Does the Guard have RFX type status for units?

[Snoopy47]

BLUF: Do average California NG units drill more than one weekend a month two weeks a year? If you go to an additional duty school are you expected to still go to your Annual Training?




I ask, because I am planning out how I'm going to make it 20 years in the USAR.

In order to do so I need to figure out how I can navigate avoiding RFX units for the remainder of my time. I'm now looking into the possibility of switching branches or going into the Guard when my USAR time is up.

I am however aware that if I do make the switch I will lose all my institutional knowledge about the USAR system, and have to start from scratch. So it will do me no good to make the switch only to be completely blind in a system that is no better than the USAR. It looks like I'm just better off walking away.


Career Goal:
Make LTC (O5) in an environment that is 1 weekend a month, and 2-3 weeks a year. If I deploy, I deploy, that's how it works. I just cannot do 7 weeks a year plus 1 weekend in a non deployment environment.

I'm counting the days till I'm out.

Whatever I lose in a USAR retirement is going to be more than made up for in my civilian life when I get all my weekends back plus an entire month or more.

[AregularGuy]

Just curious since I am in an RFX unit, how does this impact your plan? Is it due to increased ADT days or because of possible deployment, or something else? I'm asking more out of inexperience than anything else. Thanks.

[Supersapper]

BLUF: Do average California NG units drill more than one weekend a month two weeks a year? If you go to an additional duty school are you expected to still go to your Annual Training?




I ask, because I am planning out how I'm going to make it 20 years in the USAR.

In order to do so I need to figure out how I can navigate avoiding RFX units for the remainder of my time. I'm now looking into the possibility of switching branches or going into the Guard when my USAR time is up.

I am however aware that if I do make the switch I will lose all my institutional knowledge about the USAR system, and have to start from scratch. So it will do me no good to make the switch only to be completely blind in a system that is no better than the USAR. It looks like I'm just better off walking away.


Career Goal:
Make LTC (O5) in an environment that is 1 weekend a month, and 2-3 weeks a year. If I deploy, I deploy, that's how it works. I just cannot do 7 weeks a year plus 1 weekend in a non deployment environment.

I'm counting the days till I'm out.

Whatever I lose in a USAR retirement is going to be more than made up for in my civilian life when I get all my weekends back plus an entire month or more.

DO NOT GO GUARD if you want to do the one weekend per month and 2-3 weeks per year.

I am currently a field grade in the guard and I need to tell you that we are, especially as officers, being expected to do EXACTLY what you're trying to avoid.

NGB is trying to make the Guard a more "operational" reserve than a "strategic" one. I guess trying to maintain their relevance. In California, the current leadership just can't say no to anything and it is in part due to the lack of a combat patch. Leadership here just wants to show that they are training hard. As hard as the active duty, when in reality we are doing more with less and burning out the force.

People are leaving in droves and the brain drain is incredible. The experienced people are leaving because more and more they are conflicting with civilian employers...you will reach that 5 year USERRA / ESGR limit a lot faster than you think.

Just my $0.02 from a fellow field grade. I can tell you more, just not on a public forum.

[Snoopy47]

People are leaving in droves and the brain drain is incredible. The experienced people are leaving because more and more they are conflicting with civilian employers...you will reach that 5 year USERRA / ESGR limit a lot faster than you think.

Just my $0.02 from a fellow field grade. I can tell you more, just not on a public forum.

Sir, I'm a Company Grade Company Commander. I hear you 100%, and read between every line you just laid down.

Sounds like we are all in the same boat.

[Snoopy47]

Just curious since I am in an RFX unit, how does this impact your plan? Is it due to increased ADT days or because of possible deployment, or something else? I'm asking more out of inexperience than anything else. Thanks.

Here's what I think is going on in relation to RFX units.
1) It use to be a Units were placed in a rotational list for deployments, and if your MOS or unit METL was needed during that rotation you went.
2) If a unit was selected for deployment you might be looking at a few months of spinning up to train for deployment.
3) What RFX does is remove #2 above. Instead of spinning up for a few months for deployment training and equipment maintenance that time is now crammed on top of your annual training schedule.
4) In the event you are selected for deployment during your RFX period you essentially go right that moment without any additional training.

*****
5) In the event you DO NOT get deployed you just spent two years time running everyone into the ground in anticipation of a deployment and quick wheels up situation that never materialized.
6) units are typically in RFX status 2 years.
7) Soldiers can find themselves in a WORLD OF HURT if they find themselves being promoted out of one RFX unit to another, or transfer from one RFX to another and finding themselves in a perpetual RFX situation.
*****

I just realized RFX is also more cost effective to the detriment of the soldier.

2 months of ACTIVE DUTY orders can be reduced since there is no spin up training pre deployment. That training is done during RFX at drill pay only without BAH and all the other perks that come with full time orders.

*****

NCO's and Officers are more exposed to the adverse nature of RFX. E4 and below will typically only be exposed to one more additional week of annual training.

[Supersapper]

Snoopy,

I didn't realize you'd written the responses above. I was busy writing your PM.

I'd be curious to find out more about the RFX cycle and how to figure out who's on and who's not.

Sapper

[chris]

RFX is a joke nothing more nothing less. It has screwed up our shop's maintenance schedule for the last two years. the list changes about every quarter. Those that are not RFX cannot have their equipment worked and a RFS unit's equipment cannot be used or moved as required.

Don't buy into the hype of RFX. Every unit will eventually be RFX or MFGI is the new term being used for units.

[Snoopy47]

RFX is a joke nothing more nothing less. It has screwed up our shop's maintenance schedule for the last two years. the list changes about every quarter. Those that are not RFX cannot have their equipment worked and a RFS unit's equipment cannot be used or moved as required.

Don't buy into the hype of RFX. Every unit will eventually be RFX or MFGI is the new term being used for units.

It is the bane of my command time. Year 1 I took it seriously, year 2 we are slammed with more and more requirements, year 3 I'm not convinced we are going anywhere, and even if we do because of the nature of how monthly drills work not 100% of my Joes have done all the required RFX tasks anyway because they were excused from various events since it was just another drill weekend.

Had we been on deployment orders sure yea, EVERYONE would be trained up since we would all be on orders. Since we aren't its just another drill weekend. So who cares???????

There are units immune from the nonsense. For example, I'm looking at vacancies for units WITHOUT an MTOE. It's not a perfect solution to the madness but it removes the whole equipment headache.

Reserve folks can't be spun up for THREE YEARS for something that essentially ends up being a NONEVENT. By time their contract ends and they come off RFX cycle, guess what, DUCES!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BarrettM99]

DO NOT GO GUARD if you want to do the one weekend per month and 2-3 weeks per year.

I am currently a field grade in the guard and I need to tell you that we are, especially as officers, being expected to do EXACTLY what you're trying to avoid.

NGB is trying to make the Guard a more "operational" reserve than a "strategic" one. I guess trying to maintain their relevance. In California, the current leadership just can't say no to anything and it is in part due to the lack of a combat patch. Leadership here just wants to show that they are training hard. As hard as the active duty, when in reality we are doing more with less and burning out the force.

People are leaving in droves and the brain drain is incredible. The experienced people are leaving because more and more they are conflicting with civilian employers...you will reach that 5 year USERRA / ESGR limit a lot faster than you think.

Just my $0.02 from a fellow field grade. I can tell you more, just not on a public forum.

[chris]

It is the bane of my command time. Year 1 I took it seriously, year 2 we are slammed with more and more requirements, year 3 I'm not convinced we are going anywhere, and even if we do because of the nature of how monthly drills work not 100% of my Joes have done all the required RFX tasks anyway because they were excused from various events since it was just another drill weekend.

Had we been on deployment orders sure yea, EVERYONE would be trained up since we would all be on orders. Since we aren't its just another drill weekend. So who cares???????

There are units immune from the nonsense. For example, I'm looking at vacancies for units WITHOUT an MTOE. It's not a perfect solution to the madness but it removes the whole equipment headache.

Reserve folks can't be spun up for THREE YEARS for something that essentially ends up being a NONEVENT. By time their contract ends and they come off RFX cycle, guess what, DUCES!!!!!!!!!!!!

I first heard of this debacle that was called in 2017 "fight tonight" I called not gonna fight tonight.

Having come off a mob at Bliss and working in the FUOPS section of the BDE that deals with mobilizing units. I laughed when I returned to my ECS and all this equipment has to be worked on and not used.

I can only think of a couple of units that I helped get overseas take any equipment down range. That's it. Everything is down range. No one is taking a soft side HMMWV or that base model LMTV down range. If that were to happen after the billions we spent on up armor vehicles no unit is gonna take that junk anywhere. Maybe generators and some trailers that's really about it.

Now it's RFX and we can't touch it once it leaves the shop. It goes and sits in a dirt lot and does nothing. Units can't come to us to draw equipment for their training. That's what our shop and storage is for to support the units in the area for their training. Nope RFX stopped that equipment from being touched.


IMO it was all about getting units to fix their crap they pencil whipped as ready. Units got caught literally red handed with deadlined equipment that was reported mission ready 10/20 standards. It wasn't.

I've been at this crap way too long to smell BS and this idea is loaded with it other than making units have their equipment where it should be.

I've seen Gen Luckey and I was not impressed by him. He comes and goes with his aids and everyone else then he's gone. He is right that the Reserves has to have it's equipment ready that's a fact the way it was executed could have been done differently.

I understand your frustration though.