National Guard vs Active Duty Special Forces

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[robertsoucy]

Guard SF is the way to go! Good training without all the AD BS! 18F4V 23 years (USSF) OEF2, 10 overseas deployments!

[ExtraRice]

You pretty much confirmed what I already hoped. I spoke to both NG and AD recruiters but chose AD because I want to go full send into SF and I don't have any commitments or fulfilling career in my civ life. Maybe in 10 years I'll apply to switch to NG if I want to start a family.

[rhino]

My dad was a ng xo for ~10 years and he warned me that the bureaucracy in the guard was actually worse than the big army. Getting packets and papers filed is a pain in the ass because nobody wants to do their staff job. He said you need to continually bug the staffers to get what you need done for yourself. It took them 2 years to accept and process his retirement, and the entire time his name stayed on the roster so they begged him to come in every time his company had a formation. I think as long as you got sfre in your packet you don’t really have to worry about the guard bureaucracy effecting your sf career.

[nomad]

I’ve been debating this myself, my buddy told me I should go NG and I didn’t know there was a SFG in the NG but I’ve always wanted to go Active Duty for Army SFOD-A… thank you for breaking down the different between the two I don’t think anyone has done a video between the two!

[lawrencesmith]

I spent my last 10+ years in the Army as a Foreign Area Officer, specializing in South Asia. My introduction to special operations and operators took place at the Army's Command & General Staff College's SOF Track. Back in 2004-2005, it was filled with guys with OEF and OIF experience. (At the same time, my son had enlisted as an 18X, and would eventually become an 18D with HALO qualification and Mandarin language training. Assigned to 1st SFG (A), he eventually deployed to the area in Iraq around Baquba.) That year-long introduction to special operations and their unique needs helped me a great deal, when I was assigned to embassies in Nepal and Sri Lanka/Maldives, coordinating with host nation forces and US special operators, in a constrained/restricted geo-political context. All of the operators were great, and the active duty guys had the energy and exuberance of youth and the benefit of recent schooling and combat experience. But the generally older Army National Guard operators brought added maturity and life experience to the table. Many of them were in local, state, or federal law enforcement, EMTs, SWAT teams. They often displayed better rapport-building skills and were more willing to be creative when confronted by the complex restrictions of US foreign policy, often held hostage by a handful of ideologues and their useful idiots.

[Inposed]

With this, many states will prioritize 18-series individuals for ADOS and AGR slots within the group and the counter-drug units. Therefore, there’s the possibility of still enjoying the benefits of being a full-time soldier without much of the bureaucracy and paperwork.

[AFGixxeR]

The only thing I’ve heard besides over course the obvious job side etc is that if you go to selection and fail in the NG you don’t go to needs of the army like you do AD. You just go back home.

[MeridianSwift]

I'm sure it varies by unit and timeframe, but the unit I spoke with let you choose your MOS (e.g., 18B), prepared you for SFAS, and if you fail SFAS you go back to the Guard unit SF training team and go back to SFAS when you're ready (assuming you're eligible to return). And you go home in between the various phases of the pipeline. I'm not quite sure why everyone wouldn't use this option and then go Active Duty after.

[uffu]

This is something I am seriously considering as the opportunities, although openly advertised, are phenomenal in terms of leadership. Im a recent college graduate and prior to Covid, I was going to attend law school BUT my mother had major health issues I had to attend to and I had to support my family.

Regardless, Berets offer a lot of diversity when it comes to training and, since I already have a job, it’ll be a great resume booster.

Every job has its downsides and I just have to embrace how selection is going to suck. Ughhh. Being in charge is like trying to herd stray cats when no one wants to listen/do work.

[bureaucraticconsequences]

Im planning on goi g the Guard SF route. Im married, no kids. Was wondering if it better to just full the send the whole pipeline or join then get the 18X contract to break up time away from home.

[Dirtydan]

What would you suggest if I want to go to college at this time aswell

[samuelsampieri]

To those of you wondering about if its a young mans game or not, sf is a mix of very young guys with no lif experience in there late teens early 20s, and then you have alot of guys in there 30s to 40s. If youve seen his videos or other military chanels they talk alot about this. And how its a good thing, problem is lately is they are having trouble getting some of the older more experienced guys to go sf because most of them have families.

[rmarli]

So help me understand how selecting your unit works. If you choose 19th group can you be stationed at a component of it such as the 5th group?

[AFGixxeR]

If you didn’t go in prior meaning you never served, would you go in now at your current age and mentality?

[ryanbeech]

Is SFAS and the Q course doable in mid 30s? I would be going for the NG side. Obviously the first 2 parts are identical but as far as being on a team, is it more doable in our 30s?

[frankjaeger]

is a guard bum a bad thing? im confused

[marquez]

Making 5x more money as opposed to being AD. Go hard go guard.