Back to the ANG recommendations:
Good info from C-130Driver.
Having done both AD and ANG, I would concur with the recommendation. However, that’s kind of a loaded recommendation to someone who’s just getting started evaluating their options. A lot depends on the pilot candidate’s goals; the mission of the unit and how they handle the training of their pilots.
Obviously, you have to be willing to serve and accept all the potential sacrifices that may require.
Beyond that, if your goal is a military cockpit as a full time pilot and you can get hired by an ANG unit, life can be very, very good.
My real message is to the guy that wants to eventually end up in an airline cockpit and fly as a traditional (part-time) Guardsman. IMO, achieving those goals in as little time as possible is probably best accomplished in a non-fighter unit.
If you really want to fly a fighter, you need to understand that is not going to be a fast track to an airline cockpit. There’s the obvious short sortie duration and slow accumulation of flight time (even though you’re logging PIC time from the get-go while the non-fighter pilot has to take a few years to upgrade to aircraft commander). But, it’s more than just lower flight time accumulation. In addition, accepting the commitment to join a fighter unit is going to result in years of required training and experience before you would have any hope of being able to do that job part time.
Most part-time fighter pilots in the ANG have spent 10+ years flying on active duty before joining the Guard and are highly experienced. For a newbie to expect to show up after UPT, fly for a couple of years full time and then go part time as an airline pilot is not realistic. . Any ANG unit that allows that to happen is really doing you and themselves a huge disservice. Even a 10+ year fighter pilot may take a mission or two to get back up on step after being gone for a couple of weeks flying with his airline. Realistically, 6-7 years as a full time ANG fighter pilot would be the absolute minimum most guys would need to be worthy in the jet and ready to possibly go part time.
In the end, when you look past the lure of building a great airline resume, getting on at an airline in the next wave and flying fast movers with the bros in the flying club – you’re training to go to war, survive and get your mission done well. These days it shouldn’t be too hard to envision a scenario that has your ANG unit fighting alongside the AD bros somewhere on the planet. Getting ready for that needs to be priority one.