I EASed almost a year ago. I'm thinking about going back in but as Marine reserves. Has anyone done this after being out for so long? Advice?

Along with what the others are saying, it will depend on what yo are looking for I separated f 13 years and came back into the reserves. I have hit more tours/deployments than some that are on active duty. But like they are telling you, check it out 1st as the reserves are quite different from active duty.

Life as a reservist is very much different than active or civilian ... I thought it would be a compromise between my wife and me ... it turn out it is much harder on me, and my wife will still worry day in and day out when ever a news media start talking about WAR. But at least she can hug me "almost" every night, and my children know me a lot more now.

Reserves are a different world, hun. I'm in that boat right now. I just left AD June this year, then went civilian for 3 mos; missed the Navy too much so I went reserve in Oct. I haven't been gained with my command yet which still irks me.

It's a whole different world in the Reserves. If you are willing to still be apart of it and hopefully after 12-18 mos of being Reserve you'll be able to go back Active (I wanna go back Active, too). I don't know about the Corps, but I've ran into a few Marines who went Navy instead because of the restrictions and what not.


Whatever you decide, good luck to you shipmate!

My 26 year career went back and forth between active and reserve although I had no break in service. Your reserve experience will depend on the unit you select and, as always, what you pit into it. Pick a unit with a mobilization history. It is likely to be better trained and resourced. Civil affairs units are good choices if you accept that they are in mobilization rotations. I did three years in a CA unit and spent one of those years in Afghanistan.

It all depends on what your overall goals are Rocha... I got off Active Duty after serving 4 years, after we wound up the war in Vietnam... I took almost two years "off" before I decided to go back into the Reserves... I had gone back into the civilian Fire Service, where I was when I got drafted for Vietnam.

I decided it would be wise to continue "serving" and "learning" and adding to my Active Duty experience... as it turns out it was probably one of the best decisions I ever made...

I actually parlayed my time in the Reserves and in the Fire Service into a "Dual Career Track", because of my background in each, it helped me promote and progress in the other...

I was forced to retire with 37 years of Service, between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Air Force, I was a Firefighter, a Warfighter and a Federal Law Enforcement Officer. Because of my experience and training in the Reserves I managed to progress at a faster pace, promotion wise and have ended up serving 45 years to date in the Fire Service.

My return to the Reserves was an extremely rewarding experience, I met and worked with a lot of extraordinary people, I retired as and E-8 and was on top of the E-9 Promotion list... I haven't regretted going back in for 1 minute!

Go for it Rocha... but choose your MOS carefully so it will help you further your Civilian Resume. There were lots of Ex-Army people in the Dept. of Homeland Security/U.S. Coast Guard. Spend a few years in the Coast Guard as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer and you can get a job in just about any Law Enforcement Agency in the Country... it's something to consider... go be an Investigator for Coast Guard Intelligence... Or if you're into Battling Climate Change become a Marine Science Technician... Check it out...USCG.mil. Let me know if you've got questions.

PSCS C.W. Boss

I'm gonna put it like this, I got off active duty in 1992, and went back National Guard in 2007 and finished my commitment. If you feel it just do it.

I did just that . Got out of active duty and joined the Army National Guard about a year later. It turned out to be a pretty good decision since now I'm retired and awaiting a retirement chech once I get close to 60.

It worked for me. Be aware that depending on the reserve unit you may be called to active duty for a year or more at a time. 20 years active and reserve will get you a reduced retirement at age 60. How much depends on the total number of days active duty you have. (Your annual two weeks active duty counts towards this.) 60 may seem a long way away, but a slight addition like a reserve retirement can mean the difference between being comfortable or not. You still have to pass the same physical fitness tests. Visiting the unit is a good idea. The sooner you get back in the better, one year out is not bad.

I was drafted into the Army during Vietnam in 1971. I extended for an extra year of active dudy (13B Artillery) and since it was a 6 year commetmint I was and inactive reservist for the remainder of the 6 years. Vets from 'Nam got spit on and called 'baby killers' and wearing a US uniform in the USA only made you a target at the time. About 10 years after my ETS a friend talked me into joining the Navy Reserves in 1984 and I was a CE3 in the Seabees. Being a licensed electrician I enjoyed all the construction projects we worked on and I also learned other construction skills. The CB's motto is "We Fight, We Build" with the word Fight before Build. The USMC was tasked to train us and on the 15 day annual tour and we Reservists ended up at Pendelton, Ca or 29 Palms (also known as "29 Stumps"). One day when I was humping an 80 pound plus USMC backpack with an M-60 on top and belts of ammo across my chest and roaming across the Mohave desert I thought, "This isn't as much fun as I remember, wonder what the Air Force is like." When I finished the annual tour and got back home I called the Air Force Reserve. They said we see you had "supply training" in the Army would you like to go into Logistics? I said great, I would love to try it. In July 1988 I was in the Navy Reserves as a CE2 and in August 1988 I was an an Airman (SSGT) in the Air Force Reserve. The Air Force was good to me and in the next 16 years they allowed me to volunteer for missions like "Fire Fighting" missions to help fight fires along with other C130 Reservists around the USA. I volunteered for Humanitarian missions in south and central America and other missions to provide help for others who wanted to take leave but needed some one to take their place while they went home. I was called to active duty for Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom and am very proud to have three National Defense Metals during my time of service. I am just being long winded though and these are facts from times gone by (I retired in 2004). These are things I remember from 2004 and I don't know of updates since I got out but they should be easy enough to verify. When you go from branch to brance a new ASFAB and a physical are required. Your service options for jobs or positions are, as always, dependent on your scores and physical abilities. If you went through USMC or Army basic training you didn't have to go through Navy, CG, or AF 'basic' to change branches. If you went through AF, USN, or CG basic, you will have to do "Basic" again to get into the Army or USMC. I met many 'Vets' from all the branches who I served in the Air Force Reserves and they were always more content than from their old military life styles. I retired with 26 years and it was a larger paycheck than I had guessed. Even better was getting the health insurance for my wife and me after I turned 60. Another thing to remember. When I was one of the last draftees it used to be almost impossible to leave the military. These days it is much harder to stay active duty than to get the 'boot.' Reserves are the same way, don't show up for your meetings (without good excuse) and don't perform and it is way easier to be gone. The Reserves will be totally different than active duty. The Reserves deal with 'civilians' who dress up in uniform for 39 required days a year. They are more civilian than military and know they can just say, "to heck with this" when they think people are 'picking' on them. My experience is that they are usually lacking in dedication and the proplem was usually caused by themselves. I was activated twice in the Reserves and everyone I served with performed in a professional manner. God Bless America!

I ETSed and stayed out for 8 years and rejoin so yes it is possible.