Countering Widespread Ignorance About the National Guard

This post is for Art Kramer and his ilk who should ask questions instead of
pontificating on subjects they are totally ignorant of.


I have just about had it with the bull**** spread by people ignorant of the
National Guard and its roles during the 60's through the 80's. My
experience with the military included almost six years on active duty that
ended in 1972. I served in Vietnam for two tours as an officer. In 1974 I
joined the Alabama Army National Guard (ALARNG). In 1975 I became a full
time training officer for a signal battalion.

The national guard soldier is expected to serve for one weekend a month
averaging two days. For some special training you may have a 3 day drill
but the usual drill is for two days. Those two days drills often involve
overnight training hundreds of miles from their home armory. My unit would
convoy to the training site, conduct signal and tactical training and convoy
back to the home armory. All from 6 AM Saturday morning to 5 PM Sunday
afternoon. During that time we fed the troops, often tactically, performed
the required maintenance and the NCO's and officers conducted appropriate
training and made appropriate plans for the next drills.

Many units, to include the unit I was assigned, were in the affiliated
program, whereby you trained with and deployed with active duty units. My
unit was affiliated with signal battalions at Ft Bragg, NC, and would have
deployed at that time with the Ft Bragg corps.

Our performance varied in comparison with the active forces. Our convoy
skills were head and shoulders above theirs due to necessity. Our ability
to setup and take down signal sites was also better. They had more
experience in long term operations as the longest we could operate at a time
was during Annual Training of 14 - 17 days. Their equipment was normally
more recent but more worn as it was used much more. Special training was
set up some weekends when cadres of NG forces would travel to Ft Bragg to
participate in their exercises. On more than one occasion I stepped into
the shoes of my active counter part on their exercises.

So many national guard members made sacrifices in their civilian lives to
serve and be ready to defend the country. Employers were not always happy
to hear they could not work on a given weekend due to a drill or had to take
their two weeks off during the summer. There were and are laws to protect
jobs but they were not enforced often and how you could you prove the reason
you did not get a promotion was due to your guard membership.

In addition to the above requirements the national guard soldiers had to
attend schools at the appropriate levels to attain promotion in much the
same manner as their active counter parts. An officer had to have the
Advanced course to make Major and if he had not completed the Command and
General Staff College he better be almost through if he was up for
Lieutenant Colonel. We had to pass state promotion boards and the results
had to be approved by Congress for Major and above. The qualification
levels were the same as for the active duty troops. I was an officer and
know more about the officer requirements but the NCO's had to have their NCO
academies at the right points as their active duty brothers.

In addition to their military requirements national guard troops were
subject to state orders to provide relief and order during state
emergencies. With hurricane in the south and ice storms in the north the
Alabama Guardsman often was called to duty at times when his family needed
him but he heeded the call for the benefit of the state.

Now all during the above the guard unit was inspected much the same as the
active forces. We had Annual General Inspections (AGI) where everything was
gone over with a fine tooth comb. Everything from records to the equipment
and the armory were checked.

Now Art, were there people in the guard who got in through favors? I am
sure there were just as favors are pulled daily in any activity that
government is involved in. Just as some people in WWII got false deferments
or pulled strings to get plush assignments. Were there cowards in the NG?
I am sure. We tried to run them off. But you know what, there were cowards
in the Army Air Corps in WWII, but we don't paint all the vets with that
broad brush.

Art, it is time you admitted you know nothing about the current military or
National Guard and ask instead of castigating and revealing your vast
ignorance. You would a much better chance of being taken seriously if you
acted like you were actually learning once in a while.

I retired after a 26 year career with the active army, the National Guard,
and the Army Reserve. I remain just as proud of my time with the Guard and
Reserves as with the Army in Vietnam. But I try to live in the current age
and keep learning rather than rest on my laurels. You could try the same.