Joining The Air National Guard -- How Can It Impact My Future Career?

I'll be entering college next year (hoping for USC or Cal), and I'm strongly looking at enlisting in the Air Guard. I'll have a 6 year contract, which will end 1 year after I graduate college unless I decide to reenlist. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to pursue an MBA, but I'm most interested in a career in Private Equity. For the guard, I'd have to miss 1 weekend a month, and around 2 weeks in the summer. As far as I understand, sometimes these commitments run a few days over but that's unpredictable. Theres also the chance that I could be deployed for a few months, but based on my unit and job (intel), I'm expecting most of my activations to be short domestic ones probably during the California fire season. I'll have to miss my first semester of college, but the Air Force should credit for my training and I should graduate on time. I know that the guard is nice to have on a resume, and I know that firms cannot legally discriminate against military, but how could my commitments impact my career and path after university? Is missing two weeks in the summer going to stop me from finding internships? What should I watch out for? Is anyone else in the Guard?

 

I don't know much about the Air National Guard in general, but would recommend going into the military. I think you should do it. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I joined the Air Force when I was 18 and it was one of the best decisions of my life. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

If you wouldn't mind, could you give me some more details? Why'd you join, for how long, what'd you do? What'd you do after you got out, where are you now, and how did it help you get there? What'd you like about it?

 
Most Helpful
jacobjmusk

If you wouldn't mind, could you give me some more details? Why'd you join, for how long, what'd you do? What'd you do after you got out, where are you now, and how did it help you get there? What'd you like about it?

I joined to do spec ops and signed up for Combat Control. I learned many lessons during the training that have made me a stronger and better person. I didn't make it through the whole pipeline and got out as an E-3 Honorably and then went to military college. I went into management consulting after college. To serve the US in the military gives you a profound sense of duty, honor, and country. Being a veteran still invokes a strong sense of pride for the country and a handful of my friends from college and the military have been shot up or died for the cause. Every race or game that I attend I salute the flag and tear up thinking of the sacrifices my friends have made for the freedom of others. I achieved a terrible GPA in high school, but the military straightened me out and I received mostly As in college, giving me many opportunities.

If you love the USA, serving in the military is just simply awesome. Wearing the uniform with pride will be one of the most memorable things you will do in your lifetime.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Also, you might want to take your real name off and change it to something generic. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

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"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee

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