19th SFG(A)

[busyworks]

Got 3-4 months on contract so we'll see. That might be my best option.

 

[Brill]

Got 3-4 months on contract so we'll see. That might be my best option.

Give peace a chance!

 

[Winter_Patriot]

I went through MEPS at Salt Lake City back in December. I was supposed to go 35F, but that spot disappeared, so I opted for 35N instead. I asked if there were any 35P or SOT-A spots but didn't get a clear answer about availability. Enlisting next Friday.

 

[Brill]

I went through MEPS at Salt Lake City back in December. I was supposed to go 35F, but that spot disappeared, so I opted for 35N instead. I asked if there were any 35P or SOT-A spots but didn't get a clear answer about availability. Enlisting next Friday.

I‘ll ask around.

 

[Winter_Patriot]

Honestly I dont think I can commit to DLI, so 35N is fine for me.

Thought maybe it would help the OP to know that it's a little unclear for other applicants too. I heard that 35F, 35M, 35N, 35G were likely open as of last week.

 

[Brill]

For folks interested in SF support, don’t discount KYARNG! They have “overflow” billets for all 3 SF BNs in 20th Group in the MI Det and Commo section for sure.

MID, 2/20th in MSARNG had 12 35P billets, 3-4 35N billets and KYARNG had the EXACT same because when mobilized, the SPT Co in Jackson was NEVER fully manned with qualified MOS holders, so they needed guys from KY. It’s the same for all 1st & 3rd BNs.

Airborne Support Positions | Army National Guard Special Forces

Best thing about KYARNG...there aren’t any SF companies competing for training dollars! USASOC and INSCOM funds are actually allocated to and spent by MI soldiers!!!!

 

[busyworks]

For folks interested in SF support, don’t discount KYARNG! They have “overflow” billets for all 3 SF BNs in 20th Group in the MI Det and Commo section for sure.

MID, 2/20th in MSARNG had 12 35P billets, 3-4 35N billets and KYARNG had the EXACT same because when mobilized, the SPT Co in Jackson was NEVER fully manned with qualified MOS holders, so they needed guys from KY. It’s the same for all 1st & 3rd BNs.

Airborne Support Positions | Army National Guard Special Forces

Best thing about KYARNG...there aren’t any SF companies competing for training dollars! USASOC and INSCOM funds are actually allocated to and spent by MI soldiers!!!!

More great advice for those not necessarily in the know! Thanks again.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

I heard that 35F, 35M, 35N, 35G were likely open as of last week.

For the sake of consistency, please include ‘where’ you’ve heard this when you share info like this; important that we are passing legit intel and not hearsay or water cooler gossip.

 

[Winter_Patriot]

Very helpful to know.

Do the 35Ps/35Ns in KY/MS will have as many real-world tasks to work as those in Draper during drill weekends? I wasn't sure if it was related to the size/level of SCIF. Forgive me if I'm using the wrong terminology or if I have a misunderstanding.

 

[Winter_Patriot]

For the sake of consistency, please include ‘where’ you’ve head this info when you share info like this; important that we are passing legit intel and not hearsay or water cooler gossip.

My mistake. One of the 19th SFG recruiters told me that last week. We were discussing other MOSs since my 35F slot wasn't available. He mentioned other spots that either were open at that time or would be open by the end of next month.

 

[Brill]

Very helpful to know.

Do the 35Ps/35Ns in KY/MS will have as many real-world tasks to work as those in Draper during drill weekends? I wasn't sure if it was related to the size/level of SCIF. Forgive me if I'm using the wrong terminology or if I have a misunderstanding.

No, only when deployed because they don’t have SCIFs (yet) and even then, it depends. A former teammate is OCONUS in a loc that only has SIPR. The only guys I know who are regularly working are 19th Group MI folks in Utah.

 

[AWP]

Do not enlist as a 25C. You will hate your life. Low promotion potential and underutilized in the SIGDET and MIDET.

 

[busyworks]

Do not enlist as a 25C. You will hate your life. Low promotion potential and underutilized in the SIGDET and MIDET.

I feel like deployment/training potential would be very low as well. Doesn't help that they have a team guy that does your job.

Looking more and like I'm waiting for a 35P slot, or going for the "try one" dealio.

 

[GOTWA]

Exactly what I did: got P then SFRE and back to P. Did 6 “try one” extensions.

Nerd.

 

[aspiring_polyglot]

Be wary of the schools: yes, you would be eligible as a P or N for everything (including many 18-series and 25-series schools) but money is tight and it’s really going to get worse very soon.

35Ns in Group ARE the SOT-B at BN-level: there’s nothing else for them to do. You can make it to E-7 ( pending open slot) but to get 8, you’d have to cross-train to 35F to get the MID NCOIC slot (there’s only one per Support Co). In Big Army, Ps & Ns are interchangeably used ‘cept when the job requires foreign language proficiency. In Guard SF, Ns are typically in SCIFs and Ps are with ODAs.

If you want to do intel, you’ll be inside unless you’re on a SOT-A but if you want to be out and about, SFAS is the best path.

Thanks for all this info. Sorry if I'm hijacking here, but I've been having a tough time getting in touch with recruiters for any group/state. I am looking at the SOT-A route and will likely be DC based. Just to clarify, could a SOT-A (be him 35P or N) drill anywhere an ODA is? Or only at the states designated for support positions on this website?

For example, for a DC based person, there is a unit of 20th SFG conveniently located in Glen Arm, MD and in Laurel, MD, but I think it is only ODAs there (not listed on the support website). Would the Maryland Guard enlist a SOT-A there or would I be looking at the nearest support-specific unit (appears to be West Virginia)?

I guess my bottom line is, for someone working a civilian USG job in DC but wanting to be a SOT-A, which group/unit/detachment would be my best bet? And might someone on here have the contact info for that state, since my Facebook leads have mostly gone dead.

Thanks again for the help. Cheers!

 

[devilbones]

I guess my bottom line is, for someone working a civilian USG job in DC but wanting to be a SOT-A, which group/unit/detachment would be my best bet?

What is your end goal here? Are you already in the NG? Would your civilian job allow you to be away for 11 months for training prior to a 6-9 month deployment?

 

[aspiring_polyglot]

What is your end goal here? Are you already in the NG? Would your civilian job allow you to be away for 11 months for training prior to a 6-9 month deployment?

I am currently a civilian waiting to start a federal internship. I would be enlisting at the conclusion of my term doing that, so I would have to worry about my employer during basic/AIT (probably wouldn't be going to DLI because I have several languages at the 2/2/2 level, will have the clearance already, so a relatively shorter training pipeline). After graduating, my plan would be to chase orders for a year or two (not maintaining a full time civ job, essentially being a guard bum), gain experience in the SOT-A role, and then go back to doing full time civilian fed work in DC. I know this would curtail my ability to be an active guardsman. I also know that it is a serious balancing act. That said, I have heard federal jobs are more flexible about the Guard.

My end goal is pretty simple and a little vague: to have a fruitful and robust tenure in the Guard as a SOT-A. I think this will give me the chance to serve in two different ways that complement each other, working on both the tactical and strategic side of things, learning about security issues from both the ground perspective and from Washington, etc... At some point after my contract is up I plan on getting an advanced degree and working in policy.

Depending on how my initial years in the Guard go, I am not ruling out going to selection if my command allowed it or otherwise encouraged me to. I would also consider re-upping and going active duty if there were certain unnamed special opportunities available that combined my civilian and military skillsets. Both of these things are well beyond my initial goals and I want to be very clear that the SOT-A route is absolutely not a stepping stone for me. I won't pretend they aren't on my radar, but I am really just excited about doing the SOT-A role for the sake of being a good SOT-A and supporting the ODAs.

Sorry for the wall of text, I hope this clarifies things a little more.

TL;DR
civilian internship finishes, join up as SOT-A in Guard, shorter IET since no DLI, Guard Bum for a year or two, then go back to civilian fed work. From there my plan could branch off in several directions, especially at the end of my hypothetical contract.

 

[0699]

I am currently a civilian waiting to start a federal internship. I would be enlisting at the conclusion of my term doing that, so I would have to worry about my employer during basic/AIT (probably wouldn't be going to DLI because I have several languages at the 2/2/2 level, will have the clearance already, so a relatively shorter training pipeline). After graduating, my plan would be to chase orders for a year or two (not maintaining a full time civ job, essentially being a guard bum), gain experience in the SOT-A role, and then go back to doing full time civilian fed work in DC. I know this would curtail my ability to be an active guardsman. I also know that it is a serious balancing act. That said, I have heard federal jobs are more flexible about the Guard.

Were you told that you wouldn't have to go to DLI or is this an assumption?

Clearances aren't necessarily the same agency to agency, so I would recommend not assuming that having a clearance from XYZ would be taken as is by agency ABC. There are processes for transferring clearances, but they aren't automatic for every agency.

Lastly, think very carefully about being a civilian fed and a "guard bum". While there are legal provisions about serving in the military and working as a GS simultaneously, they don't always make a difference on the street. If you are a GS employee, and you leave for a two week training, or a six month deployment, the guys in your office have to do all your work for you. If you have ongoing cases, they can't just sit at the AUSA until you return. If you have ongoing projects, someone will have to run them in your absence and probably won't be to eager to give them up when you return. Just saying.

 

[GOTWA]

I was an expert Guard bum until I got a real job. You can't be a wonderful employee and have anything more than a part-time commitment to the Guard at the same time. While there are laws in place to protect you, punishments come in subtle forms and it's very difficult to prove. People will hold it against you, supervisors and co-workers alike.

I think @Ooh-Rah said it awhile back, military friendly employers absolutely hate hiring part-time military. Your selfless service doesn't help their bottom line.

I work for a pretty prestigious organization in Southern California. My direct supervisor told myself and a colleague he was unable to give us more responsibility on the team. He stated "you're both in the military and can deploy at anytime, leaving a gap in coverage." So, my colleague found a higher paying job elsewhere, I jumped on a year long deployment, and my coworker will likely quit when I return and put in my two weeks. Take that, boss.

I tell you that so you can manage your expectations. This is just my experience, but I know others experience it as well. IMO, your current plan isn't practical if you want to succeed and thrive in both careers.

 

[aspiring_polyglot]

Were you told that you wouldn't have to go to DLI or is this an assumption?

Clearances aren't necessarily the same agency to agency, so I would recommend not assuming that having a clearance from XYZ would be taken as is by agency ABC. There are processes for transferring clearances, but they aren't automatic for every agency.

Lastly, think very carefully about being a civilian fed and a "guard bum". While there are legal provisions about serving in the military and working as a GS simultaneously, they don't always make a difference on the street. If you are a GS employee, and you leave for a two week training, or a six month deployment, the guys in your office have to do all your work for you. If you have ongoing cases, they can't just sit at the AUSA until you return. If you have ongoing projects, someone will have to run them in your absence and probably won't be to eager to give them up when you return. Just saying.

I was an expert Guard bum until I got a real job. You can't be a wonderful employee and have anything more than a part-time commitment to the Guard at the same time. While there are laws in place to protect you, punishments come in subtle forms and it's very difficult to prove. People will hold it against you, supervisors and co-workers alike.

I think @Ooh-Rah said it awhile back, military friendly employers absolutely hate hiring part-time military. Your selfless service doesn't help their bottom line.

I work for a pretty prestigious organization in Southern California. My direct supervisor told myself and a colleague he was unable to give us more responsibility on the team. He stated "you're both in the military and can deploy at anytime, leaving a gap in coverage." So, my colleague found a higher paying job elsewhere, I jumped on a year long deployment, and my coworker will likely quit when I return and put in my two weeks. Take that, boss.

I tell you that so you can manage your expectations. This is just my experience, but I know others experience it as well. IMO, your current plan isn't practical if you want to succeed and thrive in both careers.

Hello both. Thanks for responding. I really appreciate the info on civ-mil balance in the Guard.

Sorry, I wasn't clear, the guard bum period and the civilian federal job would be separate. I would plan on trying out the guard bum life for the first year or 18 months after graduating AIT. I want to do this first to contribute to the mission and learn the ropes but also to learn about Army life, the opportunities out there, and if going active is something I would consider later. After that, I would "ratchet down" the Guard life to regular "1 weekend - 2 weeks" levels and return to the federal space. I didn't mean to imply that I could be a guard bum and work a full time civilian job. I know that employers still make life tough and discriminate below the legal threshold, unfortunately.

My civilian career track is research/analysis oriented, if that helps. I will not be a federal LEO, though my field shares the whole "your work can't really wait a year cause people rely on it" thing.

On clearances, the one I am waiting for is from a DoD organization. I don't know for sure if it would transfer but it seems possible/potentially likely.

As for DLI, I am certified 2+ ILR in a strategic language and continue to study actively. It is true that I have never taken the DLPT, though, so I can't be certain. If I didn't get a passing score, I would have absolutely no qualms attending DLI and would consider it a privilege.

So the bottom line is, while I cannot thrive both as a Guard bum and DoD civilian at the same time, I at least want to give the guard bum thing a shot before I reenter the civilian workforce. I confess all of this assumes a very rudimentary and outsider's understanding of how guard bumming actually works. I don't know for sure if I would be able to pick up orders 10+ months out of the year, but some of the SOT-A threads I've read indicate yes.

Let me know if you have further ideas. Have you found yourself adjusting your level of Guard commitment beyond the 1 weekend 2 weeks level depending on where you are at in civilian life? Or do you need to choose guard bum vs. part timer and stick with it all the way through?