more respect: reserves or national guard

[studentcj]

I would think that both would get equal respect in regards to each other, but I assume that active duty personnel may look down somewhat on the guard and reserves because of the whole weekend warrior angle, which I disagree with. Both serve their roles. It seems like the media and the every day person only shows respect to active duty

[Citicop]

Anyone who serves gets respect from me. I have never seen a difference between how any of those guys get treated.

I would advise anyone against making a life decision based on what other people "respect."

-Citicop.

[fatboyjim154]

Do your bit, it doesn't matter how.

[retdetsgt]

The reserves and guard used to be havens for draft dodgers and since they didn't used to get ever called up, they were looked down upon by active duty personnel to some extent. Those days are long gone, anyone in either the guard or the reserves aren't there hiding from anything.

[Norm357]

I would think that both would get equal respect in regards to each other, but I assume that active duty personnel may look down somewhat on the guard and reserves because of the whole weekend warrior angle, which I disagree with. Both serve their roles. It seems like the media and the every day person only shows respect to active duty

Really?

[CCBlueMan]

I served 7 years in the Army National Guard. When I went through basic training (the exact same basic training as regular Army mind you) the Drill Seargents would refer to us as the "Nasty Girls." In the 70's they were referred to as "Nixon's Girls."

However, since 9/11, I think many people have changed their views of the National Guard and Reserves. They are spending almost as much time overseas as the regular Army troops.

Intersting side note, I heard a statistic several years ago that stated the majority of our nation's military is either National Guard or Reserves. I don't have the proof to support this claim.

[retdetsgt]

Intersting side note, I heard a statistic several years ago that stated the majority of our nation's military is either National Guard or Reserves. I don't have the proof to support this claim.

I think the Army utilizes the Guard and Reserves a lot more than the Navy, or Air Force. The Oregon Army National Guard has done several deployments, I think our ANG has done one, maybe two at most. There is a Marine Reserve unit here, but I've read nothing about them being called up.

And yeah, LBJ and Nixon were afraid to use the NG or Reserves. They were getting enough heat as it was for Vietnam and besides, they had the draft. Getting the manpower wasn't an issue.

When I got out of the Army, the ANG had a "Try One" program for former active duty people. I did the one and that was all I could stand. That unit was as about combat ready as a girls' Brownie troop. It was mostly men avoiding the draft so there was no enthusiasm at all from them. I was one of the few officers that had any significant active duty time. The field grade officers were a joke. They were the stereotypical insurance salesmen who liked to put on a uniform with all their NG medals and didn't have clue as to what they were doing. I got the idea that it was just a weekend social club for them. There were some senior NCO's that had served in Korea and a couple from WWII still around.

The majority of the officers hadn't even gone through OCS, they had attended a weekend drill monthly with a two week summer camp at Ft. Benning to finish it off. Then they went to a branch school. I don't think Oregon has any armor so it was either infantry at Ft. Benning or artillery at Ft. Sill. There was one platoon of MP's so I assume their platoon leader went to MP training, but I wouldn't even bet on that.

I did one summer camp at Ft. Lewis and it was embarrassing. I did a lot of face palming for those two weeks and avoided contact with active duty personnel as much as I could.

In a nutshell, I got out as soon as my year was up. It would have taken a year at least to have made that unit combat ready. That NG was not the NG out there today.

I did learn too late that the Army Reserve unit here was a lot more professional. Just about everyone in it had full active duty time, but by the time I got out of the NG, I had lost my taste for being a weekend warrior.

[basher52]

Both get my respect.

[Kimble]

Really?

This really surprises you, Norm?