Air Force Reserves / National Guard

[Dons]

Since I can rember I have wanted to join the Air Force, but I recently realized that I do not want to go full time.
I have been looking into the Air Force Reserves and the Air National Guard. I want to enlist next summer, so I want to start looking and getting more information now. I figure eighter way I go with these it will help me persue a career in LE.

In your opinion, is one better then the other?
Which one would you join, and why?
What are some advantages / disadvantages to each one?

Thank you for your time in reading this and I am looking forward to your responses. From what I have read on this site so far, there are some very knowledgeable people here.

[squad51]

Depending on your state, the National Guard (and Air Guard) may pay off school loans as long as u are still in..other then that both are deploying ALOT...If I where you I would find something OTHER then being a USAF Security Forces (Military Police in army speak) I would either go medical or bea fire fighter, if your state has them and you are really into it you may find a job in Pararescue and or Combat control..but seeing as you are from WI you are SOL as I beileve they have C-130s and Tankers in your state and no Spec OPs....

[mosetti]

I can only speak for Maryland, but the Maryland Air National Guard will pay part of your tuition to a State funded school on top of other education benefits, such as the G.I. Bill and Loan Repayment.

Squad is totally correct. If you are going to join do not join as Security Forces (or any other Military Police). If you join get learn a trade or get a technical skill. Communications and IT related fields are great. If you are going to go to college, get a degree other than Criminal Justice. A career in LE is an admirable goal, but you should always have a back-up plan.

[USP45FAN]

In Ohio, joining the National Guard gets you 100% tuition to any state school, plus the GI Bill. If you are in a high need job specialty, you may also qualify for the GI Bill Kicker, which is an added 200 or more dollars per month. Not to mention a potential signing bonus. Take my advice, join the Air Guard, while you will get deployed somewhere in the world, it won't be pounding the pavement in Baghdad. I've been deployed with the Army Guard in the sandbox now for 8 months, the Air Force only does short 4-6 month deployments, I still have 4 months to go.

[squad51]

I can only speak for Maryland, but the Maryland Air National Guard will pay part of your tuition to a State funded school on top of other education benefits, such as the G.I. Bill and Loan Repayment.

Squad is totally correct. If you are going to join do not join as Security Forces (or any other Military Police). If you join get learn a trade or get a technical skill. Communications and IT related fields are great. If you are going to go to college, get a degree other than Criminal Justice. A career in LE is an admirable goal, but you should always have a back-up plan.

Ya know..I will agree with Delta on this what is this misknowmer about LE degrees????

[mosetti]

Ya know..I will agree with Delta on this what is this misknowmer about LE degrees????

What was Delta's opinion?

Having a degree will help you get hired, but it does not have to be Criminal Justice. Why not get a degree in Business and go on to an MBA or another degree that would be useful outside of LE?

[Dons]

I was going to go for a different degree, but where I live, Hartford, WI, I talked to afew police, and they told me that everyone at their department has a degree in LE. Im not sure if it is recomended, or if they had their facts messed up, just what I was told.

So you are saying that ANG and Reserved get deployed ALOT? How often are we talking? I would like to still go to college, so if I am being deployed then come back and am deployed during the next semister at school, it would get alittle rough to finish college. Is this likely? Do you think I should just wait until after college?

Also, I wasn't planning on being Security Forces. I would like to be a flight engineer (does not work on planes, helps fly them). If I can not get that, firefighter would be my next choice.

My life long dream always was to fly a fighter jet. I was thinking that I might have a very slim chance at this once I got my degree. I would have to get eye lazer surgery of course, but I still think that my dream is over before it begun as my color vision is not perfect.

[mosetti]

There is nothing wrong with a CJ degree and many LEOs have them, I just tend to be a bit more cautious when thinking about my future and prefer to have many options. I enjoy law enforcement, but I also realize I can't do it forever. I don't know how often the ANG and AFR deploy, but I know it is less than ARNG and AR folks and shorter deployments as well. Talk to you local ANG recruiter, he can give you more info on that type of thing. I know the ANG recruiters in Maryland take you around and let you talk to the airmen that hold the MOS you are interested in.

[squad51]

[QUOTE=Dons]
Also, I wasn't planning on being Security Forces. I would like to be a flight engineer (does not work on planes, helps fly them). If I can not get that, firefighter would be my next choice.

QUOTE]
with poor color vision you honestly are going to have a hard time getting into the military...um who told you what a flight engineer does? cause um yeah they uh work on the planes...ALOT and um really don't help fly them cept unless something breaks while in flight then they fix those things...

[Dons]

Officer Careers

[ccpd8512]

I am currently in the Ohio Air Nat'l Guard in Security Forces. It's true that we deploy alot. SFS and flight crews are the sections that tend to deploy quite a bit. My unit is a fighter unit, any time the planes go somewhere, the crews go with them. So if being a flight engineer is what you want to do, whether you are in a fighter unit or not, plan on deploying. The frquency will depend on your unit, and what is needed overseas.

[Dons]

I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to respond.

About how often, and for how long are fire protection and medical peronal deployed on average. I know that it are not any set times or anything, just a rough idea if anybody has one.

[eh19512]

Air Guard

Being former Air Guard Security, yeah I ahve to agree...don't go that route. There are better skills to learn, and you can still get into LE in civilian life.
Just remember, some of the skills you may choose may have schools after basic lasting a year or more. DON'T go into some killer skill like para-rescue, etc.. NOTHING wrong with those guys(I think that is for active anyway), but learn a skill. Most all Guards in all states have bonus incentives, and educational incentives up the ying-yang so you are good there.
I guess the only negative thing I've seen is most guard tours are 6 year deals. In today's world, with deployment and time away, departments, especially the smaller ones are taking that into consideration before hiring. They don't want to lose people. I do the backgrounds here, and even though we've had some good guys come through, my supervisors have gone with other people. It's illegal to discriminate, but hard to prove.

[Dons]

So I might be even better off to wait until I am full time LE to go into the military.

[mosetti]

If you don't want to deploy, don't go in the military. Period.

That said, deployments are a good experience and going with the Air Force is not that bad. They tend to have good quality of life.