US Army National Guard or Army Reserves?

Actually if you are going to be in Washington DC check out the Air National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base. I have been in both the Army Guard and Air Guard. I am sure that you will find the Air Guard will be much more suited for your medical career.

That particular MOS (68W) is found in both of those army components. However, 68W is actually a health care specialist and their assignments as far as dutys vary a little bit. If you want to be an actual line medic, or combat medic out their with the boys you don;t really have that option in the Army Reserves. The 100th Battalion, 442d Infantry is the ONLY combat unit left in the Army Reserves. They are a component that only has combat support jobs, where as the Army National Guard has combat units AND support units.

As far as which one is better kinda depends on what unit you are going to. All of your initial training will be the same regardless becuase they are all Army schools.

One thing to remember as far as benefits are concerened, depending on the state, the National Guard tends to get slighly better education benefits and bonuses due to the fact they are controlled by two levels of government (state, and federal) and they usually both chip in. The reserves are only in a federal status.

They will both go through the same training. Talk to both and let them show you which is better. Some Reserve unit and Guard are better than others. Both should be able to show you local units that you will go to. If you go either Guard of Reserve they will try to station you within 75 miles of your home. Either Recruiter can find out were the 68w slots are available and you can go check out the units yourself. When you find a slot you will need what they call a paragraph and line number. Once you find what you want you NEED TO ENLIST AS FAST AS YOU can to get the slot.

Your best bet is to see which branch has a 68W slot closer to school or home. I tell the same thing to college kids here. It boils down to travel time and finding time to study.

We had few Physical therapy guys join the reserves because at that time our closest Reserve unit was a training unit and they were to be DIs if ever activated.

Hey friend, I suggest you go army reserve it is funded and backed by the federal government! I picked reserves aswell and I am glad I did. Because here in california, we are getting a budget cut so the Tuition Assistance for the National guard is going through problems. So its pretty bad. Army reserve has more opportunity than NG, however, NG offers big bonuses but in the end you would wish you joined the reserves. In terms of coolness, at basic ive heard them call the national guard the nasty guard hahah. If you got any more questions ask bud. Good luck, GO RESERVES and ask a recruiter about OCS in the ARMY good luck friend. I don't see how one can say that the guard is larger? Its a statewide versus Army reserve nation wide? They have more slots because less people join so they have plenty of slots on the other hand reserves have a big flow of people coming and limited slots