The process has begun.  Today I spoke with a Army active-duty recruiter about transferring from ARNG (Army National Guard) to active status.  But before I jump in to how it went I wanted to take a minute and give you a synopsis of my current situation.

First, for anyone who knows me then you can testify how patriotic I have become since joining the ARNG.  And yes I must place emphasis on the 'AR' (Army) part of ARNG because the uninformed tend to believe the 'National Guard' is an organization all on it's own and has nothing to do with the Army.  There is in fact also a 'National Guard' affiliate for the Air Force as well!  So now that we're squared away on that let's move on!  I love America and I love the Army.  It's not the Marines but it's the next best thing in my book.  I'll explain my unfathomed attachment to the Marines in another blog, ha!  I have wanted to be a soldier and 'fight' since childhood.  Of course I was in to the typical things every boy loved to do in the 90's but there was also an admirable desire for becoming a soldier brewing deep inside!  My favorite color was green, I loved GI-joe's, I spray-painted my water guns black to look real, and when my mother introduced me to 1986's 'Platoon' and shortly after 1998's Saving Private Ryan, I was forever hooked.  Life went on as I became a teenager and went through phases but the dream to become a soldier remained.

On the 25th of February in 2010 I was sworn in to the Army National Guard and quickly on my way to becoming an Army soldier.  Again, "it's not the Marines but it's the next best thing in my book".  I mean, come on.  At least I wasn't going to be a 'semen' or Air Force guy, and that was good enough!

I quickly became acclimated in the brotherhood that is the Army and graduated basic and AIT (Advanced Individual Training).  Hooah!  I made it!  I choose to hold off on going the infantry route and decided to become a 91B (Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic) for the ARNG.  So one weekend a month I put on my uniform and pretend to be a soldier, no big deal.  I was granted the opportunity to work stateside on orders but it was shortly lived.  I also desperately applied for these full-time ARNG only technician jobs as a 91B for the state but was given the run-around and eventually stopped applying.  All the while still thinking about being a Marine, or going active-duty, or volunteering to deploy with a ARNG unit.  I would stay up late watching gritty military documentaries about soldiers and marine's experiences during a deployment.  I picked up a few veteran-written books about the current war as well.  I became fascinated with this idea of being 'deployed'.  Somehow people are titling it 'deployed' instead of war and perhaps it just sounds more comforting.  "I don't care" I thought, "I have to go and experience this.  This is why I joined."  I would continue to ask myself, "how can you say you joined during a 'time of war' and never actually went to war".  I still wasn't a Marine, but at least I could go to war...

So this is where my story continues.   I currently have the DD368 in my hand and signed by the active-duty recruiter (thank god!).  After much research and phone calls I was beginning to realize how hard it is for a reserve or ARNG soldier to 'be released' to be active-duty.  Apparently recruiters get nothing by helping soldiers out like myself to become a full-time soldier.  More or less just a bunch of paperwork and phone calls and giving up the chance to make a 'bonus' off a new enlistee.  I won't mention his name, but thanks again SSG!  My next step is to decide if I am really going to go through with this and then proceed through my chain of command and pray they sign off and 'release me' from my current unit.  I'd like to think of myself as an outstanding soldier and I do everything that is asked of me and more by my unit.  I realize what kind of soldier I am and proud to admit it!  But this also worries me because my unit might not be willing to let a good soldier be released and journey on to the dark side!


All of this is sudden and happening quickly.  The spark for this all to happen was from a text I received by a soldier in my unit who found out that active-duty had slots for 91B.  Which would mean we could keep our job and be able to go active.  Prior to this you were lucky to actually find a recruiter to put you in first, and second, there had only been slots for Special Forces or Infantry.  Definitely not for a 91B.  So when he told me this, well...  The gears my SPC Mata's head began to turn.  And all of these 2 years of contemplating and praying about deployment, or going active, were about to be answered.  This could be the golden ticket for me but still I must debate the pro's and con's with myself even though I know what will make me happy.  I plan on discussing this decision with the family this weekend and get their input.  I'll report back to you with my decision!  Hooah!