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What are the pros and cons of switching to the reserves? I'm very curious to see if you are able to shorten your Active Duty time if you were to reenlist to go to the reserves. Also the possibility of if you were to reclass, would you be able to attend AIT while still on Active Duty? Any additional info would be great.
Posted in these groups: 
Transition
Reserves
Retention
92A-Enlisted: Automated Logistical Specialist
Military Career
Transition Reserves Retention 92A-Enlisted: Automated Logistical Specialist Military Career
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 14
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Everyone’s situation is different and will ultimately drive your decision. I did almost three years in the Guard then switched to active duty. I did lose one rank but it was worth it to me. Did 4.5 years active duty then two years ready Reserves while in college then back to active duty for 10 years. The back to the Guard for 11.5 yrs. then to Reserves about 18 months ago. Switching components to meet your needs. I was a mechanic, Infantry, Aviation, counterintelligence, and now cyber. Reclass is not an issue. They won’t send you to AIT while you are active duty. Two different pots of money. While in the Reserves there are opportunities to go on active duty if you really miss it. I will tell you- doing that one weekend a month stuff really sucks. It’s like you work all week to get a weekend off but you have to go to drill. :(.
Good luck.
Good luck.
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I can only tell you that i went Active to National Guard and you have to do a 40 day break in service between the two contracts, so AIT while in Active Duty would only happen if you extended your contract in active then went reserves. You would be on Active orders while doing AIT in the reserves.
I was stung that because my active contract ended, my time for the GI Bill started ticking and only doing 4 years active i was 2 years shy to be able to give it to my daughter. I ended up using it so it didn't go to waste.
Your first contract will also be your IR time - so example at 4 years of active duty i had to sign for 4 years National Guard and i had to change MOSs due to not having my MOS available unless i went down a rank.
It is difficult to adjust to how lapsed reserves/ national guard is - that was the hardest part.
You may have to do blended retirement because its a new contract - any time active won't count for retirement.
Food for Thought !!!!
get your 20 if you can stomach it - i wish i had.
I was stung that because my active contract ended, my time for the GI Bill started ticking and only doing 4 years active i was 2 years shy to be able to give it to my daughter. I ended up using it so it didn't go to waste.
Your first contract will also be your IR time - so example at 4 years of active duty i had to sign for 4 years National Guard and i had to change MOSs due to not having my MOS available unless i went down a rank.
It is difficult to adjust to how lapsed reserves/ national guard is - that was the hardest part.
You may have to do blended retirement because its a new contract - any time active won't count for retirement.
Food for Thought !!!!
get your 20 if you can stomach it - i wish i had.
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SFC (Join to see)
I don't know what went terribly wrong with your contract, but that is absolutely not the way that it works. When sign your contract prior to leaving the active duty, the start date of your contract is the day following your ETS. I am speaking from the experience of writing the reserve contracts for transitioning active duty members.
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SFC (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see) - If i was to guess, a active recruiter was trying to assist me into the guard while we were in Afghanistan was problem one, we got into country, i was originally told i would lose my leave as i didn't have enough days left on my contract because i choose to stay deployed rather then leave early to ACAP, minds changed after paperwork was signed during ACAP so then i had to extend my ETS to account for all my leave total 90 days but i needed to extend 60 days - i was 30 days out from my original ETS, so i extended my active duty contract to be able to take all the leave, cancelled my first enlistment into the guard to change the dates back because of leave and then re-enlisted into the guard and was told i had to have a break in service and was given my DD214.
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SFC (Join to see)
That explains it, you were dealing with a recruiter. I was about to ask that.
Active duty members are supposed to go through the Reserve component career counselors on post. If you contact a NG recruiter they won't tell you that they can't actually touch you until after you ETS. That's when you populate onto the Reserve system. The 180 days of health care is TAMP. While you can be seen for things related to your deployment for a while after, TAMP is 180 days of full tricare. It's an incentive to transition into the reserves directly from active duty.
Active duty members are supposed to go through the Reserve component career counselors on post. If you contact a NG recruiter they won't tell you that they can't actually touch you until after you ETS. That's when you populate onto the Reserve system. The 180 days of health care is TAMP. While you can be seen for things related to your deployment for a while after, TAMP is 180 days of full tricare. It's an incentive to transition into the reserves directly from active duty.
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