State Guard Units

Koldun

Koldun

Active member
State Guard units (which are used to provide state-based military forces in the event that a state's National Guard units are deployed) have recently become a popular topic of conversation at my local veterans' center. At the risk of sounding like a troll, does anyone have an opinion regarding them?

(Please note that I am referring to authorized State Guard units and NOT to would-be militias!)
 
After I got off active duty, I was in the PA Army Guard and the PA Air Guard.

The Army Guard was okay. Not much funding. My unit switched from infantry to air defense arty (Stinger).

The Air Guard unit was top notch. Very good facilities, great funding, well trained airmen, solid training scenarios. The key was the full timers and technicians (technically civilians, but they're members of the unit and wear uniforms). My shop constantly pushed the "train as you fight" and won AMC Guard Intel Shop of the Year two years in a row. Got a coffee mug for my efforts.

We were activated for Kosovo and sent to Budapest for two months. Went off without a hitch. Had a blast. Made major money. Per diem was around $72 a day, hazard pay (intel analysts had to go on flights, kinda the same philosophy behind making a rigger jump with one of their chutes), tax free, and it was cheap to eat/drink there. Oh, and Hungarian women are stunning. Not kidding.
 
Whoops! While I have a lot of respect for the regular National Guard (I spent six years as a full-time Guardsman, and it was one of the best units with which I ever served), I was actually referring to State Guard / State Military Reserve units...sometimes known as "National Guard Reserve".

The State Guard Association's webpage can be found at http://www.sgaus.org/
 
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