What Happens When I Deploy
- When you deploy, you are being activated and will receive pay as if you were on active duty. This will include pays such as BAH, Family Separation Pay, Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay, Hardship Duty Pay, Hazardous Duty Pay, Foreign Language Proficiency Pay, BAS and all of your pay while deployed will be tax-exempt.
- Of course, what you receive when you deploy will depend on where you are going, how long you are there, and what you qualify for.
What Is The Difference Between Someone Who Is Active Duty Military And Someone Who Is In The Reserve Or National Guard
A person who is active duty is in the military full time. They work for the military full time, may live on a military base, and can be deployed at any time. Persons in the Reserve or National Guard are not full-time active duty military personnel, although they can be deployed at any time should the need arise.
What Is National Guard
National Guard is a part of the Army or the Air force who are part-time soldiers. They serve both the state and the country.
The National Guard being part-time soldiers will be deployed for the nations security services if the need arises. The rest of the time, they will be serving the state in which they are deployed, mostly the territory is the same as their home place.
The National Guard is under the command of the state government. The governor of the state passes orders to the national guards.
The national guard is deployed for any riots or natural disaster scenarios in the state for combat and support. The soldiers of the national guard can also be deployed for the nations support if the federal services pass orders to the state.
Their work pattern is similar to that of the army reserve. They complete the drill in one weekend of the month and get trained for two weeks in a year.
It is indeed a fact that a national guard cans stay close to home ad practice drills and get trained. They can also take up any civilian jobs at the same time get the army benefits.
The National Guard has more responsibilities than any other force, as they report both to the state as well as the central. They assist the state during any domestic emergency in the state and also the nation.
The National Guards can opt for the location they want to serve if there is a nations call. As it is an obligation offered by the national guard to serve the nation.
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Which Military Services Have A Reserve Component
Each brand of the military also has a reserve component. The Army Reserve, the Air Force Reserve, the Navy Reserve and the Reserve have stations and units throughout the U.S. Where a reservist goes for their drill weekend depends on what unit they are assigned to and where they live.
Army Reserves Vs National Guard

The Army Reserves and Army National Guard each present unique opportunities to individuals who want to serve their country without making a full-time commitment.
Both the Reserves and National Guard allow individuals to work civilian jobs or attend school full time while serving in their MOS.
They allow you to work one weekend a month plus two weeks of training a year.
If they offer the same schedule and allow individuals to work near home, you may be wondering what exactly is the Army Reserves Vs. National Guard, and what is the difference?
Continue reading for more information on both, and 5 ways they are different.
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National Guard And Military Reserves Explained
The National Guard and Reserve fill vital roles in the U.S., augmenting the active-duty military services and filling specific needs nationwide. But how is the Guard and Reserve different from the regular military?
Active-duty military members work in the military full time, while regular Guard members and Reservists typically serve on a part-time basis. Both reservists and Guard members can serve on active-duty orders, known as Active Guard Reserve , or be deployed based on need.
National Guard Pay And Reserve Pay
If you are thinking about joining the National Guard or the Reserves, you might be wondering how National Guard pay or Reserve pay works.
Serving in the National Guard and Reserves can be quite different than serving in the active duty military. You have your monthly drills, your annual training, and anything else the military calls you to do. You also work a civilian job, and the military is only a small part of your paycheck.
As an active duty soldier, you know you can receive base pay, BAH , and other types of payments and allowances.
How do things work for the National Guard and Reserves? How about if you deploy or train for more than a weekend? Will you still receive BAH if you are gone for three weeks?
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The Main Difference Between The Guard And Reserve
The major differences between the Guard and Reserve have to do with the nature of dutyReserve members operate under the jurisdiction of the DoD and may be called up to serve in times of war, in expeditionary campaigns, for humanitarian relief, and any other mission-essential function.
National Guard troops can be activated by the Governor of your state, and they may also be called up by the President of the United States. In many cases a reserve member may be filling in for an active duty soldier, airman, Marine, etc. who has deployed. In other cases reserve members may be called upon to deploy themselves.
Reserve troops may be activated by the President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, but time limits apply depending on circumstances. Reserve Troops are subject to some or all of the following different kinds of activations where appropriate:
Things To Remember About Joining The Military
Joining the active service, National Guard, or Reserve is a personal choice. If you want to serve but dont want the full time commitment, a Guard or Reserve slot can be just what you need. The important thing to remember is to judge your needs and goals compared to the type of service you are contemplating. Do you want to help your state out in times of natural disaster?
If you prefer your military service closer to home, the Guard may be a better option. There are no guarantees how close to home you might serve, but in general your options are better with a Guard unit in these cases.
Reservists often travel around the globe depending on the unit, the mission, and other concerns. If you want to serve with the option of travel, a Reserve job may be a better fit for you than a National Guard option though again, your experience may vary.
Active duty service is very tempting for those who want both the maximum amount of military benefits offered and the potential for travel and relocation. The best thing to do is to speak to an active duty recruiter plus those recruiting for Guard and Reserve counterpartslearn what the most current demands are and what jobs might be right for you.
Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News
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What Do The Army Reserves Do
The Army Reserves is comprised of mostly part-time soldiers who complete the training and requirements specified by their MOS, while still holding a civilian job or attending school.
Reserves members work one weekend a month, completing drills, and two weeks a year for training.
Members generally attend drill near their home and receive benefits and pay from the Army.
They can be called upon to full-time reserves where they can be deployed or stationed in the U.S., depending on the needs of the Army.
Personnel in the Army Reserves can work in the majority of career fields that are open to enlisted members.
Job categories include administration, intelligence, and combat support, arts and media, legal and law enforcement, combat, mechanics, computers and technology, medical and emergency, construction and engineering, and transportation and aviation.
What Role For The Army Reserve And National Guard
The Quadrennial Defense Reviews recommended cuts of 45,000 Army reservists appear appropriate for the current security environment and constitute an important aspect of reducing the $20 billion or greater annual budget shortfall that the Pentagon will acutely feel starting in the next decade. Indeed, even if all of the QDRs recommendations are adopted, the Pentagon will still face a significant budget problem. The onus is therefore on those who would not make these cuts to argue for a larger defense spending topline or suggest other specific cuts in the Pentagons budget.
THE ARMY RESERVE COMPONENT IN PERSPECTIVE
In todays U.S. military, Army reservists are larger than the active force. That fact is in stark contrast to the situation in the other services, where the reserve component is in all cases less than half as big as the active component. Army Reserve and National Guard personnel represent almost two-thirds of all reservists, and elicit the most debate in current defense policy. For that reason, my testimony focuses primarily on these Army forces. They are made up of nearly 370,000 National Guard personnel and 215,000 Army Reserve personnel . Their total annual budget of about $9 billion is nearly equal to that of the Marine Corps. Most specifically, this testimony focuses on the National Guards combat units, which today include more total brigade equivalents than the active Army.
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Does The National Guard Get Paid More Than The Reserve
National Guard members and Reservists make the same amount of money for each drill period. The pay for each drill period typically changes annually. See the latest on Guard and Reserve pay. Guard and Reserve members also qualify for the same benefits when not activated. They also receive the same amount when deployed or activated on federal orders.
What Is The Difference Between Guard And Reserve Service

Each branch of the military has a reserve component whose main purpose is to have trained units available for active duty as needed.
The National Guard includes the Army National Guard and Air National Guard in each state, U.S. territory and the District of Columbia. National Guard units typically are controlled by the state, but they can be activated for federal duty and deployed.
Both Reserve and Guard units train, as known as drill, about one weekend a month plus two weeks a year for “annual training.” Guard and Reserve members must serve a certain number of hours each year to make a “good year” to qualify for benefits and retirement.
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Future Of The National Guard And Reserves In The 21st Century
Today the United States is relying on its National Guard and Reserves to an almost unprecedented degree. Originally conceived as a strategic reserve for the active military in the event that a war proved longer or more difficult than planned, the Reserve Components have taken on the full range of military missions. National Guard and Reserve soldiers now participate in:
- The earliest days of major combat
- Stability and reconstruction
- Homeland defense and civil support
- Partner capacity building
- Coordination with militaries all over the world.
Recognizing how fundamental the Reserve Components have become to Department of Defense operations, the time has come to reexamine the foundation upon which the Reserve Components have been built. Toward this end, CSIS has conducted a comprehensive study, entitled The Future of the National Guard and Reserves in the 21st Century, which addresses the following questions:
- What should be the roles and missions of the Reserve Components?
- How should the Reserve Components be organized, trained and equipped for the future?
- How should the social compact between Guard and Reserve soldiers, their families, their employers and the Department of Defense change to reflect the new roles and requirements being asked of the nations citizen-soldiers?
How Big Is The National Guard
The National Guard has a projected strength of over 340,000 soldiers.
They make up 39% of the Armys Operational Force.
The National Guard is in every state, three territories, the District of Columbia and has over 150 career options.
Most career options are part-time but there are full-time and civilian employment opportunities in the National Guard.
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What Is Army Reserve
As the name implies, it is a reserve force that is used to augment regular forces. Army Reserves become activated as soon as they are called on active duty. When pressed into active duty, they become just like regulars and then they are regular army. Many of the soldiers in army opt to be placed as Army Reserve after their tour in active service. These soldiers are a link between the army and the reserves as they provide their wealth of experience to the reserves and also maintain their links with the army.
What Is The National Guard
The National Guard consists of two branches: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.
Each U.S. state, territory and the District of Columbia has its own National Guard forces, funded through that entitys budget. The primary job of the National Guard is to defend the location to which it belongs and respond to state disasters and needs, such as earthquakes, floods or pandemics. The National Guard of any given location can also be federalized, receiving federal funding and responding in support of federal needs. That means National Guard units might deploy in support of overseas operations.
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Anything Else I Need To Know About National Guard And Reserves Pay
There are also over 60 special and incentive military pays that you may or may not qualify for. If you do extra training, you can also earn more money from doing so.
Remember, every time you are working for the military, you will receive a military paycheck. If you are trying to learn more about how much money you would make as a National Guard or Reserve service member, this should give you an idea of what to expect.
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Army Reserve Vs National Guard
To a casual observer or to someone who is not aware of the structure of the army in United States, there might not be any difference between Army Reserve and National Guard. However, this is not true and, despite similarities, the two forces have quite a few differences. In fact, though they share the same army uniform, they are two different organizations and do different duties. This article intends to clarify the differences between the two once and for all.
It is true that superficially, they look alike because of the uniform and rank structure, which is same as the US army. They have the same number of soldiers in a squad and a particular number of squads make up a platoon in both, just like the US army. However, the biggest difference between them and the US army lies in the fact that they are reserve type units, which means that they are not full time or active army units. The soldiers in these units train at least one weekend in a month and also take part in an annual training lasting two weeks. But this is where similarities between the two units end.
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Choosing National Guard Or Reserves
Individuals typically weigh three factors when choosing between the guard or the reserves. The first is reporting location. A guard component may be nearer home than a reserve duty station, or the opposite may be true. The second factor to consider is to ascertain which option offers the chance to work in a particular job or field, as not all units offer identical jobs or have simultaneous vacancies. Lastly, the individual should consider any special benefits offered on the state level for guard members to determine whether the match between the individualâs needs and the state benefits is relevant.
References
What Is The Army Reserve

The Army Reserve is a component of the US Army.
The Army Reserve consists of mostly part-time soldiers who can be activated into full-time reserve positions in support of operations.
On the battlefield, being able to deploy combat-ready units as quickly as possible can make a large impact on the mission.
The Army Reserve holds fully deployable units and soldiers that may be activated to full-time duty to support specialized capabilities or replace soldiers in high demand areas who have been deployed.
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What Is Their Command Structure
Army Reserve is comprised of operational, functional, support and training commands that work together to provide a reserve fighting force.
Operational commands can be deployed as individual units, headquarters, or both.
They include units such as the 3rd Medical, 200th Military Police, 11th Aviation and more.
Functional commands can command units with similar capabilities and can deploy as units.
Some functional commands include Army Reserve Medical, 9th Mission Support, and 7th Civil Support.
Support commands will provide base operations, personnel support, logistics support, administrative support, retention and liaison support.
Training commands include units responsible for the training of all soldiers.
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