How do I join the national guard?
 

I'm 18 and currently in college and I'm thinking about joining the national guard. I'm obtaining my flight ratings and wouldn't mind being in the national guard. I attend kent state university and I'm from Cincinnati. National guard seems like a good side job and extra stream of income. Any advice would be appreciated.

Google to locate your nearest recruiting station if you want to enlist. If you're interested in flying, Google OHANG units. I know there is a KC-135 (tanker) squadron in Columbus. I know some guys who enlisted, got their reputation set in their unit, then after they finished school, their unit sent them to OTS and then flight school. Just realize it's not a "side job." You will have multiple training events that will take you away from college, whatever job you may have now, and that at any time, your number gets called and you're on active duty until they say you aren't. You'll be serving your country and it's great that you're interested; just know that there is much more to it than trying to pick up some extra cash. Good luck and if you have any other questions, let me know.

Make sure you are effective in time management.

1. Get your 4 year college degree. Do it in something that is marketable so you have something to fall back on in a black swan event or if you have something where you cannot get a medical when you get older (I know you think they will never happen to you, trust me, they can.)

2. Get your flying hours, 1,500.

3. Serving your country is admirable. You will find many pilots you fly with were active duty or guard.

By the time you are ready to apply to a regional, for example, COVID-19 will be a distant memory and they will be back in a strong hiring mode.

Good advice from all. My 2 cents: avoid the temptation of the army guard's high school to flight school (zero to hero) program. The recruiter will try to hook you on a direct pathway to flight school and a rotary wing billet. It's true, you go this route and you'll be a pilot by the time you're 20-21 with no college required. But in the long run if you want to fly for the airlines or even just career fixed wing military, going Army/Army guard is a bad idea. Enlist in the air guard, go get a bachelor's degree, then get a guaranteed job with a fixed wing air guard unit flying C130's or C17's. Best deal there is.

ANG Hiring Advice?
 

About to turn 26, currently at a major 141 school in the lower midwest, definitely interested in ANG/AFR flying before going 121.

Not married to any particular base or airframe but I would prefer to stay in the region. (Grissom/WrightPat/Mitchell/Selfridge/Rickenbacker, etc)

Grades are okay, should graduate with a >3.0 in 'Aviation Science' (turns out I wasn't smart enough to be an engineer) and have a ME CPL before next Christmas, only choice seems to be CFI at my school to build time before the next thing.

Frankly need to go and try and be in the best shape possible and get off my SI before interviewing, probably get PRK too.

Besides enlisting and being a "known quantity" as a loadmaster/boom operator/plane captain, anything else that would help me with getting in front of a KC-135 or C-17 squadron? (or Vipers, Hawgs, Lightnings...)

Depending on what your SI is that could be a big obstacle. That said, if you can fix whatever caused the SI than do so. The general philosophy about military medicine is that you tell them as little as possible until you are ready to separate or retire.

Unfortunately, timing wise, you are likely to find guard and Reserve units staggeringly overmanned due to every airline guy trying to latch on during Covid. Don’t let it discourage you, within a year a lot of those guys will be disappearing and UPT slots should be available. The Reserve has historically been unable to fill all of its assigned slots. However, you might have to be very flexible about base and airframe. Find out who is running hiring at the units that interest you (usually the chief pilot) and when they are having a drill weekend where you would be welcome to hangout. This is an informal pre-interview type process that allows guys to get an idea of who you are. Also, bring a bottle of something good. You don’t have to drink and if you do know your limits. It’s kind of like rushing a frat, only they want you to be fun and responsible.

Re: SI, my FC1 was done by an AFR Flight Surgeon and he said it wouldn't be an issue once I got it fixed and recent anecdotal evidence from an applicant at Wright-Patt confirms :)

As far as AFR not being able to fill its slots, is there a particular reason for this? My understanding is a little fuzzy as far as where dollars are coming from for state vs federal missions but I thought that everyone got 12x AFTP slots per quarter plus drill

Individual units get a slice of the slots on the Reserve, but the AF Reserve also has a significant number of slots that are not associated with a specific unit. State versus Federal is a nonissue for the Reserve. That’s a Guard thing. Reserve is all Federal all the time.

It seems like Grissom is always looking for pilots.