Some random points.

-Enlisted at 17 and got a year of my enlistment out of the way before I even left for basic.

-They paid for all my schooling and up through my CFII...graduated with < $5k in student loans.

-Was fortunate enough to get hired by my squadron to fly Vipers

-Adler is right...which the crap hits the fan the AD goes first.

-Guard fighters are more and more being used for NON-combat "deployments" to sit and do nothing.

-The above mentioned "deployments" are driving guys out. Dudes are sick of spending time away from family and taking large pay cuts to go do NOTHING....especially while there is some action going on.

-QOL will likely be MUCH higher in the Guard. Consistency of one location, no white jet tours, no non-flying gigs, etc... Mostly 4 days work weeks and drill weekend. You'll rarely see the 12-14 hours work days like AD.

-OPS tempo has been constantly creeping up in the Guard. When I first enlisted, we did 30 day deployments, every 24-30 months, with the occasional TDY in between. Now we're doing 100 day deployments, every 19ish months with 3-5 TDYs of 2-3 weeks a piece. Couple that with random conferences and sim trips and it adds up. Many of our hires off AD are quite surprised by how much we're gone. Being a part timer helps, because you can always pass on trips here and there.

-Every single friend of mine from college, that wanted a Guard pilot slot, got one. ALL of them...so don't let the competition factor scare you.

-With the Guard, if you don't make it through training, you have ZERO commitment. So you won't be forced into some non-flying gig.

-Many of my UPT classmates ended up in U-28s or M-28s (out of ENJJPT).

-A few of my other UPT classmates will spend the last few years in a NON flying assignment.

-Lots of dudes at UPT while I was there, ended up in UAVs...

-In the Guard, you'll fly as long as you want. If your squadron switches to UAVs, you can always leave...of course at this point in my career, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Great side gig for airline guys.

-Our squadron is a revolving door or AD guys trying to escape AD. They're burnt out and tired of the BS. Many are highly qualified dudes who are patches or have school slots.

-If you enlist in the Guard, you can still do ROTC or apply to OTS...as long as you're continuing military service (in any of the services), you'll be released from your enlistment. There is some caveat with ROTC and tuition benefits, but it's doable. A fellow crew chief went through ROTC and got an AD pilot spot with no issues.

-I have even seen an enlisted guard guy go to the Academy. You just have to interview with one of your commanders and get recommended. It's a great deal for these guys...if you're into the mostly boys college in Colorado.

-Having been enlisted since high school, I will finish my UPT commitment (10 years), with over 17 years of service. I can't tell you how grateful I am that I'll only have 2.5 years left, while all my UPT buddies still have 7-8+ years left. Being able to retire at 37 will be great...especially now that I'm balancing two jobs.

-I was fortunate enough to get hired very early in this airline hiring spree. I have been writing letters for a few FAIPs and a few of my UPT classmates...who are still a year away from getting out. If they're hired right away, they'll be over 3,500-4,000 numbers junior to me.

-Don't overlook the Coast Guard. They have a decent amount of pilots and it seems like it's one of the best kept secrets. Just an opinion after having flown with a few former coasties.

Goodluck in whatever you decide. You really can't go wrong, each choice is filled with it's own awesome adventures.