Quote Originally Posted by DOC View Post
I was thinking about enlisting but I don't know anything more than what the recruiter has been telling me. And that ain't much.

What are the best jobs for someone that likes guns, cars, bikes...

Will the National Guard be a job that pays well or is it going to be a weekend thing?

Can I stay in Colorado?

Do you get the job you signed up for or do they assign you one later and your stuck?

I don't know anything about what I am signing up for and I would like some more information before sign a blank check for everything including my life.
1st of all, congrats for taking a huge step forward as a patriot for even THINKING about it!

What it comes down to in job selection is, what the heck do you want to do or enjoy doing?! For real! There are a ton of different options available, from an MP, to a dental assistant, to a tracked or wheeled vehicle mechanic, to helicopter mechanics. CO Nasty Guard even has an infantry unit now! It just comes down to where the positions are available. After you take the ASVAB placement test(shows what jobs they say you are smart enough for), ask a recruiter for a list of ALL jobs you qualify for. Not just a list of what they have openings for, because that is probably what they will try and give you. Get both! When you look over the list it usualy will say the MOS(like 11B for infantry) and where they have there monthly drill. Narrow it down to where you are willing to go on your own dime to get there one weekend a month. Thats a good place to start.

CO National Guard is a weekend thing for about 99% of the jobs. http://www.nationalguard.com/careers/pay.php there is a pay scale for you. I dont know your age or education or anything, but expect somewhere from E-1 to E-3 by the end of basic, unless you have some education or experiance, but dont count on any better than E-4 pay. During basic training and AIT and your 2 week long(1x a year) drill you will get paid full active duty pay. Not too much for an E-1 private, but when your living in their housing, and eating on their dime, and wearing there clothes, you can save a couple bucks if your careful.

Oh, and a signing bonus is always a good thing. Dont let the recruiter fool you, they do take taxes out of it, and you only get about half of it after basic. The other half comes after you finish your enlistment, however long you choose to make that. A buddy of mine that joined infantry got a 20k bonus! The first half that he has gotten came to about 7 or 8 grand after taxes, so its a decent chunk of change! and the bonus gets bigger the crappier job! I remember when i went in, it was 10 grand for a dental assistant, but 30 for a freeking "sewage treatment specialist" aka plumber...

Great thing about the Guard is it is state run, not federal. You will join the CO National Guard and be working for the state, not the feds.(there is some gray area on this... deployments etc etc). You are at the call of the governor of CO, as well as the POTUS. So if the Gov wants extra security during say, the DNC!, he will call up the guard! You will also be assisting in natural disasters and other interesting stuff within the state. There will be times that things happen in other states, and our Gov. deploys you to help out, like when Katrina hit. CO was generous enough to send thier troops down to help out! The only times you will be gone from this state for an extended time is if you are deployed(either in the US or over seas) or for training.

You do get the job you sign up for 99.9% of the time. Its part of the contract that you will sign when you fill out your final enlistment paperwork. Its pretty rare anymore that the army will change your job without your consent.

Any other questions? No, im not in the Guard, I have some friends that are, and I keep kicking the idea or joining for a few extra bucks... I was active duty for a while in the Army, and know that they could probably use some experianced soldiers to help out.

I didnt get a chance to check the site out really, but you can probably find some good info here about job availabilities and such. http://www.coloradoguard.army.mil/

Good luck with your decisions! And let me know if you need any guidance! One of my buds or myself would be glad to help! ...I know how recruiters can be...