Active Duty vs. Reserve or National Guard (2024)

FAQs

Active Duty vs. Reserve or National Guard? ›

Active duty is comparable to working at a full-time job. Reserve duty is similar to a part-time job -- you keep your civilian job while receiving military training near where you live, and only serve part-time. The biggest difference between active duty and reserve duty is time dedication.

If you want to serve with the option of travel, a Reserve job may be a better fit for you than a National Guard option though again, your experience may vary. Active duty service is very tempting for those who want both the maximum amount of military benefits offered and the potential for travel and relocation.

A person who is active duty is in the military full time. They work for the military full time, may live on a military base, and can be deployed at any time. Persons in the Reserve or National Guard are not full-time active duty military personnel, although they can be deployed at any time should the need arise.

Your income in the National Guard or reserves differs based on various factors, including rank, specialty, location, education and experience. However, pay is less than that for full-time active duty military members since the commitment requires less time.

The only difference between pay for National Guard and other reserve component members is the number of days they serve for their annual active-duty training period — Guard members do 15 days of training; reservists, 14 days.

Another potential disadvantage to enlisting in the National Guard is the time commitment. Once you enlist, you cannot simply quit the Guard if you don't like it. During the enlistment process, you commit to serving for three, six or eight years, so make sure you are ready to complete several years of service.

Does 6 years in the National Guard make you a veteran? Yes, if you spent at least 180 days of that 6 years deployed on federal active duty orders. A 2016 change to federal law expanded the definition of “veteran” for many National Guard members.

The National Guard can be a great way to network professionally. Since National Guard members serve in their home state and the vast majority have civilian careers, you can meet people who could be your “in” to a better opportunity in your civilian life.

Your National Guard Special Forces training is one weekend (three to four days) per month plus an additional two to four weeks of training per year. Deployments are also less frequent. You will generally be deployed once every two to three years for six to 15 months.

Who gets deployed first in war? ›

The Marine Corps is often first on the ground in combat situations.

Defined Benefit: Monthly retired pay for life after at least 20 years of service (so if you retire at 20 years of service, you will get 40% of your highest 36 months of base pay).

Both types of service members may be deployed, but the chance is greater for those on active duty. Active-duty service members earn full-time pay and full benefits.

One of the most common questions about enlisting in the National Guard is, “Is there an age limit to join?” Yes, there is an age limit to join the National Guard. New recruits must be at least 17 and no more than 35 years old.

Before Serving in the Army National Guard

You must also take the ASVAB test and a physical fitness exam. All National Guard members must complete 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training, the same boot camp attended by full-time Army Soldiers.

Yes, generally, all National Guard and Reserve members qualify for some VA benefits. Different VA benefits may consider different factors to determine eligibility, such as length of service, type of service (such as under Title 10 or Title 32), wartime service, and/or service-related disability.

Your Commitment

All initial enlistment contracts are for eight years - that is you will have an eight year military service obligation. However, all eight years do not have to be served in an Army National Guard unit.

Members of the Reserve and National Guard may be deployed. When scheduled to deploy, they may have extended drill in preparation, resulting in a greater time commitment on behalf of the Service Member.

After two years of record or near-record highs of deployment, the Army National Guard says it's seeing its demand for soldiers declining in the United States and overseas, partly due to the wane of COVID-19. The component currently has 41,600 soldiers deployed, according to Lt.

Every single day, 22 veterans take their own lives. That's 22 suicides a day, a suicide every 65 minutes. As shocking as that number is, the real number may actually be higher.

Does 2 years in the National Guard make you a veteran? ›

Thus former or current members of the National Guard or Reserves are not considered to be veterans unless they had prior or subsequent service with an active component of the Armed Forces. (Reservists called to active duty by Executive Order qualify as veterans.)

Also eligible for a burial flag are Veterans who were entitled to retired pay for service in the Reserve or National Guard, or would have been entitled if over age 60; and members or former members of the Selected Reserve who served their initial obligation, or were discharged for a disability incurred or aggravated in ...

E-1: $20,340. E-1 is the lowest enlisted rank in the US military: Airman Basic (Air Force), Private (Army/Marine Corps), Seaman Recruit (Navy). Service members usually hold this rank through basic training, and automatically promote to the next rank after six months of service.

On average, however, the Air Force is the military branch that has the highest pay because, in the Air Force, there are more opportunities to be promoted to the next rank, which leads to many recruits becoming officers. This, in turn, increases the average salary a little bit compared to the other military branches.

The hardest military branch to get into in terms of education requirements is the Air Force. The military branch with the toughest basic training is the Marine Corps.

You can expect to earn excellent pay as a Guard Soldier. Specific pay level will be determined by your rank, job and education level. The higher you go, the more you make. And the more time you serve, the more you earn.

The P&P-ASVAB contains some very easy and very hard questions, but most are of average difficulty. The CAT-ASVAB software adjusts to your ability level and administers questions that are best suited for you. If you are above average ability, you will receive questions that are above average difficulty.

Reserve Component Enlistment Bonus:

Non-Prior Service recruits enlisting in the Army National Guard for six years in a specified job skill specialty may be eligible for a bonus or a combination of bonuses up to $20,000.

The rules for guard members missing drill and what can be done about it vary from state to state. In practice, punishments for missing a part or all of a weekend drill range from nothing, to not being paid, to having to make up the drill, and in some rare instances arrest and punishment.

Instead of the standard eight-year contract that you used to have to fulfill with the Air Force, you can now enlist for a period of four years for Active Duty and 2 years for the Guard and Reserves, which is the shortest, standard contract that the Air Force offers to all potential recruits.

Do National Guard fight in wars? ›

Could I be sent into combat? Yes. Because of the National Guard's dual state-federal mission, Guard members can be mobilized to protect and defend America in battle domestically or overseas. Should this happen, you'll be trained, ready and prepared to go, mentally and physically.

Since 2002, the 10th Mountain Division has been the most deployed regular Army unit. Its combat brigades have seen over 20 deployments, to both Iraq and Afghanistan, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Desertion carries a maximum punishment of dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay, and confinement of five years. For desertion during a time of war, however, the death penalty may be applied (at the discretion of the court-martial).

Next to the Coast Guard, Air Force members are among the least likely to see combat. Deployments in the Air Force are not as common as in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, and they are generally shorter in duration.

Each branch of the military has age limits to enlist in active duty: Air Force: 17 - 39. Army: 17 - 35. Coast Guard: 17 - 31.

To join the National Guard without prior service, you must meet these mandatory requirements: Be between the ages of 17 and 35. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Be at least a junior in high school, or have a high school diploma or a GED certificate.

Of all the retirement plans, the Final Pay system uses the simplest formula. You'll receive 2.5% of your final monthly basic pay for every year of service. For example, if you retire after 40 years of active service, then you can expect to receive 100% of your monthly base pay as your retirement pension.

Active duty is a better option for those looking for a secure full-time job with numerous benefits. Reserve duty is a better option for those wishing to serve their country, build career skills, earn extra money, and access military benefits without making a full-time commitment.

USACAPOC(A) is five percent of the U.S. Army Reserve Command's force and is responsible for 20 percent of the Army Reserve deployments. USACAPOC(A) is home to 94 percent of the Department of Defense's CA capability and 71 percent of the DoD's military information support operations capability.

Those with the highest average numbers of deployments were the Air Force Guard and reserves (2.24 and 2.58, respectively). Over 80% of the two Coast Guard components and over 75% of the Marine Corps reserves had only one deployment compared with fewer than half those in the Air Force Guard and reserve components.

What are the physical requirements to join the National Guard? ›

The weight standards are about your height and gender. For example, if you're 60 inches tall and a male, you must be 141lb maximum. If you're 70 inches and a female, you cannot weigh more than 177lb. The weight range is from 127lb to 241lb but depends on your height and age.

Sleeping arrangements during Basic Training may differ depending on where you're at. Generally, you'll either bunk in a bay containing about 40 people or in a small room with three to six others. You can expect to get between seven and eight hours of sleep.

During the 7.5 weeks while your loved one is at BMT, he/she will be authorized to use his/her cell phone or pay phones to make outgoing calls to family members. Trainees are encouraged to maintain their cell phone service while at BMT and to bring a calling card.

The Marine Corps has the longest basic training -- 12 weeks, not including four days of in-processing time. Counting the half-week you spend in forming (in-processing), you'll spend a total of seven-and-a-half weeks in Coast Guard basic training at Cape May, (N.J.,) the shortest basic training of all the services.

Reserve members are paid twice a month. The 15th is the mid-month pay date and includes pay due from the first day of the month through the 15th. The first of the following month is the end of month pay and includes pay due from the 16th through the last day of the previous month.

Defined Benefit: Monthly retired pay for life after at least 20 years of service (so if you retire at 20 years of service, you will get 40% of your highest 36 months of base pay).

Joining the Reserve Component of the military is a great way to serve your country. You will also earn valuable benefits without giving up your civilian employment or schooling.

Active duty is a better option for those looking for a secure full-time job with numerous benefits. Reserve duty is a better option for those wishing to serve their country, build career skills, earn extra money, and access military benefits without making a full-time commitment.

What is the advantage of Army Reserve? ›

Reserve Component benefits

Here's a quick look at the benefits you'll have by transitioning to the reserves: Part-time pay: Pay is based on rank and service time. Bonuses are sometimes available for high-demand skills. Skills training: Your active-duty skills will be put to good use in the National Guard or Reserve.

Instead of the standard eight-year contract that you used to have to fulfill with the Air Force, you can now enlist for a period of four years for Active Duty and 2 years for the Guard and Reserves, which is the shortest, standard contract that the Air Force offers to all potential recruits.

The Air Force Reserve official site adds that in general terms there is no set deployment schedule for reservists. “It isn't unusual” the site states, “to not be deployed at all. If you get deployed once in six years, that would be typical, but it could be more than that.”

Switching from the Army Reserve to active duty is possible, but it is not an immediate process and can take several months (and is not always approved). The first step to switching to active duty is to meet with your local recruiter.

We are committed to “at minimum” have each and every Reservist deploy once per year. Some may deploy more than once and the duration of all deployments will be based on the workload requirement of our disaster response and recovery efforts.

As part of your service commitment in the Army Reserve, you are required to spend at least one weekend a month on duty and two weeks a year in training. Your total service contract length may range from three to six years, depending on your Army Reserve job.

As of Jun 5, 2023, the average annual pay for an Army Reserves in the United States is $48,233 a year.

Some soldiers and airmen join because they want to do meaningful work and serve their country. Others join to access education benefits to offset the cost of pursuing a post-secondary degree, receive on-the-job training, or learn skills that support their civilian careers.

How long should I stay in the National Guard? ›

Your total enlistment period will be eight years, but you can serve as little as three or six years, and spend the remainder in IRR (Individual Ready Reserve). IRR Soldiers don't train with a unit, but can still be called up in the event of an emergency.