By Kevin Flynn
One way to join the military on a part time basis is with the National Guard.
What is the National Guard?
The National Guard is our nation’s part time Army and Air Force. The National Guard has a long history. The Guard’s history begins in colonial times, when each colony required free men to serve in militia units.
This tradition of a part time citizen soldier paradigm was partly a consequence of living on a frontier where there were sometimes hostile inhabitants and partly from a belief that a professional standing army was a threat to liberty.
After the revolution the sentiment that a strong professional army was a threat to democracy persisted. For this reason volunteer state militias were the primary military force except during the Civil War.
This changed in the early 20th century when a regular, centralized armed force became the backbone of America’s defense. The state militias were downsized and assumed an auxiliary role as a reserve force of the U.S. Army.
After World War II the Army, Navy and Air Force reserve forces replaced the state-controlled militias as the country’s primary reserve force. The National Guard became the US Army’s secondary reserve force.
During the cold war the Guard provided security during natural disaster and civil unrest. After the Sept 11 attacks, Guard units were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.
How much time is part time in the National Guard?
It can mean one weekend a month and two weeks a summer. However units can be mobilized and serve for a year at a time. This has happened more frequently now than in the past due to the strains on the active duty military caused by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
National Guard members and reservists now comprise a larger percentage of frontline fighting forces than in any war in U.S. history (About 43 percent in Iraq and 55 percent in Afghanistan).
There are now 183,366 National Guard members and reservists on active duty nationwide according to U.S. Defense Department statistics.
Where can I be sent?
A member of the National Guard can be sent anywhere the regular military is needed. For example National Guard units have served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Units are also mobilized for responding to natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. More recently the President announced he will deploy 1,200 National Guard troops to reinforce the Mexican border.
What are the benefits to joining?
There are Tuition assistance and loan repayment programs as well as monthly allowances. The National Guard can pay up to 100% of your college tuition and general fees, based on in-state public institution tuition.
In addition, many states will reduce the cost of tuition for students in the Guard. For soldiers and officers who have existing student loans at the time of enlistment in the Guard, there is a program known as SLRP (Student Loan Repayment Program) that pay up to $50,000 toward student loans.
What can I expect my first year?
A new Guard Member receives a date to travel to basic training. Before this date, members report one weekend a month for pre basic training. Basic Training then occurs. Next is Advanced Training for the specific job that you will do in the Guard.
After that a member attends training one weekend a month and approximately two weeks in the summer.