TACPs Explain Pros and Cons of the Air National Guard
EPISODE 21
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WELCOME TO THE TEAM ROOM FOR ANOTHER RIDICULOUSLY INFORMATIVE ONES READY PODCAST. ON THIS EPISODE WE HAVE NOT ONE, BUT TWO GUARD TACP’S! GET READY FOR THE WILDEST PARTY THAT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE A MONTH!
INTRO
Intro (00:00):
You're listening to the Ones Ready podcast, a team of Air Force Special Operators forged in combat with over 70 years of combined operational experience as well as a decade of selection instructor experience. If you're tired of settling and you want to do something you truly believe in, you're in the right place. Now here's your favorite CCT personality JTAC extraordinaire, embracer of the ridiculous face, and like the shortest operator you'll ever meet. Peaches.
Peaches (00:28):
Hey everybody. Welcome to the Ones Ready podcast. We've got another delicious episode for you today. We're going to cover some of the Air National Guard tactical air control party stuff. So we've got a couple of guests on that are going to help us out. The Guard can kind of be a different animal and we've gotten quite a few questions on it. So that's why we brought these gentlemen on so that they can answer your questions. So we'll cover a whole gamut of different things that you can expect in the Guard. And also transitioning from active duty to Guard. So just like we do on every single episode, we want to thank all our affiliates in terms of Alpha Brew Coffee company, Strike Force Energy, and Eberlestock, all great products, all great companies, and they support us and by supporting us, they are not paying us. But please use the promo code ONESREADY. If you guys want to get a discount on any of those products, then we use all of them. So thank you. How about that? Okay, and also thanks to all the listeners out there, we really appreciate the support and everything that you guys done for us and please continue to engage us on Instagram or email and any other way that you can get ahold of us. We have got Ben and we've got Cody. Ben, you want to go ahead and introduce yourself, give us a little bit of background into your info on your history and, and kind of how you became to be an Air National Guard TACP.
BEN’S BIO
Ben (02:33):
Enlisted 2009. Followed his brother into TACP.
Considered the Marine Corps. Decided to go TACP instead.
Completed 9 years active duty. Met Peaches at Weapons School.
Aaron (03:45):
Just a quick question. Why did you make the transition? We get this question. A lot of guys are like right on that precipice that 6 to 10 year Mark is when you see a lot of guys do it. What was the deciding factor for you? Was it the stability of the Guard or was it a different mission?
Ben (04:03):
Stability. Family considerations.
Peaches (04:42):
How about you, Cody?
CODY’S BIO
Cody (04:46):
So I also enlisted in 2009 and then as a traditional Guardsman at the 169th ASOS. Went through the pipeline, came out, went straight to Afghanistan did a tour over there, came back, went to school for about a year. That's enough to get a full time position out there. So I was recommended to apply for one of those. You got on there full time and I've been a full time with the 169th ever since.
Peaches (05:12):
So Cody, what drove you towards TACP?
Cody (05:36):
The brochure got him…that and a Green Beret bro who pushed him towards the Air Force.
Ben (06:42):
Didn’t want an ordinary job. Wanted excitement and travel.
Chased the adrenaline rush.
Has a brother who is a TACP. They make fun of ABM brother at Thanksgiving.
Trent (08:56):
Going from active to Guard. Like what was that like? What was the transition like? What are the big differences between active duty and Guard?
TRANSITIONING FROM ACTIVE DUTY TO GUARD
Ben (09:22):
It’s a lengthy process.
Get in touch with the unit you want to join. Work with Guard and in service recrutiers.
Do the paperwork. Wait for your window to transition.
Peaches (10:47):
Was it a fairly easy process or is it pretty lengthy?
Ben (10:51):
It takes time.
You have to be engaged with the folks handling your paperwork.
GUARD FROM THE JUMP
Aaron (11:46):
Cody, what was different for you? Kind of along the same lines. So Meat made the transition from active duty over to Guard. You came fresh off the streets and you wanted to be a Guardsman from the rip. Why did you make that decision as opposed to going active duty?
Cody (12:08):
The civilian military mix.
Landed a deployment right out of tech school. Ended us getting a full time Guard position.
Aaron (12:47):
Can we pause right there? Can you explain to people they might not know the difference between an active duty Guard position and your more traditional Guardsman.
Cody (12:54):
AGR (Active Guard/Reserve) are full time and run the day to day operations.
They handle the scheduling for the traditional Guard folks training. They have to cram a lot of training into short periods of time.
They also get heavily involved in recruiting for the Guard.
Peaches (14:51):
So the process then would be, so if I'm a dude, just like I had no prior service or anything like that and I want a full time gig, I've got to come interview with you guys. And if you decide if, assuming that they're slots available, then I interview you guys decide to hire me and then I go to the pipeline and everything like that.
Cody (15:14):
Yeah, you would, you would not get a job full time out there unless you were already a qualified JTAC TACP.
Typically experienced TACP’s get the full time jobs.
Not going to get the position straight off the street.
Peaches (15:59):
Okay. And what about part time then for those? That same kind of individual?
Cody (16:03):
Lots of part time slots available. Need to pass the PAST, medical, and the board.
Go through the normal TACP training pipeline. The unit gets them JTAC qualified.
Lots of flexibility to work a lot, or not as often.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ACTIVE DUTY AND GUARD
Aaron (17:21):
We're talking specifically TACP because that's who we have on. But this applies across all of AFSPECWAR. If we had two Guard PJ's on, they'd be doing the same thing. They'd be talking differences and all these things would be the same. So take to heart what it is, the intent of what we're saying and what we're talking about here. And don't just be like, well they didn't talk about Combat Controllers. It's a lot of the same stuff. But the question is what are, what are some of those other differences between active duty and Guard, especially from your angle seeing both sides.
Ben (18:29):
Guard maintains the same qualifications as active duty.
Training is boiled down to essentials but there is still time to pursue additional training.
Peaches (20:54):
Could you, one of you explain what you guys mean by days?
Cody (21:27):
Guard units have a certain number of days for training.
Based on fiscal year allocations and requirements.
Typically plenty of days to train and do fun TACP things.
Ben (22:52):
There are typically enough days for all the training you want. The balance between civilian and military life is up to you.
Peaches (23:42):
That's good man. Because I mean if there's want to get some work then, I mean they're not being told no and they don't have to, that don't necessarily have to wait until days become available. So that's, that's pretty awesome.
Cody (23:56):
Yeah, that's a good thing about the Guard too is that if guys are super motivated and they find a love and a passion for it, they can come out there as much as they want. And if they end up doing it and committed and they're like, Hey man, I want to focus on my civilian career. It's not exactly what I want. They just have to do the minimum commitment and they still get their GI benefits and all the other Guard benefits that are associated with it as well. So it's kind of up to the user.
DAILY LIFE IN THE GUARD
Aaron (24:24):
On a normal training getting training cycle, getting ready to go deploy. What does that look like for you guys at home station as Guardsmen?
Ben (25:16):
Our day probably mirrors active duty from for the AGRs probably mirrors it pretty closely. We do the normal Monday through Friday usually around six 30 in the morning, starting PT do that for a couple of hours, shower up get to your desk, start working. Most of the stuff that we're doing may be a little bit different from active duty, but it's still along the same lines. We're, the guys that are there full time are essentially just putting together all of the TDYs that are to follow. So we're building the training, we're building the scenarios, we're doing the coordination with pilots. We're coordination with the range.
Aaron (25:54):
But I mean even like man zero seven, you're there, you guys are working out. You guys go to work at nine. Like that's the kind of stuff people ask her like, Hey, no kidding. What is life?
Ben (26:01):
0630: Show for PT
0900: Breakfast
0900: Train, work, enjoy team life.
1630: Go home.
The only thing that's a little bit weird is whenever you have a drill weekend, which is some of your standard there's wing drills and then there's other drill weekends that you've put together based on really just kind of based on what the squadron wants to do. That would cause one long weekend, a month essentially where you would go Monday through Friday and then you'd have to stay there Saturday and Sunday when all the traditional guys show up. Usually you get some sort of comp day the following Monday or something like that to break it up. But that would be the only famous out of the ordinary from the active duty schedule.
Aaron (29:15):
Nice. And then Cody is you like that new guy rolling in like first couple of DRO weekends what was it, what was it like for you rolling into those first out of the, out of the pipeline, you're in kind of that first year of training where you have those days to get upgrade and stuff. Like for you, what was your focus on during that first part?
Cody (29:34):
New guys working on upgrade qualifications, specifically JTAC.
Getting to know the ins and outs of the job.
Peaches (30:09):
Do I get to choose if I'm a new guy, do I get to choose which unit I go to? Like, or is it just kind of, Hey, I go into the Guard and I get wherever I want. And then kind of along with that is what kind of distance am I looking at between the unit and where I'm allowed to live?
Cody (30:37):
Some guys live close, some guys fly in. Depends on what you want to do and where you want to work.
Ben (31:29):
There is a lot of flexibility to live and work where you want.
Trent (32:24):
Tips for getting hired as a Guard TACP. What are you looking for in a candidate?
HELP WANTED!
Cody (33:03):
Physically fit = crushing the PAST
Motivated, humble, willing to learn.
Peaches (34:51):
Hey, so as you guys go in there, what are some, well, you mentioned the physicality of it, like, so what are some great ways to prepare for the TACP pipeline and, and I know this will kind of translate between Guard and active duty. So like what did you guys do or what would you recommend?
Ben (35:18):
Balance of strength and cardiovascular fitness.
Mindset. It will get you through the tough times. You will have tough times in the pipeline.
Cody (36:45):
It was a big piece in that, that body weight motions rucking is another one that is just something that I think people don't take seriously. And if they, if you don't take wrecking seriously, then it's going to break you.
Aaron (37:31):
Advice to your younger self about to enter the pipeline?
Cody (38:11):
I mean, honestly, just having that positive mental attitude.
Enjoy the process.
Aaron (38:52):
Same question.
Ben (39:16):
I think the purpose you got to have a purpose for what you're doing. If you don't have, if you don't have that, you're not driving towards anything. So there's nothing to keep you from just stopping and quitting.
Cody (39:58):
It is worth it too. That's the one thing that going through it all and it suck and it's just like, if I could tell myself now, it's like, man, the things you're going to do and the things you're going to see like just suck it up man because it's, it's going to totally be worth it.
Peaches (41:17):
Can't argue with that. One of the things I wanted a hit and we're, we'll probably wrap this up here after this question, but what are some like really right in front of your just smack ya disqualifiers whenever somebody, whether they're interested in a part-timer full time. Like what, what just gets them turnaround at the door?
Cody (42:03):
Make sure you’re crushing the PAST and get your medical clearance. Medical is a big discriminator.
Peaches (43:00):
It's funny too because just today I've, I've answered several PRK/LASIK questions. So that is definitely something that people are out there going and getting just to make sure that they meet the vision requirements.
Cody (43:16):
Yeah. You're asking the type of guys that we want. Those are the, those are the ones we want. Like Hey, they got told no and they were like, okay, well I'm going to find an option and figured out because I'm not taking no.
Peaches (43:26):
Nope. Awesome. All right, well unless Aaron or Trent have any parting shots or Cody been, if there was anything that you guys wanted to make sure that you got out there about the Air National Guard TACP.
Ben (43:41):
There is a lot of flexibility to live life on your terms in the Guard. You can be as active as you want to be. Sounds pretty amazing!
Peaches (44:50):
Awesome. Okay, cool. So to recap to them, what we've got is we've got Air National Guard and we've got active duty We covered Air National Guard. You've got your part-timers, you've got your active duty. I'm sorry, not active. I think one of the overarching things though is that the Guard gives you quite a bit of flexibility. We have a lot of flexibility in the active duty, but Guard gives you flexibility on whether you want to be part time or full time. And then also if you want to go, if you want to live in a specific area, whether it's Illinois, Boise, or wherever, there happens to be a Guard ASOS, you can go there, you can interview and just make sure that you've got a positive mental attitude. You're motivated and you're driven to get out there and get it. There's not much of a difference between active duty and the Guard guys. And I got to be honest guys, I don't think I have ever met a Guard dude that is not happy being Guard Awesome. Well, everybody is out there listening. We appreciate you tuning in and supporting us. I mean, we from bottom of our hearts, we love it. So check out our affiliates, Alpha Brew Coffee, Strike Force Energy, and Eberlestock. Please leave us a review and let us know how we're doing. Let me know how terrible I did at hosting this episode so that I can have remedial training and correct myself. And then now that a, so leave those reviews on Apple podcasts. Check us out on Stitcher. Buzzsprout we're on YouTube as well. Leave us comments, we'll engage with you guys and that please get after it. So get out there and EARN EACH BREATH.
SPECIAL THANKS TO BEN AND CODY FOR MAKING THIS PODCAST POSSIBLE.
TLDR: If you’RE LOOKING FOR A GREAT SPECIAL WARFARE CAREER, WITH SOME FLEXIBILITY, GUARD TACP IS AN AMAZING OPTION.
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