Why so many Veterans are joining the Air National Guard

Active duty life can be stressful, made evident by how many service members get out before retirement. 

As Veterans start families, things like financial security, and benefits also become more important to them. Supplementing their civilian income through the Air National Guard is an appealing option for many leaving active duty. Joining the Air Guard also allows them to know their community is prepared for worst case scenarios like natural disasters or foreign threats.

Each state is different, but the New Jersey Air National Guard offers unique benefits to residents. They have two bases across the state that make it easy to travel back and forth from while conducting weekend training. They also occasionally participate in local events such as air shows, parades, and sporting events. Thus allowing the members of the NJANG to feel more connected to their communities.

One of the many other reasons Veterans are signing up for the Air Guard is they miss the sense of purpose, and the camaraderie being part of a team brings. The Air Guard offers a way to be part of a team, without having to leave everything behind while on multi-year long orders on a base halfway across the country. They may still be deploy, but members of the NJANG are home with their families far more often than not.

Another factor to consider is retirement. Air Guard retirement is set up differently than active duty, but federal service time is factored in, and many Veterans don’t want to let their active duty time “go to waste.”