Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • Money
    Always ready, always there for the National Guard, that’s AFBA.

    Always ready, always there for the National Guard, that’s AFBA.

    An unspoken truth in the Army National Guard Special Forces

    An unspoken truth in the Army National Guard Special Forces

    Are you financially ready for deployment?

    Are you financially ready for deployment?

    Take leave. Use these exclusive military discounts. Repeat.

    Take leave. Use these exclusive military discounts. Repeat.

  • Education
    • Become an Ally in Education Today!
  • Career
    The mission to hire veterans

    The mission to hire veterans

    An airman’s transition home

    An airman’s transition home

    Marines deploy holiday cheer to kids around the US

    Marines deploy holiday cheer to kids around the US

    Army veteran named all-star in trucking

    Army veteran named all-star in trucking

  • Travel
    Take leave. Use these exclusive military discounts. Repeat.

    Take leave. Use these exclusive military discounts. Repeat.

    Moving Benefits for Service Members

    Moving Benefits for Service Members

    Fun on a Budget

    Fun on a Budget

    5 Great Military Vacation Deals

    5 Great Military Vacation Deals

  • Health
    Ordnance officer wants to expand the American palate

    Ordnance officer wants to expand the American palate

    Air Guard wife uses Navajo practices to heal veterans

    Air Guard wife uses Navajo practices to heal veterans

    Program aims to ease transition for women veterans

    Program aims to ease transition for women veterans

    Military kid competes for spot in Junior Olympics

    Military kid competes for spot in Junior Olympics

  • Lifestyle
    • News
    • Deployment
    • Spouses
    • Veterans
  • About us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Our Authors
    • Write for Us
    • Print Magazines
    • Digital Magazines
    • Gift Card Giveaway
    • Participating Nonprofits and CFC Charities
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Reserve & National Guard
  • Money
    Always ready, always there for the National Guard, that’s AFBA.

    Always ready, always there for the National Guard, that’s AFBA.

    An unspoken truth in the Army National Guard Special Forces

    An unspoken truth in the Army National Guard Special Forces

    Are you financially ready for deployment?

    Are you financially ready for deployment?

    Take leave. Use these exclusive military discounts. Repeat.

    Take leave. Use these exclusive military discounts. Repeat.

  • Education
    • Become an Ally in Education Today!
  • Career
    The mission to hire veterans

    The mission to hire veterans

    An airman’s transition home

    An airman’s transition home

    Marines deploy holiday cheer to kids around the US

    Marines deploy holiday cheer to kids around the US

    Army veteran named all-star in trucking

    Army veteran named all-star in trucking

  • Travel
    Take leave. Use these exclusive military discounts. Repeat.

    Take leave. Use these exclusive military discounts. Repeat.

    Moving Benefits for Service Members

    Moving Benefits for Service Members

    Fun on a Budget

    Fun on a Budget

    5 Great Military Vacation Deals

    5 Great Military Vacation Deals

  • Health
    Ordnance officer wants to expand the American palate

    Ordnance officer wants to expand the American palate

    Air Guard wife uses Navajo practices to heal veterans

    Air Guard wife uses Navajo practices to heal veterans

    Program aims to ease transition for women veterans

    Program aims to ease transition for women veterans

    Military kid competes for spot in Junior Olympics

    Military kid competes for spot in Junior Olympics

  • Lifestyle
    • News
    • Deployment
    • Spouses
    • Veterans
  • About us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Our Authors
    • Write for Us
    • Print Magazines
    • Digital Magazines
    • Gift Card Giveaway
    • Participating Nonprofits and CFC Charities
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
SUBSCRIBE FREE
Reserve & National Guard
No Result
View All Result

What National Guard spouses wish you knew

Lizann Lightfoot by Lizann Lightfoot
November 26, 2019
What National Guard spouses wish you knew

The National Guard may be the most misunderstood branch of the military.

Civilians often view them as weekend warriors who only serve one weekend a month and two weeks each year. Active-duty military families frequently assume National Guard families have it easier because they aren’t facing ‘real’ military challenges. There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about the sacrifices of being in the National Guard.

So, we went to the source to find out what National Guard spouses wish others knew about what military life looks like for them. Their answers reflect the unique struggles of being a National Guard family.

They are not just weekend warriors

“The ‘one weekend a month two weeks a year’ hasn’t been seen since 9/11 for any unit around me. My husband has been in since 1997 and I’ve never had the luxury of the military only taking up a weekend.”

“Service members have schools and other trainings that take them away from their families more frequently than many realize. In addition, they can still get called up for active-duty jobs such as hurricane relief!”

“The National Guard has full-time Active Guard Reserve positions. Since my dad went AGR, he has been home less than 50% of the time.”

Yes, the National Guard deploys

“Just because we are National Guard doesn’t mean that we don’t make a lot of the same sacrifices that active-duty families make. My husband is about to deploy for nine to 12 months for the Army National Guard. Our service is real too.”

“My husband is on his third deployment to the Middle East and all have been over a year from home. The units around me have been deployed every six years for around a year each time.”

Different challenges, real sacrifices

“The training for National Guard is no different from the Boot Camp for active-duty soldiers. Both branches complete the same 10-week Basic Combat Training.”

“I wish active-duty families had a better understanding and respect for our sacrifices. Our lives are all hard, just in different ways, but our sacrifices are the same.”

“It’s hard when you’re not considered a “real” military spouse by others. I’ve been told that.”

“The support system is very different than active duty since we are all scattered and have civilian jobs, and there are activations for national emergencies. The opportunity for trainings is limited since the budgets are state-based and not federal.”

“We always struggle to find balance with civilian employment. Finding flexible employment for myself hasn’t been easy either because there’s always a childcare concern.”

“Many colleges and places of work have a hard time adjusting to the crazy things the Guard throws at us, from being activated to help with a local flood, to the battalion being flown across the country in 48 hours to assist with a hurricane. When it’s time to start training for a deployment you have to take time away from your civilian job and hope they don’t fire you. Even military-friendly employers aren’t always understanding. It’s a lot harder to have two lives instead of just one.”

We feel disconnected from everyone

“Active Guard Reserve don’t fit in with regular Guard, and we don’t fit in with regular active-duty Army. The guard is my husband’s full-time job and he has been gone more than he has been home for years!”

“My husband and I live six hours from his unit, so I truly went through deployment alone. It was hard. We are not surrounded by a community of people going through the same thing as us.”

“We aren’t attached to an active-duty base, so we go from living normal, civilian lives in non-military towns to suddenly being plunged into an active duty lifestyle. It makes it hard to connect with your resources, get information, and navigate the deployment process. Traveling to a base to enroll in DEERS, get an ID, or see a doctor is an all-day affair.”

“Our children struggle too. My kids don’t have friends who are army brats. None of their friends have a parent getting ready to leave a full year to a war zone. I can’t imagine how alone they feel.”

Lack of FRG support is a real problem

“My soldier’s unit has people spread out across the state. This makes it hard for families and soldiers to connect with each other, and for me, as an FRG leader, to get family involvement for events.”

“I wish people knew how out of the loop we feel. When my husband began his active duty orders for his nine-month deployment, I felt very unprepared and disconnected from resources that I might have had if we were an active duty family.”

“We were active duty prior and there are so many more family resources than there are for National Guard. I’m in the FRG and volunteered to do so. The FRG is so difficult to get up and running with National Guard. We try our best to get information out, but it’s a lot harder than I thought.”

If your National Guard family struggles with these challenges, you aren’t alone! Always look for ways to connect with and encourage other military families facing similar difficulties.

Read comments
Tags: Active Guard ReserveNational Guard
Lizann Lightfoot

Lizann Lightfoot

Lizann Lightfoot is a military spouse, mom of four kids, and the voice behind the Seasoned Spouse blog. She authored the book 'Welcome to Rota' to help military families living overseas. Her favorite places to travel are in Europe, but she's happy being anywhere that her family is together!

Related Posts

15 gift ideas for your military guy or gal

by Rebecca Alwine
Dec-02-2019
0
15 gift ideas for your military guy or gal

With the holidays sneaking up on us, and overseas shipment deadlines looming, it’s time to shore up your shopping lists....

Read more

An airman’s transition home

by Jason Nordlund
Nov-19-2019
0
An airman’s transition home

This time was different.  As a career airman, I’ve amassed a ton of time away from home, but in the...

Read more

Serving those who serve

by AmeriForce Exclusive
Oct-15-2019
0
Serving those who serve

Though I’m not a military veteran, I am a proud ally, and being the co-sponsor for T-Mobile’s Veterans & Allies...

Read more

An unspoken truth in the Army National Guard Special Forces

by Samantha Gomolka
Sep-15-2019
0
An unspoken truth in the Army National Guard Special Forces

Army National Guard Special Forces is a unique, often misunderstood component of the military. These units are a well-utilized, effective...

Read more

Tunnel to Towers honors fallen soldier’s family

by Bianca Strzalkowski
Sep-11-2019
0
Tunnel to Towers honors fallen soldier’s family

While other families prepared for last year’s holiday season, the Taylor family was in mourning. Maj. Brent Taylor, a soldier...

Read more

Father, daughter both serving in Oklahoma National Guard

by Emily Marcason-Tolmie
Sep-10-2019
0
Father, daughter both serving in Oklahoma National Guard

Sgt. 1st Class Harrison Wright’s decision to enlist in the Oklahoma National Guard as a young man changed his life....

Read more

Connect with other Reserve Members

Military News, delivered to your inbox

Get weekly news updates, unsubscribe anytime.

Reserve & National Guard

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Contact us
  • Advertising
  • Digital Magazines
© 2018 The Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

No Result
View All Result
  • Money
  • Education
    • Become an Ally in Education Today!
  • Career
  • Travel
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
    • News
    • Deployment
    • Spouses
    • Veterans
  • About us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Our Authors
    • Write for Us
    • Print Magazines
    • Digital Magazines
    • Gift Card Giveaway
    • Participating Nonprofits and CFC Charities
    • Contact

© 2018 The Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW