Pledging While In The Military

[als463]

Originally Posted by jessehr3

Would you pledge a fraternity or sorority if you were in the military?

Yes. I would and I have. I'm a Penn State Phi Mu and I'm proud that my girls accepted the fact that I was in the military at the time I pledged and I had already served overseas in Iraq.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by als463

Yes. I would and I have. I'm a Penn State Phi Mu and I'm proud that my girls accepted the fact that I was in the military at the time I pledged and I had already served overseas in Iraq.

Were you active duty at the time? Because that is what the OP was asking about. Some of the brothers I am closest to are Guard or Reserves.

[als463]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

Were you active duty at the time? Because that is what the OP was asking about. Some of the brothers I am closest to are Guard or Reserves.

I was in the Reserves. I drove 4 hours (one way) one weekend a month to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. I don't really see the difference because as a Guard or Reserves, you have the option be called up at any time. I had come back from deployment less than a year when I rushed and there was a chance for me to go back. In fact, I was told that I might get pulled out of Penn State to go back over (as I was rushing).

For what it is worth, I think that a lot of people underestimate the guard or reserves. I had to do the same exact training as my active duty friends.

[c130jumper53]

Hey guys,

Seeing as how im former active duty (6 years in Ft. Bragg) and am currently National Guard (my drill station is 2 hours away). I think i might have some good info on this subject.

If you are active duty... You have absolutely no time to pledge. Period. Active duty, you are a soldier 365/7/24. Monday through Friday from 530 am to about 1700-1900 at night, you are doing your job skill. Saturdays and Sundays, your too burned out to even remotely think about dealing with some Pledge Educator telling you what to do.

However, i went through my pledgeship while i was in the Guard. And while i will never say that being in the Guard and Reserve isnt being a real soldier... Guardies and Reservists, really have no clue of the time commit to active duty. Granted in the Guard you are a soldier 365/7/24, you really only play soldier 24 days a year, 2 weeks a year, and about 12 hours a day. A fraction of active duty.

So... It is completely possible to pledge a GLO while being a Guard or Reservist, Being Active, its not even gonna come across your mind.

(As for doing the same exact training, On active, I spent 27 months deployed to Iraq, 30 months in a constant state of training, and 15 months, recovering/recuperating. You factor that into the Guard/Reserve training, and Reservist may do the same, but the amount of time spent on each task is greatly reduced for Reservists)

[als463]

Originally Posted by c130jumper53

Hey guys,

Seeing as how im former active duty (6 years in Ft. Bragg) and am currently National Guard (my drill station is 2 hours away). I think i might have some good info on this subject.

If you are active duty... You have absolutely no time to pledge. Period. Active duty, you are a soldier 365/7/24. Monday through Friday from 530 am to about 1700-1900 at night, you are doing your job skill. Saturdays and Sundays, your too burned out to even remotely think about dealing with some Pledge Educator telling you what to do.

However, i went through my pledgeship while i was in the Guard. And while i will never say that being in the Guard and Reserve isnt being a real soldier... Guardies and Reservists, really have no clue of the time commit to active duty. Granted in the Guard you are a soldier 365/7/24, you really only play soldier 24 days a year, 2 weeks a year, and about 12 hours a day. A fraction of active duty.

So... It is completely possible to pledge a GLO while being a Guard or Reservist, Being Active, its not even gonna come across your mind.

(As for doing the same exact training, On active, I spent 27 months deployed to Iraq, 30 months in a constant state of training, and 15 months, recovering/recuperating. You factor that into the Guard/Reserve training, and Reservist may do the same, but the amount of time spent on each task is greatly reduced for Reservists)

Wow...You sure are a pompous asshat. What makes you feel superior to people who were in the guard or reserves? I'm sorry I chose to attend college instead of go active duty. Wait-I'm NOT sorry. Yes, we do the SAME EXACT training as you. Oh, and another thing-I'm willing to bet you outright volunteered for some of that "hard work" overseas that you claim you did. Yes, we all "volunteered" but I've seen far too many people choose to go to war over being with their family. Before you use the whole "patriotic" reasoning-don't try that with me. I was in the military. I've seen too many people with crap jobs and little civilian skills try and say they were being "patriotic" so they raised their hand and volunteered when their commander asked who would WANT to go. Many of those people did it because they needed the money or they wanted that combat patch.

You really need to get over yourself and have respect for ALL the branches of the service (to include guard and reserve). My boyfriend was active duty and I respect the active duty force, but don't come on here and act superior because you chose to go active duty. I'm curious, where did you attend college after going active duty?

[c130jumper53]

Originally Posted by als463

Wow...You sure are a pompous asshat. What makes you feel superior to people who were in the guard or reserves? I'm sorry I chose to attend college instead of go active duty. Wait-I'm NOT sorry. Yes, we do the SAME EXACT training as you. Oh, and another thing-I'm willing to bet you outright volunteered for some of that "hard work" overseas that you claim you did. Yes, we all "volunteered" but I've seen far too many people choose to go to war over being with their family. Before you use the whole "patriotic" reasoning-don't try that with me. I was in the military. I've seen too many people with crap jobs and little civilian skills try and say they were being "patriotic" so they raised their hand and volunteered when their commander asked who would WANT to go. Many of those people did it because they needed the money or they wanted that combat patch.

You really need to get over yourself and have respect for ALL the branches of the service (to include guard and reserve). My boyfriend was active duty and I respect the active duty force, but don't come on here and act superior because you chose to go active duty. I'm curious, where did you attend college after going active duty?

Did you even read my post? Cause if you had... you would have seen that I am currently in the Guard. SO, I have seen how things on both sides of the fence work. The Guard and Reserve cannot even remotely compare to Active. They just cant, based on the obvious fact, you can do a heck of alot more in a one month on Active duty than you can on Guard.

Secondly, what unit do you work in that you can "volunteer" to deploy? I only volunteered once and thats when I signed my enlstment papers. Whenever my unit (82nd Airborne) got called to go overseas we went. So, i never had to "outright volunteered for some of that "hard work" overseas"... I got the call to go, and went without question.

Lastly, i have respect for every branch of service and component. Yet, I can honestly say having been Active, and currently being in the Guard (for 2 years now)... You really cant compare the two. And thats not being pompous.. thats telling it how it is.

[als463]

Originally Posted by c130jumper53

Did you even read my post? Cause if you had... you would have seen that I am currently in the Guard. SO, I have seen how things on both sides of the fence work. The Guard and Reserve cannot even remotely compare to Active. They just cant, based on the obvious fact, you can do a heck of alot more in a one month on Active duty than you can on Guard.

Secondly, what unit do you work in that you can "volunteer" to deploy? I only volunteered once and thats when I signed my enlstment papers. Whenever my unit (82nd Airborne) got called to go overseas we went. So, i never had to "outright volunteered for some of that "hard work" overseas"... I got the call to go, and went without question.

Lastly, i have respect for every branch of service and component. Yet, I can honestly say having been Active, and currently being in the Guard (for 2 years now)... You really cant compare the two. And thats not being pompous.. thats telling it how it is.

1.) Apparently you haven't been in the guard long enough to know that while you can get called up to serve overseas, there are some units which try to get soldiers who REALLY WANT TO go over, first. I was involuntarily transferred to a unit in Maryland (as a Reservist) to go with them. There are times, now that it isn't the BEGINNING of the war, where commanders will try and get people to volunteer to go to Afghanistan or Iraq. Maybe you should "check it out" before you say that it can't happen.

2.) You say that you have respect for every branch of the service-sure seems that way. Yes, you CAN compare the two-to an extent. No, I didn't have to wake up EVERY MORNING to go to PT or get weekend passes because I wasn't active duty BUT I DID HAVE TO complete basic training and AIT the same as you! I did the same Military Intelligence training as all the active duty members-so, please don't discount my service because I was not active.

3.) Just because you WERE active, don't act like you are better than the other soldiers in your unit who are in the guard. Of course, you won't admit to it but I have seen guys who were once active that are now in the reserves or the guard and they act like they are smarter or better than the guard soldiers. Those of us who didn't go active duty made different choices then those of you who did. Don't try and make it seem like WE made the wrong choice. There really is NO wrong choice.

I still stand behind my belief that your comments came off as pretentious.