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Is being a Citizen-Soldier in the NG SF really possible?
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Of course it is. It's the raison d'ętre for the organization. Part Time. You're confusing recent combat deployments/OPTEMPO with the normal majority non-deployed time of any Reserve/Guard unit across a 20 or 30 year career. Naturally, when you deploy, the civilian career gets put on hold, as provided for by law and good personal planning. If you're gone to war for a year, your previous life is far, far away. You focus on the deployment and your team. But you eventually go back to that other life. Thousands of Army National Guard SF have done exactly that over the years. Some decide to volunteer for additional singleton / augmentation assignments downrange. Some cross over to Active Duty. Some do contracting gigs between unit mobilizations for wartime deployment. But most have a paid career outside of the Army... and SF.
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Perhaps I've misunderstood things.
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Yes, you have. By definition, SF Guard are not full time Soldiers except when activated for State Duty, attending schools, gone for training deployments, assigned to AGR billets, or while Federalized (e.g., for combat rotations). All carefully scheduled to meet laws limiting their duration of employment.
I served in SF for 32 years. 7 of those in the Reserve (11th). I was also an Active Duty advisor to a 19th Guard SF battalion for 4 years (and went to war with them).
People have other jobs. The force tends to attract a heavy representation of law enforcement careers. This at everything from local to state to federal level. But many other livelihoods are represented.
Across the seven years I was assigned, my Reserve ODA always had several cops. Sheriff's Deputy, Big City Police Detective, ATF Agent, & Small Town Police Chief. But we also had a Sports Physiologist/High School Teacher, several Full Time College Students, Auto Repair Center Owner, Pharmaceutical Salesman, Real Estate Company Executive VP, Civil Engineer with a major construction corporation, and a few others.
In that company, other team guys filled a variety of civilian occupations: Trauma Surgeon, Attorney, Financial Advisor, Stock Broker, College English Professor, Residential Building Contractor, State Trooper, FBI Agent, Banker, LPN, P.A., Town Mayor, Corporate Petroleum Geologist, FAA Commercial Aircraft Mechanic, Retail Manager, CPA, Self Employed Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, Consultants, etc.
Typical civilian careers held by folks in 11th Group during the Cold War & Gulf War 1984-1991. I personally saw similar occupations represented across 19th Group from 2001 through 2006.
Is it difficult to juggle two careers? Damn straight. But the kind of folks that make it in SF are the kind of folks who can figure out how to skin that cat.