Deployment in army national guard as physician question

[NY172]

Hi, This thread is directed specifically towards physicians in the army national guard. For docs who are attached to a non-deployable unit such as a state’s medical detachment, what is likelihood of being pulled out of that unit, involuntarily, for a deployment. That is to say, being forced to deploy with random unit that is not your own. I’m in my state’s medical detachment but training in a field that is not primary care, EM, or surgery. If I get deployed after residency it would not be in my specialty bc guard only deploys docs as general practitioners. I’d appreciate to hear from docs with actual experience in this matter and not from people who are just gonna say “expect the worst/ every 2-3 years, etc”

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[USCguy]

I just got back from a 5 month deployment. It was extended past the 90 days/120 days because of covid. I was in the MED DET, then moved to the MCAS to plus up the doc positions for the deployment. If there are battalions/brigades in your state that are due for rotation, and they have 62B slots, look around and see what your medical Corp looks like and if you are one of the few that hasn’t deployed, expect to be asked at first, then volun-told to go. Brigade surgeons aren’t protected by the 90 day policy, but expect to be asked to rotate so the guy in that position isn’t required to go for 9-12 months and lose their practice back home.

 

[armytrainingsir]

I think it really depends on the state, so there will be 50 different answers. Perhaps as many as 54 different answers since DC, Guam, USVI, and PR all have NG units.

I have a good friend currently on a combat deployment with the AL NG. When they were meeting and going over who was deploying, numerous docs, including one with around 10years in the guard and no deployments bitching about why my buddy couldn't just do the entire 9 month deployment. And this was with no pushback from above. @sshoes should have had those comments construed as volunteering, but they were let slide. Pitiful.

If you want to deploy in your speciality, look for opportunities to jump from the guard to the USAR.