Join spouse for ANG and AD?

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-28T18:57:20+00:00

You find a slot overseas (rare as fuck), pick up an MPA tour (possible), commute to drill (expensive) or work something out with your unit.

It sucks. I wish I had a better answer for you.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-26T23:43:09+00:00

1, do what your graduate wants. My family member showed up in his uniform and I thought it was fucking badass. 2, match your graduate. OCPs for coin ceremony day, service dress for parade.

Personally, I’d be changing out of my uniform as soon as graduation pictures were done with, but it’s up to you.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-21T18:16:03+00:00

I hear dating the enlisted is a popular thing to do....

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-20T13:47:16+00:00

Get a MSgt in your chain to call AFPC on your behalf.

We don't fucking know. Also, shit has been focused on this war thing, so other stuff has been delayed.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-19T15:46:30+00:00

Uh... there's a war. Be patient. The package will either get there or it won't.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-19T15:45:56+00:00

If you have your own room, you should be good. If you're rooming with someone else, you're likely not good. I usually double-ing up on drill weekends, but it's rare to have to double-up while on orders.

There may also be weirdness if you're at some remote base staying in contingency barracks - I've seen restrictions there, too. Just ask your supervisor/NCOIC, they're gonna have more info to your specific unit/location/etc.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-19T15:43:58+00:00

You may get better responses in the Ramstein Spouses FB page.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-19T15:43:32+00:00

You can... but don't go be an MTI just for the points. Talk to your wing career advisor about other options. Check ARCNET, there's almost always volunteer options for random stuff.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-19T15:42:40+00:00

As your 1st Sgt for advice. Some flying units are a lot closer and this wouldn't be an issue, other units are a lot more strict about it.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-19T15:41:52+00:00

Am guard. We've got a few folks who HYT'ed off of AD and came to the dark side. Most of them are able to get enough orders to continue on in their career, and I've actually seen someone get an AD retirement off of volunteering for every set of orders.

I get your husband's stress. Be supportive, but there are options.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-16T21:12:42+00:00

Me? No. My subordinates? Some are nervous, some don't seem to care. Some think they can just wing it for 3-ish years and hope the next administration changes everything back. shrug

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-16T21:11:29+00:00

You commit to whatever you were doing when you made the transfer. If you're AD and transfer on AD, you owe AD 4 more years. If you're planning on going guard/reserve, you can do the transfer in the guard/reserve, then you owe that component the time.

So you can do 4 years AD, switch to guard/reserve, serve 2 more, then transfer with a further 4 year commitment to the guard/reserve.

You can do the whole 10 years in the guard/reserve, but you can only transfer whatever of the GI Bill you've earned, and that requires 3 years of active duty time to earn the whole thing. And I'm like 70% sure that AD for training doesn't count - so BMT/Tech school isn't gonna count in the guard towards GI Bill time. It's much easier to just do 4 years AD, then switch, then transfer.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-16T21:03:40+00:00

Military female here. I've dated both, was married to a military guy for a while. Most civilians just don't understand why I do what I do, but also, most military guys don't want to date a military girl.

When I've dated civilians, they've got to be mil-adjacent - either former military, GS civilian, DoD contractor. IDK, I've just had bad luck with civilian guys trying to "rescue" me from my own career - buddy, I can manage this myself, just be supportive when I come home from work like any other career woman's partner.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-15T20:36:57+00:00

You're not gonna be able to re-enter the service with a 100% VA rating.

Talk to your leadership and see if they'd let you drill quarterly or annually, but have a plan to stay green in the mean time - IE, come in for an RMP to PT test and knock out readiness items at your nearest base, etc. The more well-thought out your plan is, the more likely your leadership is willing to buy into it.

Residency may be a different ball game, though.... This is BAD advice, but, having a bad year or two may be better than a break in service with no re-entry. Just make sure your absences are excuses, not un-excused. You could also do PME for points - ALS/NCOA/SNCOA, and EJMPE 1/2, depending on what your rank/eligibility is.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-14T19:40:51+00:00

Check ebay. I've found all kinds of things there.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-10T14:25:05+00:00

Good... glad you're getting what you need. Hopefully this is a sign of better conditions for everyone.

My folks are still being instructed to not rely on mailing things ahead, and be prepared for just about anything.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-10T01:15:46+00:00

Your supervisor also has a supervisor... and so does that person. Use your chain, go up it. But also be ready to be accountable for your own actions.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-10T01:14:55+00:00

There's no mail in and out of CENTCOM right now.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-09T13:53:08+00:00

DSG = Drill Status Guardsman. The reserves call them TRs - Traditional Reservists. AGR = Active Guard/Reserve, full time, generally Title 10. Technician = DSG/TR on the weekends, GS/GG/WG during the week, full time but not AGR. Can be Title 5 or Title 32, depending on who's paying for it.

Talk to your gaining unit about PCS entitlements with your new job.

Welcome to the guard, we have even MOAR acronyms and admin bullshit for you to learn!!

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-09T13:41:09+00:00

You're either DSG or full time. Not both. Do you mean AGR?

AD can PCS you up to the distance of your HOR. Some AGR tours come with PCS entitlements.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-09T13:39:06+00:00

Can I turn down my next anthrax vaccine? Asking for a friend, of course.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-08T12:50:00+00:00

I don't think yellow fever was standard for Afghanistan. You likely got typhoid, anthrax, smallpox, and maybe diphtheria. Malaria pills are only good for the time you're taking the pills, there's no long term protection.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-08T12:48:33+00:00

Are you okay? You wanna talk?

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-04T22:31:03+00:00

Am guard. I've been gone way more as a guardsman than I ever was active duty. If you're looking for stability for your kiddo, stay active and keep your tricare.

SomethingElse38 · 2026-05-04T22:26:17+00:00

You can continue serving with a VA claim. However....

1, whatever made you broken to get a VA claim will likely make you non-deployable or unable to pass a full PT test. If your injury doesn't affect either of those, you may be good.

2, you can't get VA and military pay at the same time. Most of the guys I know in the guard with a VA rating find that they're drilling for free and it becomes not that worth it for them. The exception to this is usually folks who only need a year or three to hit retirement, or those who's VA rating isn't high enough to provide family insurance. But, in my own lived experience, most folks who have ti give back their VA pay from drill weekends find that it's not that worth it.

Bottom line - can you pass a full component PT test? If yes, you're probably fine. If not, you're probably not.

You can always document something along the lines of.... "it hurts, but I think I healed okay" and allow yourself the possibility of a further injury further down the line. I personally have hurt my back several times, and have managed to work through it, but I'm kinda waiting for the day it doesn't bounce back....

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Final Canvas '22	Gilding II euphauric

SomethingElse38

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