Posted on Jan 3, 2016
Do you think military retirees should be accorded more active participation if they desire?
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I believe that two things should happen with reasons why:
1. All reserve/National Guard retirees in the gray area should be allowed to stay in an IRR/for points only status until age 60 if they desire. It would facilitate mobilization if they are needed; it would not cost that much more in the small amount of increased retirement pay at 60; and it would not interfere with ability of other reservists to move up since it would be IRR only.
2. There should be an active program where retirees who are receiving their retirement pay can volunteer with local active, reserve or Guard units where they live. ie administration, recruiting, public affairs, training, mentoring. Some times its done informally. State defense forces do it with NG units, but not all states have it and it only applies to Army and Air Guard units.
In both cases above it taps upon the wisdom and experience of our retired military members.
I am a proud retired "Soldier for LIfe" I can still pass a PT test at age 66 and although I am very active with military/veterans associations and military-themed youth groups, I still miss working with active soldiers!
1. All reserve/National Guard retirees in the gray area should be allowed to stay in an IRR/for points only status until age 60 if they desire. It would facilitate mobilization if they are needed; it would not cost that much more in the small amount of increased retirement pay at 60; and it would not interfere with ability of other reservists to move up since it would be IRR only.
2. There should be an active program where retirees who are receiving their retirement pay can volunteer with local active, reserve or Guard units where they live. ie administration, recruiting, public affairs, training, mentoring. Some times its done informally. State defense forces do it with NG units, but not all states have it and it only applies to Army and Air Guard units.
In both cases above it taps upon the wisdom and experience of our retired military members.
I am a proud retired "Soldier for LIfe" I can still pass a PT test at age 66 and although I am very active with military/veterans associations and military-themed youth groups, I still miss working with active soldiers!
Retirement
Reserves
Volunteering
Edited 10 y ago
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 22
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Soldiers in the Guard and Reserve who choose to may transfer to the IRR when in receipt of their 20 year letter, if they so choose.
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LTC Stephen Conway
i hit the wall at 60 LOL...but if I make the next pay grade I will see about maybe 59 since I have a year from OEF since 2008.
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LTC (Join to see)
1SG (Join to see) - i hit mandatory retirement at age 51 (28 years commissioned service) I stayed in as long as allowed. I had to wait 9 years before collecting retired pay. I was fit and wanted to stay in--in fact I hit MRD just a 1 1/2 months before 9/11. Had I been allowed to remain in an active status (IRR instead of gray-area retired soldier), it would be much easier to deploy me if they so needed and they would have had the benefit of an experienced soldier.
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COL Vincent Stoneking
1SG (Join to see) - actually, a LOT of Reserve Officers fall into that category. If you get commissioned at 21/22 (go from HS straight to ROTC, pretty normal timeline), you hit MRD in 28 years, at aged 49/50. You are then a "grey area" retiree for 10 or 11 years.
While there are a lot of Officers that follow a different path (previous enlisted, late service entry, etc), that is the most "normal" track. It is the one I am on.
For those who have been mobilized for contingency ops since 2008 (choice of that date is a continuing irritant to me, and the 10s of 1000s who were mobilized before that arbitrary date... but I digress), the "age 60" can be modified downward somewhat. In my case, I should be able to get retired pay when I hit 57, at the current rate.
I will spend just over 7 years in the grey area. I would be all over the opportunity to stay in the IRR, even in a "points only" status during those years.
While there are a lot of Officers that follow a different path (previous enlisted, late service entry, etc), that is the most "normal" track. It is the one I am on.
For those who have been mobilized for contingency ops since 2008 (choice of that date is a continuing irritant to me, and the 10s of 1000s who were mobilized before that arbitrary date... but I digress), the "age 60" can be modified downward somewhat. In my case, I should be able to get retired pay when I hit 57, at the current rate.
I will spend just over 7 years in the grey area. I would be all over the opportunity to stay in the IRR, even in a "points only" status during those years.
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LTC (Join to see)
COL Vincent Stoneking - and the Army would only benefit by that--at minimal cost; especially someone like you who has mobilization experience and the motivation to continue.
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the State Military Reserve aka SMURFS are relevant and necessary to keep support the state ARNG/ANG
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