries. The bills.....
Then drill comes. Or AT. And for a couple days after, everything is great again. Like being on R&R again. You laugh, and sit on the counter drinking a beer when the kids are asleep....bliss.
Then its gone, like smoke....cant really put your finger on when it went, but its gone. She wont stop with the nagging, (you know, about stuff like why are yu drunk at 1500 on a wednesday? Are you getting paid this week? where is your daughter? Is the house on Fire?)and you wont tell her why you hate her f***ing guts right now.(You dont, but she doesnt know that, because you dont talk to her) and your back to the same ol day in day out BS....but no Rhinos. No losing your fill when you hit a bump on Irish. No IDF. No clearing before you go inside the house. No sandbags. no T Walls....its all gone...nope. No patrol brief before you head out to the driveway and fire up the fbcb2.
You come home, and now you dont speak at all, just 'acknowledge'. You move from beers to booze. Whats she say? Nothing, cause shes busy raising your kids, and taking care of your house, while your still trying to figure why the hell you came back at all.
Ill tell you why, cause shes still the girl you fell in love with, no matter where you are now. And when your done feeling sorry for yourself, cause you didnt get what you wanted out of the deployment, or perhaps you did-You need to man up, shake it off and remember, your kids need a daddy, and your girl needs her husband.
Sometimes it takes months, sometimes years, but eventually-married or not-you go thru it.
I think i needed to write this.
dibs on GRAP, bitches.
CenterMass, your scaring the shit out of me!!! This year has been a real eye opener for me PERSONALLY, and I THOUGHT it has been a relationship BUILDER. Im heading home in about 31 days ( not that we are counting) and plan on goin back to work July 1. Now Im scared to !! LOL
Seriously, In the last couple weeks, after swearing up and down never to VOLUNTEER for another deployment, there are days Im already thinking I could squeeze in a Stan deployment before thats all over. This has been a real life experience for me. People outside the military have no idea how good they have it day to day. I mean ya, work, bills and all that, but damn.. fresh air while you work, grass under your feet, a bed to sleep on, no IDF ruining your barbeque.... does it get better??? LOL ( I do secretly wish I had my very own C-RAM system to shoot down pigeons).
To the original poster, a few questions back atcha.... what MOS (job) are you thinking about doing? Do you have a job now? Looking for a new Skill? The college money is great and all that, but JOB SECURITY is something that service in the National Guard can also bring. I am a firefighter by trade, but when I retire, my national guard training as a heavy equipment operator is going to give me something to keep the money coming in. PLUS by then, Ill have my retirement from the guard for 20 years of service. Serving your community and your country I THINK is one of the most patriotic and adult things any young person can do. Put stock in your country by working for it. With the right attitude, you wont be sorry.
If i were you i would be concerned about those so called "Girls nights"
I am HOPING that the first "Girls Night" that Im home is Toga night.... You should go and me and Trav can sit on the front lawn drinking beer and holding up ratings !
if I may be so bold.....
when you deploy, especially as a Guardsman, you form a bond with those guys. I say even more so in the Guard because your with the same core of Soldiers for 10 plus years in some [mine] instances.
when you get back, regardless of if you were deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Arizona or the Horn, that void is tough to fill. The void that comes from putting it all on the line day in and day out. Regardless of what you did on your deployment. Again, I dont think it matters where you go- its when you get back to the family that im talking about.
everyday stuff, taking out the garbage, feeding the kids, mowing the lawn, going to your job and banging out 10 hours in the hot sun...none of it really seems as important anymore. I work for my family, in the trades- and its a tough, high stress day. It doesnt really matter anymore, and its damn near impossible to relate it to your spouse. They dont always understand the nightmares, or the Tums, or why you want SO f***ING DESPERATELY to recreate the times you had with those guys.
They [she] tries tries and tries with all her heart to be there for you, but if you dont let here in, she cant get in.
So, you stop talking about your days. It becomes about the kids. The groceries. The bills.....
Then drill comes. Or AT. And for a couple days after, everything is great again. Like being on R&R again. You laugh, and sit on the counter drinking a beer when the kids are asleep....bliss.
Then its gone, like smoke....cant really put your finger on when it went, but its gone. She wont stop with the nagging, (you know, about stuff like why are yu drunk at 1500 on a wednesday? Are you getting paid this week? where is your daughter? Is the house on Fire?)and you wont tell her why you hate her f***ing guts right now.(You dont, but she doesnt know that, because you dont talk to her) and your back to the same ol day in day out BS....but no Rhinos. No losing your fill when you hit a bump on Irish. No IDF. No clearing before you go inside the house. No sandbags. no T Walls....its all gone...nope. No patrol brief before you head out to the driveway and fire up the fbcb2.
You come home, and now you dont speak at all, just 'acknowledge'. You move from beers to booze. Whats she say? Nothing, cause shes busy raising your kids, and taking care of your house, while your still trying to figure why the hell you came back at all.
Ill tell you why, cause shes still the girl you fell in love with, no matter where you are now. And when your done feeling sorry for yourself, cause you didnt get what you wanted out of the deployment, or perhaps you did-You need to man up, shake it off and remember, your kids need a daddy, and your girl needs her husband.
Sometimes it takes months, sometimes years, but eventually-married or not-you go thru it.
I think i needed to write this.
dibs on GRAP, bitches.
if I may be so bold.....
when you deploy, especially as a Guardsman, you form a bond with those guys. I say even more so in the Guard because your with the same core of Soldiers for 10 plus years in some [mine] instances.
when you get back, regardless of if you were deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Arizona or the Horn, that void is tough to fill. The void that comes from putting it all on the line day in and day out. Regardless of what you did on your deployment. Again, I dont think it matters where you go- its when you get back to the family that im talking about.
everyday stuff, taking out the garbage, feeding the kids, mowing the lawn, going to your job and banging out 10 hours in the hot sun...none of it really seems as important anymore. I work for my family, in the trades- and its a tough, high stress day. It doesnt really matter anymore, and its damn near impossible to relate it to your spouse. They dont always understand the nightmares, or the Tums, or why you want SO f***ING DESPERATELY to recreate the times you had with those guys.
They [she] tries tries and tries with all her heart to be there for you, but if you dont let here in, she cant get in.
So, you stop talking about your days. It becomes about the kids. The groceries. The bills.....
Then drill comes. Or AT. And for a couple days after, everything is great again. Like being on R&R again. You laugh, and sit on the counter drinking a beer when the kids are asleep....bliss.
Then its gone, like smoke....cant really put your finger on when it went, but its gone. She wont stop with the nagging, (you know, about stuff like why are yu drunk at 1500 on a wednesday? Are you getting paid this week? where is your daughter? Is the house on Fire?)and you wont tell her why you hate her f***ing guts right now.(You dont, but she doesnt know that, because you dont talk to her) and your back to the same ol day in day out BS....but no Rhinos. No losing your fill when you hit a bump on Irish. No IDF. No clearing before you go inside the house. No sandbags. no T Walls....its all gone...nope. No patrol brief before you head out to the driveway and fire up the fbcb2.
You come home, and now you dont speak at all, just 'acknowledge'. You move from beers to booze. Whats she say? Nothing, cause shes busy raising your kids, and taking care of your house, while your still trying to figure why the hell you came back at all.
Ill tell you why, cause shes still the girl you fell in love with, no matter where you are now. And when your done feeling sorry for yourself, cause you didnt get what you wanted out of the deployment, or perhaps you did-You need to man up, shake it off and remember, your kids need a daddy, and your girl needs her husband.
Sometimes it takes months, sometimes years, but eventually-married or not-you go thru it.
I think i needed to write this.
dibs on GRAP, bitches.
this - it is also compounded when it's a dual-military couple...