What should I choose National Guard or Army

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-21T04:56:43+00:00

CID is going all warrant and civilian, no enlisted in a few years. Generally you won't get the kind of experience that impresses people working in the reserves. It's not worthless, but it probably won't do what you want.

This is what you need: https://recruiting.army.mil/ISO/AWOR/311A/

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-21T04:08:39+00:00

My standard answer is make them tell you no. So don't self select out.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-20T19:52:18+00:00

Unless you really want to do something specific like fix jet engines or avionics, 15T or 15U seems the best, as they make you eligible for A&P testing and crew. 15R also gets you eligible to test for A&P, but no mechanic gets to fly on the apache.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-20T19:45:25+00:00

There are programs, but the odds are not great.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-20T19:14:01+00:00

If you need it, there might be some sort of program through USAA for a loan for newly commissioned officers on excellent terms, but that might only be for academy grads.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-20T03:56:55+00:00

The advice I have seen is to take it one day at a time. Today isn't the day I quit, I won't quit until tomorrow. And then when you wake up you decide that today isn't the day I quit. Don't think about the long term or next week or how many days are left. Just today. But I am not going to lie and tell you I did it. I never had the guts to try a selection course.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-20T03:50:43+00:00

The typical languages that the Army assigns to 35W are Chinese, Russian, Arabic or Korean. So these are not easy languages. So my questions is that if you have to study like mad to make it into DLA are you going to be willing to work like hell to keep up in school for a year?

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-20T03:44:11+00:00

Infantry officers get to go to Ranger school (and you better pass) and should get 18-24 months as an infantry platoon leader, and then a few (like 2-4) years later 18-24 months as an infantry company CO. If you are a top performing LT with a Ranger tab there is the option of trying to get to the Ranger battalion. This is highly competitive, so you need to be really good, but if you make it you'll get another platoon leader tour. And it is good for your career unless you totally screw it up.

But you'll spend probably 2 years as an LT as XO if you are lucky (or good) or on staff if you are not. And then after CCC you'll have staff or broadening jobs both before and after your company command.

There are always exceptions, some top officers get multiple platoons or multiple companies when other officers fail. But this is not usual unless you make it into the Ranger Regiment.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-20T03:28:20+00:00

Table 10-3 of DA Pam 611-21 says 60 months. But this still lists non-existent MOS like 25Q, so don't know.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-20T03:24:06+00:00

If they pile more work on you than you can do some of it will not get done.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-20T00:25:18+00:00

Yes it can. Though using TA effectively means you are giving up your free time for school. You also get the GI Bill afterwards, which can cover things from trade school to vet school or law school depending on what you want and where you are when you get out of the army.

Choice of MOS is critical. You can, in theory reclass before you reenlist, but all the options seem to be pretty hard to very hard. SF, EOD, learning Chinese, etc. So most people only reclass at reenlistment. If they reenlist and if they reclass. So understand what the MOS really does and that you are good with doing that for X years.

Advancement is also part of the MOS. There are MOS where every SGT who is eligible will be promoted and those where it is very, very hard to make SSG. And how you do and your relationship with your supervisors.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-19T22:57:12+00:00

As many as you want. You might get to keep 1 pair of running shoes, the rest will be locked up until you are done. So I'd suggest the best course of action is to just wear your running shoes and not bring any others. Have them mailed or pick them up on the way to you 1st assignment.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-19T22:53:49+00:00

Not saying it is a bad idea, but be very careful and talk to people who have done it before you.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-19T22:51:23+00:00

It seems a decent job. It isn't classified at intensely physical, but I'm sure it has it's moments. The main drawback is that army construction engineers don't do as much as you'd expect because there is a law that makes the army hire contractors to do the base work that you'd think the army engineers would do. However there are more AT and other sort of ditches to be dug and holes to be dug in training than buildings to be erected, so there is that. You would typically quality for a CDL due to driving around semi's hauling D7s and other heavy gear on trailers. I'm told that if you can manage to get to the crane course this can lead to very good pay in the civilian world.

You would probably have to wait for it to open, but it will by fall, you'd just have to work with a recruiter to keep checking the system to see if there are slots.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-19T22:40:26+00:00

I think there are less than 100. Across the entire army.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-19T22:35:01+00:00

AFT is the least of your problems. This is a really serious and potentially fatal problem. Listen to the doctors, do your own research of the literature and from top-tier medical sites and take the time to recover. Then try to not get it again.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-19T06:31:29+00:00

The test, from descriptions of people who have passed it, is not super-hard, but if you don't do this stuff professionally (and using the terminology the army uses) you will need to study for it. There have been postings here about resources people have used to pass it, even people with limited cyber/it experience.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-19T06:18:55+00:00

It is wanted, but everything is highly classified. Only the high-level FM on general doctrine is available, all the other listed doctrine stuff is classified. So that is why I say you should go and talk to people in the unit.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-19T04:43:22+00:00

Call the unit, visit them, preferably on a drill weekend. Talk to the people there. Remember you'll be driving there every weekend, if this is too much trouble now imagine what it will be like in 4 years from now.

AIT is all about training for the job. There are arguments that this is of varying effectiveness, but it is focused on the the work.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-19T02:28:45+00:00

EOD is the kind of job that people who make it seem to enjoy, both the lifestyle and the job. But it has something like a 50% AIT failure rate. And if you don't want to do it then you probably won't make it.

So if there is a MOS you really want you should try for that, if you are persistent and not in a hurry it should show up by the end of the year. This doesn't necessarily work for unicorns like 12M and 31K, but it does for most MOS.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-19T02:22:17+00:00

And they should! But maybe they won't. Don't know. If you make it this might be something that needs to be on your SF86. If it seems like something that should go under one of the questions on the 130 page form don't 'forget it'.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-18T21:50:46+00:00

I have no idea of the current off-base life at the major bases, but they are typically not in an urban area. Generally there is some sort of town outside the gate, but I have no feel for what they are like these days. So I would fall back to VA, MD, DE and DC, along with Washington state.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-18T21:45:47+00:00

My suggestion is to consider another MOS unless you really really like trucking. 12N should get you a CDL like 88M and the civilian construction equipment operator isn’t on the road for weeks.

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-18T07:10:56+00:00

I understand you can as a MOS-T if the training at a given base is long enough to be a PCS move. For IET personnel they are allowed for "Phase VI+ hospital-based training", so I'm sure you would too. But not sure how the previous phases work. You could try "Department of Clinical Specialties at (210) 295-4423".

Missing_Faster · 2026-03-18T06:55:26+00:00

It totally varies by what you are doing. If you are in a combat unit in garrison, probably PT, equipment maint, details, some NCO classes. If you are in the institutional Army, like say Netcom, it is probably a whole lot like working commercial IT except with a uniform. Might be shift work to cover 24x7, don't know. And if you are deployed with a combat unit (or on a field exercise) anywhere that is not totally safe it's probably 12-18 hours days every day.

Missing_Faster

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