BeachDoc,<br><br><br><br>Although your experiences do not match mine re the National Guard, I am glad to hear them. Perhaps the four Guard units I have served in are exceptions, rather than the rule...I hope so at least. According to a fairly recent article in the Army Times, the Guard/Reserve now comprises 60+% of the total force, a thought, which given my experiences in the Guard, scares me. <br><br>If there was an error in my post, it was in assuming that all Guard units function at the low level of the ones that I have served in. In my defense, my opinion is shared almost universally by other Guard members of my aquaintance who, like me, served for extended periods on active duty. Even the worst of my active duty stations were leaps and bounds ahead of any guard unit I am familiar with in terms of professionalism, training, leadership, readiness, preparation, planning, morale and funding. It my be comparing apples and oranges, but it is what I have to go on. <br><br>For the record, I have missed meals in the Guard, and I have slept on bare concrete because there was no alternative. I have been issued a weapon, but no ammo, when there was reason to expect that I might need both. I have been assigned to duties for which I had no training, no experience and no clue. <br><br>Once again, I hope your experiences are the norm, rather than mine.<br><br><br>Take care,<br><br>Andy<br>