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Think active duty is the only path? Derrick Blake would like a word—preferably during his 3-day weekend. From almost joining the Marines to wrenching on A-10s and recruiting for the 193rd Special Operations Wing, Derrick walks us through how the Air National Guard let him stay home, stack checks, and still deploy to undisclosed sandbox locations. Oh, and did we mention you start getting paid before basic? Yeah. This one’s going to ruffle some feathers—and we love it.

We talk Guard myths vs. facts, how student flight is the low-key cheat code, and why most people have no damn clue what the Guard even is. If you’re trying to join TACP or EOD through the Guard and haven’t hit up Derrick yet, what are you even doing?

🔥 Key Takeaways:

• 🎯 Enlist in the Guard? Get paid before BMT. Yes, seriously.
• 🛩️ A-10 crew chief by trade, recruiter by mission, sarcasm by default.
• 🧠 ASVAB prep = life trajectory. Don’t flunk your future.
• 🏋️ TACP prep in the Guard is no joke—expect the gauntlet.
• 😬 Meds, motivation, and mustaches—what’s disqualifying and what’s just annoying.

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – “Just hit record” chaos
02:00 – From almost Marine to Air Guard crew chief
06:00 – Guard vs. Active: why full-time Guard slaps
09:30 – Student flight = paid prep before BMT
12:50 – Yes, you get Tricare. Yes, you get discounts
16:00 – Tech school differences and deployment reality
22:00 – What 193rd A-GAL really does (and doesn’t do)
26:00 – How Guard TACP prep works
28:30 – Open TACP & EOD slots in Pennsylvania
34:00 – Meds, ASVAB, and common disqualifiers
38:00 – Good vs. bad candidate trends
44:00 – How to actually join the Guard
48:00 – Just do it. No really. Just do it.

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