What kind of men join the National Guard?

Editor’s note: As a special service for our readers, WND is running a series of dispatches from Allan Wall chronicling his transition from civilian life as he prepares to fight with his National Guard unit in Iraq. Allan will write for us as often as he is able in order to let our readers vicariously experience what people in his position are going through. We hope you will check regularly for Allan’s dispatches and encourage your friends and family to do likewise.

What kind of men join the National Guard? And why do they join it?

There are several reasons men join the National Guard. In fact, it’s often for a combination of reasons, which could include several of the following:

• They join to serve their country and their community.

• They join for the pay and benefits of a part-time job.

• Some don’t really need the money at all, but join to do something different from their civilian job.

• On the other hand, some find positions in the National Guard that are similar to their civilian jobs.

• Some join looking for a military experience or adventure.

• Others are influenced to join by friends who are already in the Guard.

• Veterans of the regular military sometimes join the National Guard after leaving full-time military service. It’s a way for them to keep one foot in the military while developing a civilian career. Their military experience makes vets valuable members of the Guard.

Even your basic National Guard recruit who has never been in the military goes to the same basic training as his regular Army counterpart.

After completion of training in their MOS (military occupational specialty) the guardsmen return to civilian life, and begin the yearly schedule of weekend drills and two-week annual training.

A deployment, however, puts the regular National Guard cycle on hold, not to mention one’s civilian career.

National Guardsmen hail from various walks of life. In my deployment here at Fort XYZ, in training for Iraq, I serve with guardsmen who practice various occupations in civilian life. There is a truck driver, a boat builder, an insurance salesmen, a professional sandblaster and a painter. There are a number of policemen, jailers and other law-enforcement officers. Some work in stores, another is a law student, another an accountant, and there are teachers.

Another of my fellow guardsmen is the minister of a church. What’s his congregation going to do during his absence? The preacher-guardsman explained that he had told the members of his congregation to attend other churches until he returns from Iraq deployment.

Another deployed guardsman is a barber in civilian life. Viewing deployment as a business opportunity, this enterprising young man brought his hair-cutting equipment to Fort XYZ. He set up a barber shop in his barracks room, where he carries out a brisk business during off-duty hours, charging $5 per haircut. When you consider how short the Army wants us to keep our hair, you can see that this barber-soldier has a profitable business going on!