Yes you'd have a job. Your employer would have to give you a job comparable to what you were doing before you left

Waited too late.

To join the National Guard without prior service, you must meet these mandatory requirements:
Be between the ages of 17 and 35

Looks like AF Reserve is 39, I would bet that for certain cases only.

Downsizing means more restrictions, age, weight, medical, arrest.....

I agree with reserve units not being trained properly. That's why the Army Guard deployments were so much longer than the Air Guard deployments.

The Air Guard deployed directly into theatre. The Army Guard first deployed to a stateside base for up to year to get all the training they were supposed to have gotten during drill weekends. Their one year deployment time didn't start until they were boots on the ground in theatre. That's how one year deployments turned into two year deployments.

When I was in boot camp, I watched the reservist go through the same stuff we did and thought "there's no way I'd do this for one weekend a month"... Anyway, you have a lot to research. There's physical fitness and maximum weight requirements and, you have to ask yourself do you want to play soldier until you're 56 or 57 years old? It's only questions you can ask yourself and answer, our opinions don't really matter. Also, retired military pay does not go to the spouse if member passes away unless you pay for the SBP, and then they receive a percentage.

They do not "have" to give you your job back in all situations... Returning Guard and Reserve members may not be reemployed if the employer’s circumstances have changed in ways that make re-employment unreasonable or impossible. Also, those returning for deployments hopefully return healthy. Physical impairments could prevent you from being rehired as well. It sux there are loop holes if ya want to call them that , that the company's can use.

Good luck on your decision and keep your families thoughts on the subject in mind when making your decision.

Best thing for you to do is find out if your even eligible. Much miss-information here about the ages accepted. True fact is you won't be accepted in Army Reserve, Army or Air National Guard, per eligibility requirements. You can search all this on-line and have an idea as to what you can do. Money for the first four or five years is almost a waste of time.

Air Force Reserve:
Check it out!

From the site:
Non Prior Service
Qualifications:
Applicants without prior military service must:
-Be 17 to 38 years old
-Be a U.S. Citizen or legal permanent resident
-Have a high school diploma (or GED with 15 college credits)
-Be in good health

Once these requirements are met, the [Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)], a comprehensive written test, and the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), physical and moral standard screenings, will help further determine your eligibility.

After all testing and physicals are complete, you will go to [Basic Military Training (BMT)], an 8-week course completed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

After BMT, you may need to go to technical training, where you will learn about your career field and can even earn college credit toward a degree.

Being on the active side I can't offer much advice on the reserves or national guard. For eligibility requirements I would talk to the local recruiter. As far as training that will depend on your unit/Mos, I've worked with reserve and national guard guys who were as good as active and some who were not.

My grandson is in Dubai with the Air Force Reserve right now, he is suppose to be home in late May. He is enjoying it right now, they are building concrete block buildings. For a single guy it is a good way to grow up a little bit and to have some extra money every month for a short weekend of work when he gets back. The money is pretty good for him now as it is tax exempt. My wife is on the phone with him now, there are several New England based phone companies that supply free long distance phone service for them.

Have you considered working for a defense contractor. No its not the military reserve but some of the jobs are very supportive.

Brandon you keep the KW's Rollin that's plenty for this country!

Thanks for all the info guys. I think I'm gonna call a recruiter just to answer the main question. Am I eligible? Then if I am, what are my options? After that I'll sit down with my wife and make sure we are both in or out but I know she will support me either way and it will ultimately end up being my decision. She knows it's been on my heart for years. Having kids now makes that decision a lot harder. That was the problem I had the first time and then I only had one. Now I have 2. It will either work out or it won't. Life will go on either way. Just wish I would not have waited so long to have a midlife crisis.

I knew they charged a small portion annually when you become eligible at age 60 but the $500 month is while you are actively drilling prior to eligibility at age 60. A helluva lot better than Obamacare.

I did 22+ in the Air Force Reserves. Don't regret serving one bit.

I remember one of my Battalions had a detachment in Bessemer for Navy Cargo Handling and you have lots of opportunities to volunteer for tours of duty all over the world.

I would finish if I were you but know that MP's will be deployed because they are needed worldwide.