Dumb it down for me: ANG vs AFR

[Rampage]

Navy guy coming up on minimum service requirement. Looking at opportunities outside the Navy.

ANG: Active duty, so does that mean retirement pay starting after 20 years? Is part time a thing in ANG ie airline gig and ANG? Or full time

AFR: Work a weekend a month basically? Retirement pay kicks in at 60? But full medical after 20?
 

just need confirmation on the basics of each, nothing in depth. Maybe pro con if willing. Thanks for helping

[ryleypav]

So, I'm sure someone else will chime in, but ANG is not active duty. You can be put on active duty orders while in the Guard, but that is not primarily how they operate. There is a full time staff at each base to keep the base running, but a majority of the members are traditional guard reservists. Many pilots that I have met in the Guard work for the airlines.  The main difference between the ANG and the Reserves, is that the Guard is state operated and the Reserves are federally operated. I dont know much personally about the reserves and their inner workings, but that is the large difference.  And as far as the one weekend a month, if you end up being a fighter pilot, no. To stay current and capable, you fly much more than one weekend a month. Heavies, depending on your airframe you may be able to get away with. I dont know how retirement works with either. I'm sure theres lots I missed, but that should be a start.

[EvilEagle]

There are ways in both ANG and AFRES for you to get an "active duty" retirement (start getting paid after 20 years retirement).  It's somewhat easier for prior AD guys since they already have a big chunk of time that counts towards that before they join the ARC.  

For the ANG (other than title 5 positions) you have to be in a DSG ("part timer") position.  As long as you are flying the mins (likely quite a bit more than one weekend a month), you can continue service until you hit 20 when you will "retire" as a DSG ("Drill Status Guardsman").  You can start drawing that retirement just before you turn 60.  

You may also have a full-time job:  civilian (technician) or military (AGR/ADOS).  As a technician you will have a separate retirement fund similar to a 401k; your pay scale is also different (GS scale) - if you are a normal technician you will also be a DSG so when you retire you could retire as both a technician and a DSG.  I'm not sure when you can draw a technician retirement.  Military full time is just like AD (with potentially a lot less BS than AD).  You do 20 or more years in full-time military status, you start getting paid retirement as soon as you retire.  Those 20 years don't have to be consecutive.  Many people bounce around between pay statuses many times over their career.  Hard to wrap your cranium around at first as a dude leaving AD but if you spend some time with some ARC dudes they'll put your mind more at ease.  

 

Good luck. 

[Rampage]

This was the snapshot I was looking for. Thanks gents. Cheers