USAF Reserve -vs- Air Guard

[JungleJett]

I am considering a change in jobs and the new one will bring over to the reserve side of the house from the Air Guard. I was curious if there is a big change between the two and if so, what specifically.

Traditional enlisted aircrew...if that helps.

 

[Tweetdrvr]

BIG BROTHER watches you like a hawk, there is a mandatory sign in at UTA with your ID card. You get questioned like the Spanish Inquisition to do a Ground TP. Only certain people are authorized to sign orders. There are no protections from new AF policy. Anytime the AF changes a rule involving the employment of the airplane, the ANG has to approve it, if the AF doesn't give the ANG enough time to review it to see how it impacts their ops, then the ANG will play by the old rules until somebody in the bureau goes through it and stamps "N/A to ANG" in the appropriate sections. If the AF implements a new rule, then the reserves adopt it on the release date just like AD. There are more differences, mostly it is the same pay system and speak, just slightly different dialect. People are the same, dedicated to serving, and mostly genuine good folks.

For every rule there is an equal and opposite ANG waiver, for every AF rule there are two more reserve rules.

PM or call me if you want

 

[slacker]

Tweetdrvr Nailed It!

That was brilliantly put Tweetdrvr. It seems the reserves are more "active-duty" than active duty. They are out to prove they can suppress morale faster and harder than anyone on active duty. I've never been in the guard, but I've had dealings with them in the past and it seemed that they didn't play with all the big blue crap like the reserves. If you can find a good guard unit- go guard. If you want to be on the active duty junior varsity- go reserves.

 

[Jafar]

I can't speak about the AD AF, but the quality of my life improved ten fold when I went from the AFRES to the Guard. To me the Guard seems to be tighter, camaraderie wise, and just a little more common sense driven. I'm in a shoe clerk AFSC until I go to UPT so my experience is limited to that. Reference has been made to morale, and from what I've seen people are a lot happier in my guard outfit than they were in my reserve outfit.

 

[dtfl]

The downside of going Res to Guard is - available TDYs. Now before you guys jump in - read. JATTs, etc are bought at conferences so each unit gets their fair shake. What I mean is - the MPA tours for DO at Forge, CONAR, etc etc. are harder to get in the guard. A buddy at my last res unit inquired about this with the guard bereau and they told him - AD has a need for people - they cant fill it - they give it to the reserves - the reserves cut a cut at it - if they cant fill it - the guard gets 30 days to fill it - then it goes back to the res then AD. So they reserve guy might pick up that cool 3 month TDY to Germany to be the planner for Forge, and the guard might never see it.
Now..if that isnt an option...then go guard. Most people I know seem to like it better....but realize...being in the guard won't help if mobilization is coming..the Gov cannot STOP you from being mobilized by the USAF.

 

[TCMC17RES]

In the reserves we have ART's (civil servants) and no AGR (Active Guard Reserve). This greatly limits our chances of ever having the option for a military retirement. The ART civil servant retirement is a much lesser retirement than an full Active Duty retirement, which is available as an AGR.

Go guard if you ever think you might want to take it to retirement.

 

[AlbieF15]

Even though I flew active duty jets in an active duty wing, there was a sense of "family" in our Guard det. Our unit was a bit unique in mission and scope, but dang...I loved every minute of it. I thing the ANG is hard to beat--if you can get a slot.

 

[JungleJett]

I am already in the Air Guard and have been for 12 years. I may be moving near a unit that is Reserve. If I want to stay in the service, my options are limited as I want to continue flying. I could not commute back to my current unit. It would simply be too far.

I love the Air Guard and they have been good to me. I have seen a ton of the world and would love to finish my career there but I may not be able too. It will be terribly hard to leave my unit but my family comes first.

I appreciate all the comments about the reserves. I really like to way we do things in the guard (for the most part) and have heard things about the reserves that makes me a little apprehensive.

Now I really need to think about this!

 

[bssthound]

It looks to me like you plan to be a Traditional Reservist should you make the move.

I made the move from the Guard to the Reserves 11 years ago. Were I in your shoes I'd make the transition. Slacker and dtfl, who I know personally, are right. Big Picture, however, if you want to continue flyiing in the miltary and will live near a Reserve unit then do it. Especially as a part-timer, where you minimize your esxposure to the bu11sh*t that the full-timers have to endure. As far as the guys you work with in the squadron, there is no difference. Just like everywhere else, the vast majority are great guys with the obligatory d1ck or two in the mix. As you've already said, the commute back to Louisville will be impossible; give the Reserves a shot. I think you'll find it ain't a bad deal.

 

[hindsight2020]

"It seems the reserves are more "active-duty" than active duty"

This is the first time I have ever heard such a thing. I was under the impression that there was mostly no difference between the atmosphere in a Guard unit and a Reserve unit. I understand what Tweetdrvr is saying about the structural differences that lead towards some bulls$$it creeping within the Reserves that the ANG is more adept to sidestep, but the suggestion that Reserves like is junior-varsity AD seems inflated. It just hasn't been my experience...shoot, compared to AETC it's definitively NOT the case. Maybe it's unit dependent? fighter vs. heavy? I'm interested for those in the know to further elaborate. For what it's worth at least in my unit the overall feel, from my rather limited perspective, is that it doesn't get any more chill. This thread reminded me of the thread where folks were complaining about ART jobs. It kinda has the same "grass is greener on the other side" feel to it, certainly legitimate, but overkill in similar respects. Most of the folks who have already posted have more time in the AFRC than me, and certainly enough to substantiate their claims, so I'm not dismissing their POV, I'm just trying to figure out if it's unit dependent, or system wide like it's suggested here, because it honestly surprised me to read that particular comment.

 

[HoursHore]

I think its unit dependent. I haven't made a UTA in 9 months and no one has said Boo. Has long as you get your stuff done, stay off the bad boy list your good. Its a heavy unit.

 

[Hold@FIR]

Jungle Jett, you probably would be better off asking questions about the specific unit you are interested in instead of the big picture Guard vs Reserve. There's just too much variance from one unit to the next in both the Guard and Reserves to judge one better than the other. Case in point, my own experience in the latter has certainly (and thankfully) been nothing like that described by Tweetdrvr.

 

[stlpilot]

The opinions and observations about the reserves on this post are close to my own. So close in fact that I wonder if some of these folks have visited my unit. I’m of the opinion that the leadership makes all the difference in the world. One case and point is “make up” UTA's. Under the old leadership you could make any of them up so long as your training was up to date, no questions asked. Under the new leadership you have to sort through the "100 rules" of making up a drill, for which you most likely won’t qualify. Sheesh try telling your civ employer that. So now us part timers have to work more on “part time” reservist duties then work their full time civilian job duties b/c of the sorry leadership. I could tell you some other B.S. like “no fly” drill weekends but I fear retribution if I give too many details. Yes I’m venting, yes I’m crabby, and yes the grass is always greener, but now that I’m edumacated on what I like in a unit, the ANG is where I’m going. Ask lots of questions to the unit in question, and if you can't think of any PM me and Ill give you some to ask.

Out of curiosity did anyone else recently get the news that AFRC has acknowledged that they have more training requirements then there are UTA’s in a fiscal year? We were officially told that fact very recently and guess what their answer was to this acknowledgement? Yep, you guessed it, no answer…..they simply acknowledged the fact .

 

[bssthound]

We were officially told that fact very recently and guess what their answer was to this acknowledgement? Yep, you guessed it, no answer…..they simply acknowledged the fact .

Why am I not jumping up and down arguing with you ? ? ? ? ? ? That doesn't surprise me a bit!

 

[dtfl]

The opinions and observations about the reserves on this post are close to my own. So close in fact that I wonder if some of these folks have visited my unit. I’m of the opinion that the leadership makes all the difference in the world. One case and point is “make up” UTA's. Under the old leadership you could make any of them up so long as your training was up to date, no questions asked. Under the new leadership you have to sort through the "100 rules" of making up a drill, for which you most likely won’t qualify. Sheesh try telling your civ employer that. So now us part timers have to work more on “part time” reservist duties then work their full time civilian job duties b/c of the sorry leadership. I could tell you some other B.S. like “no fly” drill weekends but I fear retribution if I give too many details. Yes I’m venting, yes I’m crabby, and yes the grass is always greener, but now that I’m edumacated on what I like in a unit, the ANG is where I’m going. Ask lots of questions to the unit in question, and if you can't think of any PM me and Ill give you some to ask.

Out of curiosity did anyone else recently get the news that AFRC has acknowledged that they have more training requirements then there are UTA’s in a fiscal year? We were officially told that fact very recently and guess what their answer was to this acknowledgement? Yep, you guessed it, no answer…..they simply acknowledged the fact .

They are, SUPPOSEDLY, according to our unit folks, going to address that. I can get my blood pressure sky high on that subject. Like. Why the F___ do I need a Records management CBT?????? And why do I need it more than once? What about Sexual Assault tng? One time..yes...good deal. ANNUALLY? YGBSM!!!
I was counting the time I had LEFT in the reserves, looking forward to it. Now I am counting it DOWN to retirement. (At 20..I'll get the money when I get it)

I can answer the Rec Mgmt question I think - because some 4 striper Records management specialist decided his shop was overtasked and decided to make the entire AF suffer - see if we all know how to manage our own records...they can take afternoons off for training, group runs, etc. Anyone try to go to an AD clinic recently? Every fricking Wed or Fri and/or BOTH afternoons - CLOSED for training. God forbid they actually provide a service...too busy training...
Soapbox....off