How is SF (Special Forces) in the National Guard different?

Question

I'm currenty a 19D in the National Guard going to the SMP program to become an officer. I plan on going SF in a few years if all goes well. I'm wondering what the difference is between National Guard SF and the traditional active army SF? is the national guard sf units part time?

Answer 1

The national guard has Special Forces?

Answer 2

The army has two SFGs (Special Forces Group) in the Army National Guard, 19th SFG (ANG) & 20th SFG (ANG).  While they have no standing contingency operations, they pick up the slack in Joint Combined Exercise Training (JCET) operations from active duty A-teams.  Basically going to a host nation and teaching local military and police, or supporting humanitarian or civil engineering projects.

The 19th SFG (ANG) works with 1st SFG, 5th SFG, and 3rd SFG.  Meaning they trend to work in Africa, Middle East, Asia, and the Far East.  Lots of language skills.  The 20th SFG (ANG) works with the 7th SFG, meaning the work Central & South America.  Only need to speak Spanish and a little Portuguese.  

Like any National Guard unit they can be called up at any time and sent any where and being SF do all most anything.  

Answer 3

I suggest you talk to someone actually in the National Guard Special Forces (yes, they exist).  

Answer 4

The OPTEMPO of the 19th or 20th SFGs is nowhere near the OPTEMPO of say 3rd or 5th SFG as far as training and deployments go.

-Army Pilot

Answer 5

The National Guard SF units are part time, but the training is the same and they tend to get mobilized more often than your typical National guard unit, so they end up being 1/3 time or 1/4 time rather than 1 weekend per month and two weeks per year.  They may not be the "best" green berets in the world, but I wouldn't consider them second class citizens either.  They have been through all the intitial training (which takes almost a year), all the subsequent training, and have been deployed about 1/4 or 1/2 as much as active duty SF units.  Also, many of these people are prior service active duty Special Forces.  Usually it takes time to get into these units too.  You have to go to a different unit first, than get accepted into the SF unit (or get selected by them for SF training without actually being part of the unit) then go through all the training.  As you can imagine, whether they select you for the training it has alot to do with their personnel requirements and what you have already done up to that point.

Answer 6

The SF in the National Guard (if they have such) will go any where and fight any battle, but only on the weekends.