I have been doing some thinking about what I am going to do when I get out (not soon enough, 2 years) and I have thought about the MO Air National Guard.  I am wanting to go Commissioned, Would like aviation, but not necessary.  I will be done with my 4 year AD stint in the USMC as an Avation Ordie (F18s) in Sept 09.  But I want to be close to home now, but still like the whole military experience.  Soooooo, tell me what to expect (if you dont mind).  Is this like the reserves with a drilling schedule?  or is it like an AD post?  I really have no idea about the flyboy stuff.  Thanks all.

Pat

Pat,

I really don't know anything about the ANG but when I was at Ft. Leonardwood they flew missions overhead.

It sounded like the 30mm guns were calling your name.

Thank You for your service.

I considered joining the ANG last summer. A local unit had a vacancy listed for a ROMAD on their site. So I contacted the local recruiter in response to the vacancy. I explained a little about my 8 yrs prior Army service in 2 MOSs and explained my interest in joining. I let him know I was ready to go right now.

It took them 4 months to respond to my request for a meeting and further information.
In my email I clearly stated the position and it vacancy I was interested in and gave all my contact info to include work, home and cell numbers. The email I got back from the recruiter (4 months later) stated something like- Thank you for contacting us, sorry for the delay. What was the vacant position you were interested in?
I get a newsletter from them in my email every so often now. You can guess where that ends up.


I hope you have better luck. I was told by a co-worker who is in the Air Force Reserve that the ANG recruiting is run on the good-old-boy system around here.

I'm in talks with the Air Force Reserve right now...kinda similar...should have news within the next few days.

A friend of mine is in the AK national guard and he says there is enough work to give him a paycheck he can live off of. But they are very active up there, with SAR and suporting fighter exercises and such.

I looked at doing it here, but I would kill what I am waiting on now.

I too am a former jarhead (Hercs), I was going to look at working with blackhawks and crewing them...But, I have two stakes in the fire now and if I do that, I can kiss them both goodbye.

I am in the Air Force Reserve now and have been for a few years serving in the Navy Before. Your questions are clearly very specific to the ANG but I though I would offer to be available to answer your questions if you consider the Air Force Reserve.

I'm a crew chief in the Air Guard so I can answer a few of your questions.

The drill schedule is just like the reserves.  One weekend a month and 15 days of annual training a year.  That is of course the minimum.  If your unit gets mobilized to go downrange you could be looking at 90 or 120 days of deployment.

You can look at current openings at www.goang.com.  Pilot slots are competitive and you have to be in pilot training by age 28 1/2.

Pilot/Aircrew slots can be a hassle to get in the Air Guard. For an O slot non flying it's pretty much being a Maintenance officer or a JAG, medical field etc. Jumping right in as an officer can be tough, joining as enlisted and getting your ducks in a row and waiting for an O slot is the best and most common  method.

Drill schedule is the usually first weekend of the month but most units are pretty flexible, I do atleast half my drills during the week because I work weekends on my Civ job. Flying units are also verygood for " Guard Bumming " there is always extra mand days available and opportunities to augment other units..Comes in very handy if you find yourself unemployed or need summer work.

Annual training; Once you are atleast a 5 level your annual training is deployments.

Air Guard = " Air Force lite " more flying and less active duty BS !

I will have done my years as an enlisted person, promised myself I wont do that again(already had a degree when I joined).  I would consider AFR, but would I be able to drill close to home, or how does that work?

Pat  

Quoted: I will have done my years as an enlisted person, promised myself I wont do that again(already had a degree when I joined).  I would consider AFR, but would I be able to drill close to home, or how does that work? Pat

You have to drill at the unit location.  There would be reserve units at Whiteman AFB and Scott AFB as well as the guard units at Scott AFB, Bridgetown and St Joseph.

As for the officer jobs, they are also listed at goang.com

Alot of officer jobs on the site for St Louis.

thanks bandit