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amatlis · 03-29-2006, 14:22

I'll post a couple questions I asked the recruiter, in case anyone feels generous enough to answer them. Not that I don't trust a recruiter, but as my idol Ronny Reagan used to say, 'trust but verify':

1. NG -> AD: How realistic is it to go from NG to AD if I want to make SF a career, during the pipeline or after? If I finish the pipeline and have no interest in going back to my civilian job, can I go active then? Or do I have to spend a year with NG first? I've been told anything is possible, but is it realistic? I have a feeling I might want to scrap my civilian life if I'm a good fit in the army. I've invested a lot of education and time into my career which is why I'm not certain yet, but I don't think I can stand a desk job any longer. Once I sign into the Guard, how committed am I to the Guard? Who decides whether I get to switch during the pipeline?

2. Deployment: Which of the above units might offer more opportunities for deployment, training, and real missions?

3. NG vs AD: Are Guard units side-lined on real missions? After reading 'Hunting Al Qaeda' about a Guard unit in A-stan that was repeatedly side-lined, I can't imagine anything more frustrating than spending years of your life training for a job and then not being allowed to do it.

4. Green to Gold: If I make army my career and join SF now, will I be too old to become an officer somewhere down the line (I'm 31)? At my age, is it one or the other? If I'm going to spend the rest of my life in the army, I thought I might be interested in an officer career later, even if it does involve some desk-sitting. Recruiters make it seem like anything is possible, but I'm naturally a skeptical person.

Thanks in advance for your help. These are the questions I need to answer so I can make my decision. I've done some searching on the forum, but I haven't found satisfactory answers.

Thanks,
Anthony

03-29-2006, 14:22	#2
amatlis SF Candidate Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Arlington, Virginia Posts: 42	I'll post a couple questions I asked the recruiter, in case anyone feels generous enough to answer them. Not that I don't trust a recruiter, but as my idol Ronny Reagan used to say, 'trust but verify': 1. NG -> AD: How realistic is it to go from NG to AD if I want to make SF a career, during the pipeline or after? If I finish the pipeline and have no interest in going back to my civilian job, can I go active then? Or do I have to spend a year with NG first? I've been told anything is possible, but is it realistic? I have a feeling I might want to scrap my civilian life if I'm a good fit in the army. I've invested a lot of education and time into my career which is why I'm not certain yet, but I don't think I can stand a desk job any longer. Once I sign into the Guard, how committed am I to the Guard? Who decides whether I get to switch during the pipeline? 2. Deployment: Which of the above units might offer more opportunities for deployment, training, and real missions? 3. NG vs AD: Are Guard units side-lined on real missions? After reading 'Hunting Al Qaeda' about a Guard unit in A-stan that was repeatedly side-lined, I can't imagine anything more frustrating than spending years of your life training for a job and then not being allowed to do it. 4. Green to Gold: If I make army my career and join SF now, will I be too old to become an officer somewhere down the line (I'm 31)? At my age, is it one or the other? If I'm going to spend the rest of my life in the army, I thought I might be interested in an officer career later, even if it does involve some desk-sitting. Recruiters make it seem like anything is possible, but I'm naturally a skeptical person. Thanks in advance for your help. These are the questions I need to answer so I can make my decision. I've done some searching on the forum, but I haven't found satisfactory answers. Thanks, Anthony
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