A question for any Army or National Guard medics out there....

[apagea99]

Hey all,

I have an interesting situation I'm trying to resolve.

I'm 35 years old and am currently enrolled in an EMT course which will finish at the end of June. I plan on taking the NREMT exam as soon as possible after that. Over the past year, I've really been itching to join the Army National Guard here in TN. I've always had an affinity for the armed forces and would like the chance to serve before I get too old. I've already talked to several people who are full time with the Guard, and I had a recruiter come out to my house last Friday to look at the different options for service as well as the benefits.

Now for the difficult part.....

My wife and I are in the middle of the process for adopting a baby girl from China. We've had this planned since before we were married (almost 10 years ago) and we're finally seeing it come to fruition. The thing is, we have to be ready to go to China with about a 4-6 week notice any time next Fall (2010) and into that winter. There's no asking for a delay and both parents are required to travel to China for a 2-week period, and there's no way to nail down an exact date......you go when China says you go. This adoption is priority 1 for our lives, so it's not negotiable.

If I join the Guard now, I can defer shipment to basic for up to 1 year while beginning weekend drills right away. I would want to ship out in August or early September in order to allow for enough time for any delays (long reception, gaps between basic and medic school, etc) so that I can be out of AIT in time for the trip to China. The problem comes when the possibility of deployment comes into play. I can't be deployed when the adoption call comes as I've been told I would be denied leave and I also may not be allowed to travel to a Communist country anyway. I don't have anything against deployment. It would be foolish of me to join and never expect to go anywhere, especially in these times. I just can't deploy until after this adoption is complete and I have my daughter home.

So, I have a couple of options that my neighbor has been kicking around with me. First, there is a medic unit in my town that is somehow considered a "non-deployable" unit. I've no idea how that works, but he and the medics there agree that they don't deploy. There are no slots open in that unit though, so I'm basically sitting here waiting on them to tell me a slot has opened up. Second, they do have an admin position open at that post which would allow me to be home for the adoption, then I could go to medic school later. With that option, I may actually forego Army medic school, go to paramedic school on the G.I. bill, then on to nursing school and then look to change jobs within the Guard that way. I was hoping to stick with a medic-related job in the Guard, but pushing paperwork is nothing new to me so it's not so bad.

I'm really just not sure. So much has to fall into place perfectly to allow for our adoption to take place and I refuse to put myself into a position that might jeopardize that. Maybe it's just not possible for me to go in at this time....or maybe I haven't searched out all options yet.

Any thoughts, ideas, or knowledge you guys can pass on?

 

[DFDEMS]

My two cents having been in the military, deployed and currently on the other side of the world as a civilian is don’t join until after you adopt if that is your 1st priority in life.

The needs of the military come 1st when you are in and being "non deployable" isn’t as much of a guarantee as you think. If you were to join and be unable to go for the adoption as required think of what that does to you and your wife. My advice would be to wait to join until after your adoption is completed.

 

[el Murpharino]

I can't speak for the Army as I'm in the Air Force, but here's what I know - if you're in the Army, their needs come first. However, with Guard and Reserve units, if you give them enough notice, you may be able to get out of a weekend. Their system is based on points, and you have to have so many points in a year to be considered in "good standing". You get so many points per weekend and during the 2-week commitment. As far as the timeline goes, you should talk to the recruiter about how long basic training is (I think it's somewhere in the 8-10 week range), in addition to your AIT, which depending on your job could be anywheres from a few weeks to a year. The Air Force's medics go to school for about 5-6 months, but it includes the EMT class. If you are NREMT, you may be able to "fast track" your way through that. I think the Army has their own service specific training, so you may not be able to waive any of your training due to your EMT cert - again, something to discuss with the recruiter. Also, you could find the phone number of the school where you will go to AIT and pick at their brains a bit. I don't think the travel to China will be a huge issue, as I know plenty of military members who have traveled to and from there with no issues. Just make sure you check with your chain of command before going on a trip there. It sounds like things definitely have to work in your favor to have this happen. If it's something that works out when you crunch the numbers, then go for it. DON'T TRUST THE RECRUITER if he gives you that line of B.S. "oh yeah it will work, the Army will take care of you".

In regards to your education, alot of the services have programs in place to send enlisted members to nursing school, PA school, and even medical school. You should check on those before putting your GI Bill money into that. With the new GI Bill plan, you should be able to transfer the benefits to your family, which would be a win-win situation for your family.

 

[medic417]

Whats priority to you? Family? If so wait to join. They own you and during these times many "promises" by recruiters to members that joined have been lost, forgotten, broken.

 

[Dustoff]

Don't do it , family 1 st, you Are too old to play hero, stay home; take care of the home front !! We need good medics here too!!

 

[apagea99]

Thank you all for the input. After weighing all the possibilities and opportunities, I've decided to go ahead and take the ASVAB next week. We'll look at what's available and go from there. I have a guaranteed spot in HR in my hometown. I realize they could deploy as well even though they are currently said to be "non-deployable". In the meantime, I'll keep my regular desk job until after basic and AIT, then look for a job as an EMT. Once the adoption is finalized, I can look for the job I actually want to do in the Guard. My main goal at the moment is to get basic and AIT finished before the adoption rather than after as it would add to the time I have to wait before going to paramedic school. Also, I'm a little more than half way to the 60 credits I need to go to Officer Training School, so I'll be working toward that end as well.

I spent about 2 hours on the phone with my father in-law the other night. He said this to me: "It looks like you've got some interesting problems which could result in more problems. The only people who don't have problems are people who don't try to do anything, so I think you're going the right direction".

I'm not going to pass up the opportunity to do something I've always wanted, especially since my wife is in full support of it. EMT school has been the same and I am at the top of my class right now. The final decision has yet to be made (i.e. siging my name in blood) but this looks to be where I'm headed after I get my EMT license.

 

[paramedicmike]

This adoption is priority 1 for our lives, so it's not negotiable.

I'm not sure where the problem is. You've pretty clearly stated your position. Since it's non-negotiable you are deferring *everything*, including your potential ANG service, to this venture.

Becoming a parent, you will find, requires all sorts of concessions on behalf of the adults involved. Seems like if you're really committed to the adoption, you will be making your first concession.

Good luck with it. I hope when you get to China you'll have some opportunity to explore the country.

 

[JCampbell]

I hope you got in already man...because if not than it's too late age-wise. Might change at a later date, but as of now no one 35 and above allowed to enlist unless you are prior service.

 

[apagea99]

I hope you got in already man...because if not than it's too late age-wise. Might change at a later date, but as of now no one 35 and above allowed to enlist unless you are prior service.

I did get in about 9 days before the age limit changed. The Guard has made a load of changes due to being over-strength. They no longer accept moral/medical waivers, no more GED students unless they have x number of college credit, etc.

Anyway, I leave Sept 1st for Ft Benning and then on to Ft Sam Houston in November. I got the medic slot I wanted and the training dates I wanted. The adoption process is rolling along smoothly, my wife just picked up a new job making 30% more than the last one, and I'm happy as I can be. Now I just have to figure out whether or not to pursue paramedic school or nursing school when I return, or both.