How long will I have to be in the Army Reserves before I can switch over to active duty?

I was discharged from the Navy as an O2, who was obligated to go into the IRR. Now I am looking at enlisting in the Army (in an effort to go into the career field I originally wanted, but could not be offered on the Officer side). Within the IRR I still retain the status of O2, and have not formally resigned my commission.

LTJG Andrew W - Google AR 601-210 and go to chapter 3, para 3-13. The recruiter is correct, you are not eligible for Regular Army enlistment. A waiver may be considered if you resign your commission. Recruiters cannot "enlist" former officers because they do not "enlist", they are commissioned. Because you are a commissioned officer in the IRR, it MAY be possible, with an approved DD368 conditional release, AND approval from the US Army Reserve Command, to transfer your commission to the USAR. Officers do not go to AIT, so it sounds like the recruiter is assuming you are resigning your commission. Read up on the regulation, then go back to the recruiter with some ammo so you can ask the right questions. Retaining your commission, and being a non-Army former officer complicates the process greatly, and there are additional regs to reference. Bottom line though, recruiters only handle enlistments, not commissions. You entering the Active Army or Army Reserve as an officer is not an enlistment. I don't have all the answers for you, but you should find some insight in the reg I referenced. Good luck

Solid. Ill make sure to take a look at this some time today...
Also just for clarification, the plan is to ENLIST. I realize that I will be resigning my commission, but in order to get into the Intel community (let alone the specific job I'm shooting for), I would have to enlist to get that guarantee. I just don't have the credentials to get Intel right off the bat, and Id rather not go through training all over again, and compete against my peers, only to find out Ill end up in a job Ill be absolutely miserable in, due to the needs of the Army.

LTJG Andrew W - You are being steered toward the USAR because it is easier, and you are not eligible to enlist Regular Army per para 3-13. However, it looks like USAREC (US Army Recruiting Command) has approval authority to waive that rule, provided you resign your commission. Only question is current operational policy, which the recruiter would have to verify. Before you resign your commission and IRR transfer to a USAR unit, find out about the process for a waiver to 3-13 b. (5) for active duty. I think that was it. Once you get into a USAR unit, it is not exactly a given they would release you later to enlist Regular Army.