[ARCHIVED THREAD] - The Texas State Guard (Page 1 of 50)
Posted: 12/30/2008 9:52:45 AM EDT
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I keep hearing radio ads for about the last 6 months looking for personnel to join the TX State Guard.
Anybody know about them or have any experience with them? I have done some online work and found the following: The Texas State Guard (TXSG) is a State Military Force which assists Texas Civil Authorities in times of Texas State Emergencies and in On-Going Support of Local Communities; and consists of six Civil Affairs Regiments, The Air Division, The Medical Reserve Corps, and Maritime Regiment. Texas State Guard homepage Texas Government Code - Chapter 431 State Militia Texas State Guard Mission Texas State Guard FAQ's Texas State Guard Careers and Jobs Texas State Guard Units Texas State Guard Enlistment Requirements |
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well if you're referring to the national guard then yeah I guess I've heard of them. I've never heard them called the TX state Guard. two totally different entities TX state guard's CIC is the Governer of Texas NOT POTUS TX state guard will also not be deployed out of state like the national guard will. I want to join but I need to drop some weight first. |
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well if you're referring to the national guard then yeah I guess I've heard of them. I've never heard them called the TX state Guard. two totally different entities TX state guard's CIC is the Governer of Texas NOT POTUS TX state guard will also not be deployed out of state like the national guard will. I want to join but I need to drop some weight first. yeah, same here. gotta drop the weight. |
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if in you qualify for free hunting and fishing combo and half off your chl CHL is free, class is like $30 for spouse (spouse pays full price of chl), and it appears you are exempt from registration fees for your car, TXSG members are exempt from "road tax". State Guard also has the same state college tuition program as the National Guard (but NOT GI BIll) New members with no prior military experience are required to attend what they call IET (Initial Entry Training) and BOT (Basic Orientation Training). IET is a 3 or 4 day weekend at your Armory (State Guard shares Armories with National Guard) and BOT is conducted at your Annual Training. You get paid like $125 or so a day while you are on SAD (State Active Duty). Some folks would get deployed as a unit to do things like shelter operations, other folks might get attached to a National Guard unit depending on their skill set. There's some other stuff but I forget off hand, I'll add what I can remember when I do... Definitely IM Makarov Mami for the best info... |
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TX state guard's CIC is the Governer of Texas NOT POTUS TX state guard will also not be deployed out of state like the national guard will. Elements of the TXSG were deployed to Katrina... The entire TXSG was deployed for Katrina and Rita. It was the first total call out since the WW2 era for the Texas State Guard. There were call outs for the hurricanes in 2008 as well. I am currently on a long term homeland security deployment with the Texas State Guard. |
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TX state guard's CIC is the Governer of Texas NOT POTUS TX state guard will also not be deployed out of state like the national guard will. Elements of the TXSG were deployed to Katrina... The entire TXSG was deployed for Katrina and Rita. It was the first total call out since the WW2 era for the Texas State Guard. There were call outs for the hurricanes in 2008 as well. I am currently on a long term homeland security deployment with the Texas State Guard. so whats that mean? fulltime type of thing? |
| More than a decade again, I was a Staff Sgt in the Texas State Guard. It is a real military organization but without much of the training, obligations, etc. TSG officers hold commissions from the state of Texas. I've watched Marines salute TSG officers. It is rather nonmilitary in a sense but has done some good disaster work. I wouldn't join as an alternative to the regular military. However, if you aren't planning on the regular military or guard or your age prevents joining, I would recommend doing it. I'm glad that I did it. |
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More than a decade again, I was a Staff Sgt in the Texas State Guard. It is a real military organization but without much of the training, obligations, etc. TSG officers hold commissions from the state of Texas. I've watched Marines salute TSG officers. It is rather nonmilitary in a sense but has done some good disaster work. I wouldn't join as an alternative to the regular military. However, if you aren't planning on the regular military or guard or your age prevents joining, I would recommend doing it. I'm glad that I did it. exactly why I want to join, how long/what did it take you to get to tsgt? |
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got my interests going now....i am a cop, and whole fam is military. love being a cop and don't want to leave that, and this seems like a viable option.
and after checking out the site, the short guy in the pic is a member of my county's crime stoppers. i guess i will see what he says at our next meeting. always assumed he was active duty.... any TXSG members think of anything LE related? and on the note from above, whats the weapons aspect like? from what it looks like, it looks like a lot of civil things.... |
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Unless the Mexicans decide to invade again the TXSG will never have any combat role; you are more likely to win the lottery than see combat in the TXSG. I don't believe that they have any combat arms-type units or any combat training. They are all noncombat / civil support type units with disaster-relief orientation from my understanding.
If you are looking for reserve-type service and want to join a combat-arms unit then you will have to go National Guard. Of course, you are guaranteed at least one, and probably two overseas deployments if you do that. Personally, I just got done doing 7 years in the NG, and am thinking about trying out the SG; I just feel useless not serving in some capacity. I've heard about alot of gayness going on in the SG, though I will reserve judgement on that until I see it for myself. I've got a couple questions for anyone in now: What are the contract terms / obligations for the TXSG? How does military leave with employers work? |
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Unless the Mexicans decide to invade again the TXSG will never have any combat role; you are more likely to win the lottery than see combat in the TXSG. I don't believe that they have any combat arms-type units or any combat training. They are all noncombat / civil support type units with disaster-relief orientation from my understanding. If you are looking for reserve-type service and want to join a combat-arms unit then you will have to go National Guard. Of course, you are guaranteed at least one, and probably two overseas deployments if you do that. Personally, I just got done doing 7 years in the NG, and am thinking about trying out the SG; I just feel useless not serving in some capacity. I've heard about alot of gayness going on in the SG, though I will reserve judgement on that until I see it for myself. I've got a couple questions for anyone in now: What are the contract terms / obligations for the TXSG? How does military leave with employers work? We do have Quick Reaction Teams that do real combat arms training, but as you say the likelyhood of them getting a real mission are slim to no chance in hell. Leave works exactly the same way as SAD did with the ARNG, same state laws apply. No contract. Give it a try, if you don't like it ask for a discharge, you have nothing to loose. Alot of good folks here and we can always use your experience and leadership. Best of luck. |
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I just saw this thread, and am happy to help any way I can. Nationwide gave some very good information. (A fast kearner!)
To clarify re: Katrina deployments: Yes, we were ALL called up. However, almost everyone stayed in state, which is the way it is usually done. However, we did have chaplains and comms on the ground in NOLA. So, while we CAN go outside of Texas, it is not likely, and we will NOT go overseas. If you talk to someone who was in longer than 5 years ago, you will not get a good picture of the TXSG today. There have been huge changes made since Katrina/Rita, including much more interesting duty assignments, better and more frequent training opportunities, as well as more paid duty opportunities. I saw a post stating that our job was to guard the armories when the TXARNG is away. That is certainly not the only job we do. One big focus is of course shelter management and POD operations. We have comm units, run SNET (Special Needs Evacuee Tracking,) do border operations, to name a few. A new job for us is GPS/GIS teams that will be boots on the ground doing disaster assessments. Bigworm882001, shoot me an IM with your contact info and I can put you in direct contact with a recruiter in your area who will take excellent care of you. As always, I stand ready to answer any questions, so don't hesitate to post them! |
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I just saw this thread, and am happy to help any way I can. Nationwide gave some very good information. (A fast kearner!) To clarify re: Katrina deployments: Yes, we were ALL called up. However, almost everyone stayed in state, which is the way it is usually done. However, we did have chaplains and comms on the ground in NOLA. So, while we CAN go outside of Texas, it is not likely, and we will NOT go overseas. If you talk to someone who was in longer than 5 years ago, you will not get a good picture of the TXSG today. There have been huge changes made since Katrina/Rita, including much more interesting duty assignments, better and more frequent training opportunities, as well as more paid duty opportunities. I saw a post stating that our job was to guard the armories when the TXARNG is away. That is certainly not the only job we do. One big focus is of course shelter management and POD operations. We have comm units, run SNET (Special Needs Evacuee Tracking,) do border operations, to name a few. A new job for us is GPS/GIS teams that will be boots on the ground doing disaster assessments. Bigworm882001, shoot me an IM with your contact info and I can put you in direct contact with a recruiter in your area who will take excellent care of you. As always, I stand ready to answer any questions, so don't hesitate to post them! IM sent thanks Bert |
| I was an officer in the Texas State Guard from 2001-2005. I encourage anyone interested in service but can not enlist in the federal military, national guard, or other emergency service to look into the State Guard. However, while the Texas State Guard and its soldiers do have potential, it always seemed to me they suffered fron under utilization and under appreciation. In fact, it was common for me to have to interact with National Guard officers that were irritated that we made their units look bad by proximity (we had a lot of guys that were over weight and perpetually on personal PT programs). Back when I was in, there was lots of resistance by our leadership to train at all. We certainly could do anything physical or "dangerous" like mountaineering. Soldiers were not obligated to show up for training-which is a bad thing for developing actually capability. In short, I'd recommend the TXSG for those who want to serve but can't in other branches-but just have a lot of patience and don't expect the same activities and accolades as those in other branches. By the way, those that are still in the TXSG-keep doing the good work! |
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More than a decade again, I was a Staff Sgt in the Texas State Guard. It is a real military organization but without much of the training, obligations, etc. TSG officers hold commissions from the state of Texas. I've watched Marines salute TSG officers. It is rather nonmilitary in a sense but has done some good disaster work. I wouldn't join as an alternative to the regular military. However, if you aren't planning on the regular military or guard or your age prevents joining, I would recommend doing it. I'm glad that I did it. exactly why I want to join, how long/what did it take you to get to tsgt? I actually came in as an NCO because of a special program that recruited people with particular careers, certifications, and degrees. Therefore, I started as an NCO. That isn't normally done unless you have prior military. I was later promoted to E-6 after a couple of years and then became an E-7 about the time that I got out. |
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Sounds like something I would be interested in doing. I served 5 years from 90-95 in RA then 95-98 in NG. State guard sounds interesting. Is there any info availible online to read through? Try www.gotxsg.com and www.txsg.state.tx.us/ |
| Geologist, there have been many improvements since then! We do a lot with Army and Air National Guard troops, and sometimes our officers are in charge of NG troops. As far as being underutilized, that is changing as well. Also, you can't get away with not training anymore. There are mandatory requirements for promotion or retention boards, and troops are now discharged for nonparticipation. It ain't perfect yet, but we are constantly getting better. |
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However, while the Texas State Guard and its soldiers do have potential, it always seemed to me they suffered from under utilization and under appreciation. In fact, it was common for me to have to interact with National Guard officers that were irritated that we made their units look bad by proximity (we had a lot of guys that were over weight and perpetually on personal PT programs). This all sounds SO familiar! Several years ago, I was in the Texas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, which is the Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, and was a squadron commander, group commander and for a short time a wing vice commander. All volunteer and limited reimbursement for emergency services missions and activities. On paper, we had a significant emergency services mission, and outstanding HF and VHF communications capabilities. This was something we dealt with CONSTANTLY. You train and train and people get worked up to do something and the "alarm bell" just didn't seem to go off often enough. In fairness, much of our lack of utilization locally was the result of geographical issues, but, under utilization was a constant problem throughout the state. We "borrowed" the uniform from the Air Force and interaction with the Air Force as it relates to height/weight standards and wear of the uniform (for those that chose to wear the military uniform), and military courtesies and protocol were ongoing issues as well. This was/is the basis of my original post. I'm anxious to hear more! It seems like some positive changes with the Guard have been made or in the works. |
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I've been in the TXSG for 2 years and it has been a very rewarding time. I'm prior military, 1969-71 and after 9/11 wanted some way of serving again.
Because of my age the TXSG was one of the few options available but as it turned out it was on of the better decisions I have made. I came in as an E5 because of prior service and did not have to attend IET because I went through basic in the Army (30 yrs ago). The promotions are according to Army regs, You have to do the PLDC, BNCOC and ANCOC. Additionally we are encouraged to become certified in the Military Emergency Management program (MEMS). This is based on the FEMA ICS system and I've progressed trough the Basic and SR MEMS certification so far. This has been of real benefit during our deployments for Dean, Dolly, Eduard and Ike. I've also benefited from the training available. At the first annual training I took the course to become a HAM radio operator and since getting my Tech license have progressed to get my Amateur Extra ticket. Which is a real plus when all other communications are down like after IKE QRT (Quick Reaction Teams) is where all the action is at. You have to meet their qualifications and attend QRT Basic which is a mini police academy held at the DPS training facility in Austin. It is a very intense 4 weekend, 10 hour / day program with a high washout rate. After I became QRT qualified the real fun began. We train alongside LEO and Fed officers. Attended the ALERRT active shooter training, qualified (and kicked ass) with the Feds ICE officers and some of us shoot and train with the Swat guys at at Hotwells. The best is comradeship with your team members and the satisfaction of knowing you are giving back something for the freedoms that we all enjoy. Glock9 |
| Both my maternal grandparents were in the State Guard in the seventies. Grandmother worked as a clerk or the like when she was pregnant with my mother, grandfather was a Sergeant when he was honorably discharged. I might join after a few years in the Federal military. |
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and can you elabortae on the "gayness"?
The usual downtalking that reserve services get. We got it in the ARNG from AD... And stuff like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIsJWGUnDI8 As I said, though, I would reserve judgement on that. Most of the services have undergone quite a few changes in recent years, and I'd guess that much like the NG the SG has done alot of catching up. It's high on the list of things I'm considering doing in the near future. Q: I was an E5 in the TXARNG, and I have a college degree. Would I come in as an E5? How does commissioning work? |
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and can you elabortae on the "gayness"?
The usual downtalking that reserve services get. We got it in the ARNG from AD... And stuff like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIsJWGUnDI8 As I said, though, I would reserve judgement on that. Most of the services have undergone quite a few changes in recent years, and I'd guess that much like the NG the SG has done alot of catching up. It's high on the list of things I'm considering doing in the near future. Q: I was an E5 in the TXARNG, and I have a college degree. Would I come in as an E5? How does commissioning work? You can only be commisioned to fill an existing need. No open slots = no butter bar. Generally, prior service is enlisted at their last Federal rank. |
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Quoted: QRT (Quick Reaction Teams) is where all the action is at. You have to meet their qualifications and attend QRT Basic which is a mini police academy held at the DPS training facility in Austin. It is a very intense 4 weekend, 10 hour / day program with a high washout rate.
After I became QRT qualified the real fun began. We train alongside LEO and Fed officers. Attended the ALERRT active shooter training, qualified (and kicked ass) with the Feds ICE officers and some of us shoot and train with the Swat guys at at Hotwells. So, what are the qualifications to make the QRT? What are the causes for washout? |
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QRT is limited to 25 members including officers and enlisted. They typically look for prior military, LEO or EMS qualifications and that you are an expert shooter. Basically they are looking for those that can add value to the unit and those that will fit in with the team.
Washout from QRT Basic can be due to not meeting the height weight regs, Being late or missing a training cycle, failing the LEO written test, failing the Defensive Tactics, failing to qualify at the 25 meter pistol quals or just pissing off the instructors. Glock9 |
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QRT is limited to 25 members including officers and enlisted. They typically look for prior military, LEO or EMS qualifications and that you are an expert shooter. Basically they are looking for those that can add value to the unit and those that will fit in with the team. Washout from QRT Basic can be due to not meeting the height weight regs, Being late or missing a training cycle, failing the LEO written test, failing the Defensive Tactics, failing to qualify at the 25 meter pistol quals or just pissing off the instructors. Glock9 Has the team ever been utilized? If not, when would they most likely be utilized? |
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Major activations for Katrina and then again for Ike. Some members with TCLOSE certs took part of Operation Rangler at the border.
Not sure if we will ever get activated for a SHTF situation but the training is top notch even if we never deploy in a security role. Glock9 |