There has, understandably, been a lot of attention in the press given to the National Guard, since large numbers of them are currently deployed to the sandbox.   However, I am beginning to question some of the information which is being presented on this group of soldiers, since I think it may be leading to some misconceptions by the general public.

Two phrases found in nearly all articles about the National Guard are: “(they) drill one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer” and “part-time soldiers.”  Combined, these seem to imply that these men and women lack the necessary training to do the missions required of them (and, coincidentally, are most often found in stories of Guard shortcomings.) And while the implication that one signs up for Guard and, by the second drill weekend is jumping out of airplanes is a little absurd, it is not far from the impression that the general public presently has. 

What these stories fail to discuss is the intense training that each soldier undergoes when learning his or her job in the military.  The same training, in fact, undergone by EVERY soldier, whether they be Active Duty, National Guard, or Reserve.  This training includes Basic Training (where the soldier learns, essentially, how to be a soldier), AIT (where the soldier learns the specialized skills to do his or her job, whether it be as a cook or an engineer or a helicopter pilot), and a myriad of other specialized schools (designed to teach more job and leadership skills).  There is NO difference.  Further blurring the distinction is that many of the soldiers in National Guard have previously served as Active Duty soldiers.  (Officers have a similar but different training track.)

I also find it amusing that so many of the articles discussing these “part-time” soldiers involve those who are presently deployed.  Now, I am not over there, but I think that if you ask anyone who is, you will find that it is very much a full-time job, again with all of the same duties and conditions faced by all military personnel.  (Its not like the Guard guys are taking long weekends off or quitting at 2 pm over there.....)

Little is made of the advantages that National Guard soldiers bring to their military careers.  Many of them have civilian skills which add to their military abilities, both in terms of technical abilities and leadership.  In fact, many of the soldiers have military jobs that parallel their other careers, making them more effective in both roles.  Others work in widely different fields, making them much more versatile and able to look at situations from a different perspective.

In any case, I think too much attention is focused on the differences between the various groups within the military.  The important thing to remember is that whether a soldier is Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard, they are first and foremost a SOLDIER.