So you love your country/needed college money and enlisting full time in the military was just too much. Lucky for you, your local National Guard recruiter had a great opportunity for you. You could serve your country and still live the life of a civilian. “Only one weekend a month, two weeks a year,” he said.
Now you’re in and you realized that it was mostly bullshit. Congratulations. You’re a citizen soldier. The regular Army thinks you’re lame and your civilian boss doesn’t understand what orders are and you need to cover that Saturday shift. So let’s walk through exactly what your recruiter didn’t tell you.
One weekend a month, two weeks a year is a lie
If you haven’t figured it out already, your recruiter wasn’t your friend. Sure he might have given you a backpack and told you about how awesome it is to shoot shit, but you’re a number. Get used to it. That’s the military way. The most egregious lie told to new recruits is the actual amount of time you’ll be doing something for the military. Not only are you going to drill and AT but you’re going to be the ones to be called up if there is a natural disaster in your state. Or even outside of your state. When Hurricane Katrina hit, it wasn’t just Active Army and the Louisiana National Guard that was there. Reserve units that weren’t based in Louisiana also had the joy of patrolling the streets. Not to mention the global war on terror. Reserve units played a key part in securing two separate countries for over a decade.
And then there’s the paperwork. Oh, you’re an E-5 or above? Have fun doing those NCOERs at your home instead of when the military is paying you. Do you have to put a class together? Yeah, that shit isn’t going to get done on one of your weekends. The military will take your time away and not give a single fuck. But if you want to be effective, that’s what you need to do.
The National Guard isn’t 2 weeks a year–don’t complain
It’s not that you shouldn’t complain. That’s what friends are for. It’d be a good idea not to complain to leadership though. Mostly because it will fall on deaf ears because everyone does more than their fair share, as “fair” is no longer in anyone’s vocabulary. The reason why you shouldn’t whine about it, is that signing on the dotted line means you’re now a part of something greater than yourself.
While there is a special place in Dante’s Inferno for recruiters, you’re stuck now. You’re in the suck. You might as well embrace it. Hoo-ah.
Disclaimer: The content in this article is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of US Patriot Tactical.
