In the national guard

Answer 1

A great place to start your career is in the National Guard. The National Guard offers several different career opportunities that range from medicine and engineering to communications or psychology. This wide spectrum gives you a greater opportunity to learn career skills in an area of your choosing and offers several different employment positions so anyone can find something in the National Guard.

You will need to have at least a high school diploma and officers will need to have their bachelor’s degree completed. The more education you have will open up further career opportunities and allow you to receive higher pay. You will also need to pass a physical examination and sign an enlistment contract. You will also be required complete the basic training or “boot camp”. Following this you will undergo additional training at a military technical school that will prepare you for your selected specialty.

Officers in the National Guard must have at least 60 hours of college and will receive further training and education from the guard. There are three types of officers you can become through your training. Basic Branch Officers stay in the areas of infantry, military intelligence or finance and transportation. Specialty Officers have more specialized skills and work in the medical or judicial areas of the guard or serve as chaplains. Warrant Officer is the third type and acts as an expert in their area of expertise.

The pay scale varies depending on your level of education and position within the National Guard. Members perform 12 weekend drills and an additional 15 days of training annually. The pay starts out at $3,000 yearly for the lowest earners and increases to a little less than $13,000 at the high end for enlisted men. Warrant Officers and Commissioned Officers can receive higher pay. Officers with less than 2 years of service are paid between $6,000 and $20,000 and officers with 12 years or more of service make between $7,000 and $33,000. The discrepancy in income depends on your ranking level only.

Another financial perk to working for the National Guard are the food and housing allowances most guardsmen receive in addition to their annual pay. For more information on available positions, training, and requirements contact your local recruiter at the National Guard Office.