The National Gaurd is a good way to go, but don't expect to get through your first enlistment without being called up. Usually (if you want all the good benefits) your first enlistment would be 6 years, the average gaurd unit when I joined got called up every 7 years. But that was a little over 6 years ago, now it's more like 4 years. Air gaurd gets called up even more frequently than that (every 2-3 yrs IIRC). Also some gaurd units get called more often because of what they do (water purification, MP's, transportation)
The way I see it, if you want help with college go gaurd or reserves for 6 years. If you want retirement benefits go for 20 years.
Also if you do join, and you do get called up, Baghdad isn't as bad as it seems in the news.
