Considering joining the National Guard to pay for schooling and guaruntee a job?

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So with the economy and considering all the new grads that cannot find jobs...I am considering joining the National Guard...I hear it's a bit more "mild" than the other military branches and is more about serving the community. I am getting prepared to take the nursing prerequisites at my community college this fall and am still unsure of whether I want to go straigh for my bachelors at a university or whether I want to do ADN-BSN instead.

I am clueless as to what I'd be prepared for joining the National Guard nursing...like completely clueless...what would my tasks and responcibilities be once I joined? If I joined with my associates would they help pay for me to advance my degree? Would you recommend it?

Yes active duty is the same as regular (sorry, I had a brain fart). You can so 8 years if you want, you can do your entire carrer if you want. At if you retire after 20 years, you get a ton of benifits. Even more after 30 years (and you'll be 54 at the oldest?)

The Army may take ADNs, it would depend on the need. You'll have to look into that. Please Please don't make a decision on that though. I've talked to so many people who are unhappy with the army, and I was sooo happy with the airforce. Get your BSN, keep your options open. If you decide not to go in, you'll be better off for a job (ADN's are having a very hard time in my area right now) One thing to remember about nursing schools, you have to have all your generals done before you can get in, and then it's another 2 years. At most community colleges, it takes 4 years to get a 2 year. I think most university's have it worked in. You're 17? I'd get your CNA this summer. take the generals in the fall, and apply to a university. You'll save some money by taking you gen eds at a community college. Try to get some volunteering under your belt, they love that. try at a hospital or nursing home, some where medical based. once you get your CNA use it. Also, it will expose you to nursing, you you know what your getting yourself into before you spend all your time and money. I've found that community colleges look more at the gpa, amount of courses you have completed, and universities look at experience (as well as GPA, and everything, but experience is important.) An officer recruter wont talk to you until you have your degree, so have your goal in mind, but focus on getting yourself into school first. Keep in mind though, if you really want Critical care, you may want to do reserve. Check though, if you can get it in a contract to but you in critical care at your first duty station (Keep in mind I know nothing about officers and their contracts, but it's worth a try. If you get it in writing, and you don't get what you want, it leaves you an out)

I wish I had the frame of mind you did when I was 17! Now I'm still trying to get into school, and will be thrilled, but crazy stressed because my husband is starting Anesthesia school this fall, and we have 2 small kids! :eek:

So good for you!

Lol yeah I'm planning to start volunteering at my local hospital very soon, and I am pretty sure that's what I want to do...transfer to a university, but I still am not sure how everything is going to work out and fall into place. I want to do it however my financial aid will help me the most I might do the ADN program at my college and then do online BSN bridging. I cannot get my CNA until I am 18 sadly, but since I turn 18 in December I will try to get it then and start working. Until then I am starting my classes this summer... finally got my GED in the mail so I am talking to a college advisor this week and she'll hopefully clear things up with me about starting pre-nursing. I read somewhere from someone that Army gives better training for Critical care nurses, but the Air Force has a more civilian type lifestyle..And why were the people you talked to unhappy with the Army? I have pretty much narrowed my choices down to Air Force and Army...Navy seems far too competitive and not right for me from my research. And what kind of lifestyle am I looking at to expect?

&& I wish you luck getting into nursing school! It should be a quite a life experience:o

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Specializes in Med Surg, SSU, ED, P/NICU, Epilepsy.

Air Force can be competitive too, but dont let that scare you. People I know have problems with the long and multiple deployments, duty changes, one group I worked with in Kuwait were getting ready to go home, and were told to get off the plane and go back to work because there was a problem with their replacements. It took months before they even know when they would get to go home.

A nurse is a nurse. The Army doesnt teach nursing school. The level of care you do will depend on the base hospital you work at, not the branch of the military. The hospital soldiers end up at in Germany (Ramstien) is an AF hospital. Im told if you are active duty, you may be able to work your first duty station out in a contract. Not sure if it's true, so check it out.

Think about this though If you do AF reserve, say this summer(you'll be enlisted, not officer), you will go to basic, and med tech school, you'll be active duty for about a year while training. You'll be a student. You'll get a taste of military life before making a huge commitment. Once your done, you can petition the board of nursing to skip CNA school, like I did, take the test (which will be WAY easy for you) and you will have GI bill. You can be one reserve status, while going to nursing school (where the experience you get in tech school will look great on your application). You'll pay little money or you may even pocket some depending on what school you choose. Once your done, you can decide to stay reserve, or get your commission and go active.

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Air Force can be competitive too, but dont let that scare you. People I know have problems with the long and multiple deployments, duty changes, one group I worked with in Kuwait were getting ready to go home, and were told to get off the plane and go back to work because there was a problem with their replacements. It took months before they even know when they would get to go home.

A nurse is a nurse. The Army doesnt teach nursing school. The level of care you do will depend on the base hospital you work at, not the branch of the military. The hospital soldiers end up at in Germany (Ramstien) is an AF hospital. Im told if you are active duty, you may be able to work your first duty station out in a contract. Not sure if it's true, so check it out.

Think about this though If you do AF reserve, say this summer(you'll be enlisted, not officer), you will go to basic, and med tech school, you'll be active duty for about a year while training. You'll be a student. You'll get a taste of military life before making a huge commitment. Once your done, you can petition the board of nursing to skip CNA school, like I did, take the test (which will be WAY easy for you) and you will have GI bill. You can be one reserve status, while going to nursing school (where the experience you get in tech school will look great on your application). You'll pay little money or you may even pocket some depending on what school you choose. Once your done, you can decide to stay reserve, or get your commission and go active.

Wait, reserve doesn't require any large commitments or contracts?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
By the way, the mission of the national guard is supposed to be for the state. their boss is the governer, reservist's abd regulars work for the president. HOWEVER, the governer can (and often does) "lend" the president his troops for deployment. Just pay attention to the news about how many national guardsmen are being depolyed

Active Duty and the Reserves work for Congress

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
This is not true for the Airforce. Army maybe, but i wouldn't make your decision based on that

USAR is the only branch that will commission you without a BSN

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

If you join do it for the right reasons. I have been in the Army for 19 years. Active Duty now Reserves. I have been deployed several times. There is nothing fun or mild about combat. I would not wish it on my worst enemy, but I would go again in a heart beat.

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If you join do it for the right reasons. I have been in the Army for 19 years. Active Duty now Reserves. I have been deployed several times. There is nothing fun or mild about combat. I would not wish it on my worst enemy, but I would go again in a heart beat.

I'm totally not going to just jump into this lol it's going to take a lot of time and consideration, I mean I have a while to go. If I join it's not going to be for the money or benefits but fore the experience and training and to serve my country. It's a big commitment. One thing I am wondering is, whether I could join the military as soon as I am 18 to pursue nursing or if I should wait until I have my bachelors to do it...

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If you join do it for the right reasons. I have been in the Army for 19 years. Active Duty now Reserves. I have been deployed several times. There is nothing fun or mild about combat. I would not wish it on my worst enemy, but I would go again in a heart beat.

Do you know much about doing Army ROTC through college and Nursing school?

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Specializes in Med Surg, SSU, ED, P/NICU, Epilepsy.
Wait, reserve doesn't require any large commitments or contracts?

No, the reserve does have contracts, but your only full time during your training. After that its 1 weekend per month, 2 weeks per year. It leaves you more time to do what you want (work/school) and if ytou hate it, you just have to tough out those weekends until your contract is up. Actie duty is 40 hours (possibly more) per week, 52 weeks per year. Thats alot to "tough out"

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I do not know anything about ROTC. I do know every initial enlisted contract is eight years. Our weekends are sometimes 3-4 days, our 2weeks are sometimes 3+. And good old STC (subject to change)!! My "2 weeks" last June was moved to May last year at the last minute. It was really fun taking my AP2 finals two weeks early and dropping another class, again. Not to be discouraging but eveything boils down to the needs of the Army, not your school schedule. Make sure you know what your unit is like first.

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Specializes in Med Surg, SSU, ED, P/NICU, Epilepsy.
I do not know anything about ROTC. I do know every initial enlisted contract is eight years. Our weekends are sometimes 3-4 days, our 2weeks are sometimes 3+. And good old STC (subject to change)!! My "2 weeks" last June was moved to May last year at the last minute. It was really fun taking my AP2 finals two weeks early and dropping another class, again. Not to be discouraging but eveything boils down to the needs of the Army, not your school schedule. Make sure you know what your unit is like first.

Yup, this is why I went air force. Sure every now and then there is an excerise that may require more time, but My unit for example will skip the next month's weekend... And any changes come in enough advance. Airforce contract "8 years" can be 6 years active drilling, and 2 years inactive reserve (if something horrible {9/11} happens, they can call you back after your 6 is up, but before your 8 is.)

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