No Deployment While in School

Check out this great new NG (National Guard) program - College First!

WANT A HIGHER EDUCATION? CHECK OUT COLLEGE FIRST.

• Money for college
• No federal deployment

You've heard it time and again: "There's nothing more important than a college education." If you're thinking about going, but aren't sure how to get there, we've paved the way. It's called College First. A special Army National Guard enlistment program, College First lets you attend college full time with a guarantee of no deployment during your first two years of service, and may cover up to 100% of your tuition and expenses.

What is College First?

College First is an enlistment option specifically created to benefit people who want to attend college. It provides:

• Two years of no federal deployment following completion of Initial Active Duty Training (IADT)
• An enlistment bonus of up to $20,000
• 100% Tuition Assistance – amount varies by State
• The Montgomery G.I. Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) – basic educational assistance of $309 per month
• The MGIB-SR Kicker – additional stipend of $350 per month for those enlisting in a critical MOS and assigned to a qualified unit

Who's eligible for College First?

You're eligible for College First if:

• You have no experience in the military
• You’re a high school graduate or graduating senior
• You score 50 or higher on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
• You agree to complete Advanced Individual Training (AIT) immediately following Basic Training
• You're accepted by a U.S. Department of Education-accredited college or university within 90 days of completing AIT
• You remain a full time student in good standing for the duration of this two-year period
• You meet all other National Guard enlistment Standards

Purpose of This Site

Hi, my name is Ryan Vanderlugt. I started this blog because I know how frustrating it can be when someone is looking for information about today's military, particularly signing up. It's easy to get lost in all the military jargon that recruiters use. I am an infantryman in the Indiana National Guard. I wish there was a website around like this one back when I enlisted. I missed out on a lot of opportunities just because I did not know about them. This blog serves to fix that problem. I will be an open book, straightforward and honest as can be about anything and everything. The only stupid question is the question that isn't asked because someone was afraid to. This blog serves as an area where a prospective soldier can better gather information without having to interpret what someone is saying. Feel free to comment on here or write me at ryanvanderlugt@gmail.com. I will try and get back to you as soon as possible. I know what a big step in your life this is. I didn't know what to expect, now I do and I want to impart this helpful info onto you. Don't trust sites like Military.com or any of the state run national guard sites, they mean only to recruit you and are run by recruiters. They will tell you only what you want to hear, not what you should hear. This site is here for you guys, so take a look around and tell me what you think! If you decide you want to contact a recruiter, I can do that for you too. Just let me know!

About the National Guard

The National Guard, the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation's longest-enduring institutions, celebrated its 370th birthday on December 13, 2006. The National Guard traces its history back to the earliest English colonies in North America. Responsible for their own defense, the colonists drew on English military tradition and organized their able-bodied male citizens into militias.

The colonial militias protected their fellow citizens from Indian attack, foreign invaders, and later helped to win the Revolutionary War. Following independence, the authors of the Constitution empowered Congress to "provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia." However, recognizing the militia's state role, the Founding Fathers reserved the appointment of officers and training of the militia to the states. Today's National Guard still remains a dual state-Federal force.

Throughout the 19th century the size of the Regular Army was small, and the militia provided the bulk of the troops during the Mexican War, the early months of the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. In 1903, important national defense legislation increased the role of the National Guard (as the militia was now called) as a Reserve force for the U.S. Army. In World War I, which the U.S. entered in 1917, the National Guard made up 40% of the U.S. combat divisions in France; in World War II, National Guard units were among the first to deploy overseas and the first to fight.

Following World War II, National Guard aviation units, some of them dating back to World War I, became the Air National Guard, the nation's newest Reserve component. The Guard stood on the frontiers of freedom during the Cold War, sending soldiers and airmen to fight in Korea and to reinforce NATO during the Berlin crisis of 1961-1962. During the Vietnam war, almost 23,000 Army and Air Guardsmen were called up for a year of active duty; some 8,700 were deployed to Vietnam. Over 75,000 Army and Air Guardsmen were called upon to help bring a swift end to Desert Storm in 1991.

Since that time, the National Guard has seen the nature of its Federal mission change, with more frequent call ups in response to crises in Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, and the skies over Iraq. Most recently, following the attacks of September 11, 2001, more than 50,000 Guardmembers were called up by both their States and the Federal government to provide security at home and combat terrorism abroad. In the largest and swiftest response to a domestic disaster in history, the Guard deployed more than 50,000 troops in support of the Gulf States following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Today, tens of thousands of Guardmembers are serving in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan, as the National Guard continues its historic dual mission, providing to the states units trained and equipped to protect life and property, while providing to the nation units trained, equipped and ready to defend the United States and its interests, all over the globe.