Applied for job, Guard Required

[Baconator]

I applied for a job recently with the National Guard that requires Guard membership/enlistment. I am not currently in the Guard and am wondering about how it works in this type of situation. The job is not a guaranteed permanent job, depending on funding. So what happens? I join the Guard and am I then required to be enlisted (is that the correct term for the Guard), and then the temp job ends, do I still have to stay on for X amount of years? I have no prior military, but do have the experience they are asking for for the actual job.

[FD929]

Sounds like man-hours. Army Guard or Air Guard? Unless you were interested in enlisting, going to BCT, and being locked into your enlistment regardless of continued employment, I'd pass. Tell them civilian employee only and see what they say. Might as well roll the dice. Are you sure you weren't talking to a recruiter? I know they like to advertise career fields that way.

[Baconator]

Sounds like man-hours. Army Guard or Air Guard? Unless you were interested in enlisting, going to BCT, and being locked into your enlistment regardless of continued employment, I'd pass. Tell them civilian employee only and see what they say. Might as well roll the dice. Are you sure you weren't talking to a recruiter? I know they like to advertise career fields that way.

It was a job listed on usajobs. It's at March, so I guess Air Guard. I'll wait to see if I hear anything on it.

[Snoopy47]

[Mr. Burns]

Usually those are for current Guard/Reserve members and you have to be a certain rank to qualify for that position.

For instance there is no way the military would send a civilian to boot camp and tech school and then immediately pay them as and E-5.


Let me know if you find out different.

Active Duty AF -4yrs
Current NV ANG

edit: ^beat me to it

[Baconator]

It sounds like Active Guard Reserve to me.

I think these are targeted toward those already in the guard looking for full time positions.

For example my reserve unit has a supply Sgt (E5), and he’s full time supporting the unit. We also have a civilian administrator for the battalion, however, he’s a Captain when we drill.

My impression is those jobs on USAJOBS are more or less along those lines.

Ok, so it is a clerical type position (Human Resources), so if I sign up as Active Reserve I obviously run the chance of getting deployed somewhere. Would I have a different job for deployment? Sorry, I am ignorant to how this stuff works.

NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED: This is an excepted position that requires membership in a compatible military assignment in the California National Guard. Selectee will be required to wear the military uniform. Acceptance of an excepted position constitutes concurrence with these requirements as a condition of employment.



AREA OF CONSIDERATION: ALL SOURCES: (Applicants who are NOT currently a member of the California National Guard (CNG) must become a member of a compatible unit of assignment within the CNG commensurate with the military grade listed in this announcement prior to federal assignment).

[jmsenk]

Yeah, I am thinking that it might be a State funded type position that works with the guard - you wouldn't be in uniform on the "Day job" but they're require you to be a soldier/airman due to job requirements. A lot of the logistics and admin positions are like that. Not exactly Active Guard (which is a good deal) but doing a military type job anyway. I'd say pass unless joining up is something that you want... and even then, don't expect to start it until after Basic and AIT.

[Snoopy47]

Yuck…………..
Sound like to me it is an entry level position, which would make sense they can target this to the general public because it’s E4 or lower.

I’m thinking they can’t fill the slot through conventional means at recruiters and are trying to sneak in through regular job sites.
Example: This could be a 42F position (Human Resource Information System Management Specialist). It’s entry level, and is open to both men and women. If you deployed you’d still be going the 42F job.

[FD929]

Usually those are for current Guard/Reserve members and you have to be a certain rank to qualify for that position.

For instance there is no way the military would send a civilian to boot camp and tech school and then immediately pay them as and E-5.


Let me know if you find out different.

Active Duty AF -4yrs
Current NV ANG

edit: ^beat me to it

Ah see there you go. This is probably your best answer being that March is Air Guard. I'm a civilian at an AFB, was a contractor, AD AF, and Army Guard, every one of which has a different format for positions.

[Baconator]

OK, thanks for the input. Guess I'll have to see what the deal is if/when I hear back on it. I am not opposed to joining.

[FD929]

Yuck…………..
Sound like to me it is an entry level position, which would make sense they can target this to the general public because it’s E4 or lower.

I’m thinking they can’t fill the slot through conventional means at recruiters and are trying to sneak in through regular job sites.
Example: This could be a 42F position (Human Resource Information System Management Specialist). It’s entry level, and is open to both men and women. If you deployed you’d still be going the 42F job.

Not exactly. They have a need for a person for more than a weekend a month and two weeks a year so they just made it a requirement that that person be enlisted rather than just civilian. Also fills two positions that the Guard would need instead of one.

Also USAJOBS isn't a normal website, it's government specific though I know what you mean. I can't stand the Navy job postings.

[tanksoldier]

It sounds like Active Guard Reserve to me.

Federal Technician.

Federal civilian employee, must be a member of the Guard at a rank similar to the level of the civilian position and wear the uniform to work. Sometimes teh civilian position has to be related to your military assignment, sometimes not.

The USAR has similar positions but they don't ware the uniform to work.

Also fills two positions that the Guard would need instead of one.

No, it doesn't. The Guard position doesn't have to be in the same unit he works for as as civilian, and it is entirely possible for him to be deployed in his military capacity leaving the civilian job undone.

A Major in our office was a technician, Assistant FIRO, he was also the S3 of the Engineer Brigade. If he ever got mobilized or Federalized, then we'd have had no Ast FIRO.

Same with the FIRO, an O6 he was a technician and also commander of the 115th ASG. If the ASG had been mobilized, no FIRO.

The Director was also an O6 and commanded the Artillery Brigade... same deal.

There were part-timers who came in on the weekend who could be mobilized to fill those slots, but they weren't really up to speed.

To the OP:

I applied for a job recently with the National Guard that requires Guard membership/enlistment.

To be honest you almost certainly won't get it. There are current members who serve with, and have probably deployed with, the hiring authority who they already have in mind for the job.

Even if that's not the case, they aren't going to hire you and pay you to go to Basic and AIT for six months to a year, while the job sits undone as if they'd never hired anybody.

IF you join the Guard there are all kinds of opportunities available. Many aren't as restricted as other state govt employment because the Feds pick up the tab: Federal Technician, ADSW, AGR...

...BUT don't join up just to get a job. Even in the Guard, even without Iraq, you WILL deploy and you WILL be sent somewhere that you can get your @ss shot off.

Would I have a different job for deployment?

Maybe, maybe not. This looks like it's on the Blue side so some terms will be different but the theory is the same.

The California National Guard (both Army and Air) exist as 3 separate things simultaneously: A federal military organization, a state militia organization and a combined state/federal civilian bureaucracy... and every employee fills a role in one or more of those categories. Sometimes it's the same role, sometimes it's different ones. The 3 officers I served with above were part of all 3: federal civilian employees at the state headquarters in one role, military officers assigned to and/or in command of maneuver units in the other two.

OTAG (Office of the Adjutant General) is the state/fed bureaucracy name for the state headquarters. The Military unit was called STARC (State Area Command). Some people working as technicians at OTAG were also assigned to the STARC and would do the same job if it was ever activated... others wouldn't, they were assigned to the STARC but in different jobs than their day-to-day civilian ones, and some, like the officers above again, belonged to entirely separate units but had part-timer backups assigned to the STARC who would have come in and done the job if the STARC was ever mobilized.

Others were pure civilians with no Guard membership who would continue to work for OTAG if ever the STARC was mobilized.

Confused yet?

[FD929]

No, it doesn't. The Guard position doesn't have to be in the same unit he works for as as civilian, and it is entirely possible for him to be deployed in his military capacity leaving the civilian job undone.

Where did I say the enlisted spot was for the same unit? The position is either filled by a current servicemember or is filled by a recruit, two available positions. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. Someone else covered that he would be subject to deployment, no need for me to reiterate, and I guarantee the Unit is aware of that possibility or they wouldn't require the person be enlisted.

[tanksoldier]

Where did I say the enlisted spot was for the same unit? The position is either filled by a current servicemember or is filled by a recruit, two available positions. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

The unit doesn't require it. The federal government does, because they're picking up the tab.

Units would much rather have either and AGR or a plain civilian doing the job, because there's no risk of losing them to deployment.

Having a fed tech working for you isn't an advantage to you, your unit or the Guard in most cases. It's just an easy way to get funding for the position.

[FD929]

The unit doesn't require it. The federal government does, because they're picking up the tab.

Units would much rather have either and AGR or a plain civilian doing the job, because there's no risk of losing them to deployment.

Having a fed tech working for you isn't an advantage to you, your unit or the Guard in most cases. It's just an easy way to get funding for the position.

And narrows the hiring pool to servicemembers or those willing to enlist, I understand that. It must not be a critical position or it would be set up like mine. I'm a civilian employee, no longer enlisted. AGR sounds like IMA for active duty bases, is that correct? Enlisted servicemembers but not deployable?