Guard SF and full-time school?

[Dan3377]

Hello,
I want to know how acceptable it is for a new guard SF solider to good to school full-time? I have been told it makes you ineligible for deployments, which I would anticipate would be a huge negative for your purpose on a team. I am currently experienced RN looking to potentially go to CRNA school or go talk to a recruiter about a REP 63 contract. CRNA school is super demanding and unlikely to accommodate a deployment. As anyone done this? I have two very different goals in life and at 30 years old I need to set this plan in motion. I'm also trying to learn everything I can about CRNA service opportunities in SOF as well.

 

[DA SWO]

Becoming SF is a 2 year (or more) full-time job/commitment.
No CNRA school while in the training pipeline.

 

[Dan3377]

I should have included that in my post. Understood. How about after completing the training? How is that choice accepted by peers?

 

[18echo]

There is no such thing as a civilian school or job that makes you non-deployable. If you sign the contract, you do so with the understanding that you will deploy regardless of your civilian job or school commitments.

 

[Dan3377]

Okay very good information, this is why I had to ask. Thanks so I suppose then teams will not care what you do, between training as long as your keeping pace. Do you know if colleges are required like employers to hold your "spot," until you return? I have been told employers have to hold your job/position for up to 2 years, for what that information is worth.

 

[x SF med]

Do you know if colleges are required like employers to hold your "spot," until you return?

Not always, especially for highly selective arenas like CRNA. If you get selected and get chosen for 18D, you are looking at up to 3 years in training depending on slot availabilities.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

I have been told employers have to hold your job/position for up to 2 years, for what that information is worth.

I am an employer. It is good PR for employers to celebrate how much they love their "Guard" employees....uh-huh.

Most employers (meaning all if they are being truly honest) f'ing HATE dealing with Guard employees. They are gone at inconvenient times, use "Guard duties" as an excuse for just about everything, and if you get deployed....yes I have to hold a job for you. But I don't have to hold the 'exact same' job for you....I just cannot fuck with your pay.

I say all that to say this....dive headfirst into whatever role you get in the Army. Be the absolute greatest at it and try to find balance with what civilian job you get; just don't expect them to "thank you for your service" every weekend of the month that you are gone.

Reality.

 

[policemedic]

Being very familiar with graduate nursing programs I can tell you without fear of contradiction that CRNA training is incompatible with service in a unit that trains and deploys as often as an SF unit does.

 

[Dan3377]

Being very familiar with graduate nursing programs I can tell you without fear of contradiction that CRNA training is incompatible with service in a unit that trains and deploys as often as an SF unit does.

This is exactly the insight I was looking for. Thank you for this answer. I have a tough decision to make.

 

[SOSTCRNA]

As a CRNA I can also tell you that school has to be your only concern while attending. Your instructors will crush you if they believe you are not 100% committed and you could easily end up back as an ICU RN.

 

[Dan3377]

As a CRNA I can also tell you that school has to be your only concern while attending. Your instructors will crush you if they believe you are not 100% committed and you could easily end up back as an ICU RN.

I read your posts about SOST's and JMAU. If I go to a civilian CRNA school and then commission, is there any guarantee I can get to a SOST? As someone that craves an SF experience, can you explain what it is to be on SOST?

 

[AWP]

I did not have a single college class care that I was doing work for the Guard. If I didn't show up to class, I was gone. I took a couple of F's because an activation occurred after the drop date.

As someone that craves an SF experience, can you explain what it is to be on SOST?

The first part of your sentence is incompatible with the second. You want to be SF, but you also want a SOST assignment? Look, with the military "you pays your money and you takes your chances" so gaming a path doesn't guarantee success at any level. You need to commit to goal, a single goal, and put your all into that. Half measures that give you an "out" in case you fail one could jeopardize your ability to meet the other goal.

Frankly, I think you're in the same boat as a lot of guys: you want to do x, y, and z...all of which are admirable. The problem is you can suffer from "paralysis by analysis" because you don't know what to do. You have all of this info and can't make a decision. I 100% understand that. If you want SF, put on your blinders and go. If you want school, put on your blinders and go. Whatever you do, no half measures. Ultimately, your schooling is incompatible with being Guard SF, so you have to choose AD SF, Guard SF, or school and roll the dice with a SOST.

Good luck.

 

[DA SWO]

You can always find an AF Reserve or Air Guard Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and be a Flight Nurse.

 

[policemedic]

CCATT is a good option, though there aren’t many billets.

 

[BloodStripe]

When I was going for my MBA, each semester was $25k. We had a student that had to drop out during the second semester because he got activated. The school will only honor credits for one year, meaning he essentially spent $25k to get 15 credit hours that are worthless because the school won't honor them when he gets back and there's no guarantee that any other school would allow him to transfer those credit hours.

The story ends with him coming back in the middle of the second semester but the school wouldn't let him join midterm. He's now going on to earn his MBA from a different school. They accepted only 6 credit hours, which means that his time in school cost him a whopping $4,166 per credit hour.

 

[SOSTCRNA]

I read your posts about SOST's and JMAU. If I go to a civilian CRNA school and then commission, is there any guarantee I can get to a SOST? As someone that craves an SF experience, can you explain what it is to be on SOST?

Well first of all as I tell everyone that asks about SOST/JMAU, being on one of these teams does not make you SOF. You are SOF support and it's the best job in military medicine. You get to be a part of history being made and take care of some of the best warriors the world has ever produced, but you don't kick down doors. People who don't remember that distinction often don't last on the team.

No guarantee you would be selected for SOST, you go and give it your best effort and the rest is out of your hands.

Also, if you are really considering a career as a military CRNA, think about going to a military program. Great education and you get paid to learn.