When U Join The National Guard, Do U get the Bonus Money Right After The Basic Training and Going To AIT?

Question

Im bout to be in the National Guard and they said you get a bonus of 20 grand for doing Basic Training and AIT right away. Im going to do this during my fall semseter, becuz Im going to take a semester off, to get money for Spring. I want to use the Bonus moneey to get a car pay some bills and help my mom out and I just wanted to make sure that the money was going to be in my pocket by spring semester not a year or two later.

Answer 1

well don't get your hopes on becoming 20,000 dollars richer anytime soon,recruit. You won't even receive the bonus until after you graduate AIT,i got mines about 2 weeks after. And you don't even get all of it once. I had a 20,000 dollar bonus on a 4 year active duty contract and they split it into 2,i got half after ait and the other half a year later. and after taxes look at only getting about 15-16,000 of that bonus.

Answer 2

the way bonuses work is you get half right after your AIT (less taxes), then you get the remainder of your bonus spread out on the anneversary of your Basic Active Service Date (BASD).  you do NOT get all the money at once.