Posted on Dec 14, 2020
Can I sign up as Reserves and go active after 1 week at basic so that I don’t lose full rights to my son?
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my recruiter is telling me to sign up as reserves and go active after 1 week at air so that I don’t lose full rights to my son can it be don
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Duty
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 9
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You definitely cannot just "go active" while in AIT. The Reserves have you until you are released. There are some rules about giving up custody of your kids to join the Army on active duty if you're a single parent. Most people who do that just get their kids once they're settled into their new unit
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SFC Steven Borders
I second that! I don't know what this Recruiter is spitting out but you can't just switch at the the drop of a hat. As always SFC Boyd has sound advice. You should listen to this outstanding NCO Kaylea Stephens
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SFC (Join to see)
Kaylea Stephens go talk to an active duty recruiter if your goal is to go into the Active Duty.
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CPT (Join to see)
Kaylea Stephens - Yea, I've never seen a Reserve General that is the authority for releasing soldiers to Active Duty actually do it. It is certainly not going to happen while in AIT before you are a qualified soldier.
I've pushed up packets for such a request more than I can count on my hands and none of them were approved. It was annoying because it was wasting my time but I was obligated to back my soldier's career.
At best if the Active Component snatches you away for an assignment they will simply get you activated and mobilized and work Active Duty. Your contract will not change to an Active Contract and you'd still be on the hook to finish your Reserve contract after.
So if what you want is a 3 year full time commitment and cut lose after that you better not sign a Reserve Contract. On paper, you will always be a Reserve soldier.
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That all said................ the Reserves is constantly putting soldiers on extended orders. People are making a career out of it once they know how to game the gravy train to get orders. Put yourself in a logistical MOS or an Administration MOS and you are apt to find more such opportunities. The down side is there is usually several weeks between orders at the end of a Fiscal Year.
I've pushed up packets for such a request more than I can count on my hands and none of them were approved. It was annoying because it was wasting my time but I was obligated to back my soldier's career.
At best if the Active Component snatches you away for an assignment they will simply get you activated and mobilized and work Active Duty. Your contract will not change to an Active Contract and you'd still be on the hook to finish your Reserve contract after.
So if what you want is a 3 year full time commitment and cut lose after that you better not sign a Reserve Contract. On paper, you will always be a Reserve soldier.
**************
That all said................ the Reserves is constantly putting soldiers on extended orders. People are making a career out of it once they know how to game the gravy train to get orders. Put yourself in a logistical MOS or an Administration MOS and you are apt to find more such opportunities. The down side is there is usually several weeks between orders at the end of a Fiscal Year.
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Please slow down and give a better description of what is going on. We don't need to know crazy details, but definitely more than what you have posted.
Don't sign up for Reserves if you want active, don't sign for active if you want Reserve.
Don't sign up for Reserves if you want active, don't sign for active if you want Reserve.
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SFC Steven Borders
I agree with CW2 (Join to see). Defiantly don't go Reserves if you want to go Active. Go active, talk to a different Recruiter.
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Don't try and use the military as a means to manipulate and maneuver family custody issues. The military only works for those with unconditional family support (and even that is stressful).
You’re going to find yourself painted in a legal corner with uncooperative military orders and assignments which will leave your legal custody adversary with an advantage. This starts with the Family Care Plan which will be required at your enlistment contract that you square away the custody and care of your child in the event for example you are sent to S. Korea for two years, or deployed in a Combat Zone.
The Army is not interested in smoothing the road bumps in life regarding custody care and family friction.
There was nothing more complicating than a soldier of mine coming to me saying they couldn't attend drill or annual training because of child care issues. It just forces me to push them out of the army by way of not having a Family Care Plan they are abiding by. Then the General doesn't approve the chapter out anyway because they are desperate to hang onto soldiers. So now the army has a soldier that doesn't want to play anymore, and can't get out if they want. Eventually, they just stop showing for years on end and get Chaptered out for non attendance (which is much worse) and force the issue.
You’re going to find yourself painted in a legal corner with uncooperative military orders and assignments which will leave your legal custody adversary with an advantage. This starts with the Family Care Plan which will be required at your enlistment contract that you square away the custody and care of your child in the event for example you are sent to S. Korea for two years, or deployed in a Combat Zone.
The Army is not interested in smoothing the road bumps in life regarding custody care and family friction.
There was nothing more complicating than a soldier of mine coming to me saying they couldn't attend drill or annual training because of child care issues. It just forces me to push them out of the army by way of not having a Family Care Plan they are abiding by. Then the General doesn't approve the chapter out anyway because they are desperate to hang onto soldiers. So now the army has a soldier that doesn't want to play anymore, and can't get out if they want. Eventually, they just stop showing for years on end and get Chaptered out for non attendance (which is much worse) and force the issue.
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Kaylea Stephens
I am a military child and I have a family care plan for long term and short term. But I am also a single parent. My recruiter says to keep custody of my son and keep all rights I will have to join reserves and while at ait switch to active duty becasue if I join active to start I will have to relinquish all rights to my child and possibly not get him bank until I leave the military.
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TSgt (Join to see)
Very well said Sir! 90-10 Rule. Very rarely will the military make a tough home life better...
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SSgt Christophe Murphy
Kaylea Stephens what your recruiter is saying isn’t exactly true. You will need to have a family plan in place to include a guardian/caregiver who will be there when you are gone regardless of being active or reserve. Family plans are required regardless. The idea you will lose your rights as a parent indefinitely for the time of your enlistment isn’t exactly true. There are plenty of single parents in the military but they have family plans and family/guardians in place to care for your dependent while you are away. You requesting activation after 7 days of AIT isn’t a solid plan and isn’t even guaranteed to work.
You need to understand that all of the push back you are getting isn’t personal. Rally point is filled with thousands of NCOs, SNCOs and officer who have spent many a sleepless night having to fix a problem that was all started by misguided guidance given by a recruiter. So many times I personally had to unscrew a situation because some young Marine was given poor advice from a recruiter the year prior.
The recruiter wants you to ship ASAP so they can meet their monthly quota. Nothing personal against them either. It’s just having expectation management.
You need to have a serious plan in place because even if this works you’ll still need a family action plan for when you can’t be home.
You need to understand that all of the push back you are getting isn’t personal. Rally point is filled with thousands of NCOs, SNCOs and officer who have spent many a sleepless night having to fix a problem that was all started by misguided guidance given by a recruiter. So many times I personally had to unscrew a situation because some young Marine was given poor advice from a recruiter the year prior.
The recruiter wants you to ship ASAP so they can meet their monthly quota. Nothing personal against them either. It’s just having expectation management.
You need to have a serious plan in place because even if this works you’ll still need a family action plan for when you can’t be home.
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