Air National GuardThousand Oaks, CA

Your closest base is Channel Islands

If you are in Thousand Oaks, the closest California Air National Guard base is the 146th Airlift Wing at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in Port Hueneme, about 20 minutes away. That is where you would drill.

The California Air National Guard has units across the state, and members are assigned to the base nearest to where they live. For Thousand Oaks, that is Channel Islands, where the wing flies C-130J Super Hercules aircraft and runs the airlift and aerial firefighting missions California depends on.

Service is one weekend a month plus about two weeks a year. You stay in Thousand Oaks. You keep your job, your school, and your life exactly as they are.

Why people from Thousand Oaks join

This is a community with a lot of students heading to four-year schools and a strong biotech and professional workforce. The tuition benefit and the ability to serve while staying in college full-time is usually what makes the Guard click for people here.

What you actually get

• Tuition help. The California National Guard Education Assistance Award can cover up to 100 percent of tuition at CSU, UC, and California Community College campuses. Coverage depends on eligibility and funding.
• Health coverage. TRICARE Reserve Select is low-cost coverage for you and your family.
• Paid training in a trade. Over 80 career fields. You get certified and paid while you learn.
• A VA home loan with no down payment requirement after qualifying service. In this county, that matters.
• Part-time pay on top of whatever you already earn.
• Retirement after 20 qualifying years.

Schools we work with near Thousand Oaks

We work with students and counselors at Thousand Oaks High, Newbury Park High, Westlake High, and Moorpark College. High school seniors can enlist before they graduate. You start attending drill and getting paid during your senior year, then leave for Basic Military Training the summer after you finish.

What the process looks like

1. Prequalification questionnaire. About 60 seconds on this site. It shows whether there is anything that would stop you.
2. A recruiter follows up. Usually within 3 business days.
3. Documents and a virtual appointment. Everything gets walked through together over video so there are no surprises.
4. MEPS. Practice ASVAB first, then the official ASVAB and a physical.
5. Pick your job from the list of openings you qualify for.
6. Enlist and swear in. Then Basic Military Training and tech school.

Common questions from Thousand Oaks

Can I stay in Thousand Oaks?

Yes. That is the whole difference between the Guard and active duty. After training you come home.

What if I am still in school?

Most people are. Plenty of members enlist while finishing high school or community college and use the tuition benefit to pay for the rest. Seniors can join before graduation and start drilling right away.

What if I think I might be disqualified?

A lot of people rule themselves out before ever asking. Eligibility comes down to specifics, and those are worth checking properly. Fill out the questionnaire and get a real answer instead of guessing.

Zip codes covered here

91320, 91360, 91361, 91362, plus everywhere else in Ventura County and the surrounding area.