I understand that there is supposed to be a 90day boots on ground policy but I'd like some feedback on the experienced realities of how long deployments typically last, how often they happen, and how many of those are foreign/domestic.
I'm a doc in the Guard, have not yet deployed...
In terms of
timing, 90 days boots-on-ground is a real policy. The Army did a study and found that reserve corps physicians were able to typically tolerate 90 day deployments without leaving in droves whereas many-to-most physicians would strongly consider leaving if deployed for 6-12 months. You hear people talk about Guard docs deployed for longer, but the only ones I know that were re-upped for additional time either while there or pre-mission. I have not met any that involuntarily were kept beyond the 90 days and haven't found others that experienced this.
The catch to this is two-fold:
- the reason it's termed "boots-on-ground" is that there is time pre-mob and post-mob that can occupy up to 30 combined days. So your deployment can be up to 120 days away from home.
- it's is policy and not written in the contract. People tend to respond to this that it means it can be suddenly rescinded, but I'd keep it in perspective. Even in the hot and heavy days of OEF/OIF, they did not rescind it. WWIII? Yes, they probably would. I'm not particularly worried about them getting rid of the 90 days boots-on-ground policy because it's a great recruitment tool and I have a hunch we've captured a lot of docs that would have otherwise gone Navy. I'd sure have considered it...
In terms of
tempo, the deployments seemed to occur at about once every 2-3 years during the peak. The q2 year deployments seemed most common amongst flight surgeons.
In terms of
location, true deployments tend to be international in the Guard. The ARNG is made up of combat and combat support units, so when we are deployed during time of war, it tends to be to the warzone. The Reserve has a broader scope and when they have been deployed it was either to the warzone or very often in the U.S. to backfill deploying soldiers. I don't know of Guard docs who have done this, it is much less frequent.
Domestically and internationally, there are also missions, but these are voluntary. I spent two weeks on a native american reservation delivering care in the Guard, but this was not a deployment. The number of opportunities like this seem to be state-dependent.
Hope this helps....
