What you should really know about the IRR

2015-12-10T14:32:55-05:00

The Individual Ready Reserves: admit it, your initial opinion is, “That’s where I go when I’ve finished my Military Service Obligation, and wait out my time to my ETS date.” You transfer from Active Duty, Reserves, or Guard and then there’s no more commitment required from you. You don’t have to attend any Reserve drills; they’ll only call me up for WWIII, right? These are your thoughts; you know they are immediately brought to mind when you think of the IRR.

I willfully transferred to the IRR in May 2011. I did not care for my TPU (Reserve) unit and wanted to be able to more closely manage my own career. In 2007, I had been “involuntarily transferred for the purposes of deployment,” without my knowledge or approval. No one cared but me. I deployed to Iraq and when I came home, I wanted to be the one to decide what I was going to do with my service.

I served my first eight years on Active Duty, so contractually; I did not owe the Army any more time. I got out for a year; I joined the Reserves for the Troops to Teachers money. Got certified, got a job, got sent to Iraq. So the IRR has become my home since May 2011. Since I transferred to the IRR, I’ve attended and completed ALC, PCS’d, worked for 2 years on Active Duty, got promoted to Sergeant First Class/E7, and completed an 18-month deployment to Afghanistan. I was on Active Duty, without a break in service, from July 2011 though April 2015. I earned the Regular Army Good Conduct Medal, versus the Reserve version, and many other awards for my service.

I’d be very willing to bet that you did not know that you could do any of those things while in the IRR. You can attend NCOES and you can get promoted. Being in the IRR doesn’t stop you from getting promoted, unless you let it do so. When your promotion zone arrives, you complete the virtual board file, exactly like regular and TPU Reserve Army soldiers. You can spend quality time on Active Duty orders, earning retirement time for later on down the road. You can compete for and complete active duty tours from 30 days to 365 days. Tours are available at worldwide locations for all ranks and MOS specialties. You can work alongside Reserve, Guard and Active Duty service members, even all at the same time, like I did in Afghanistan.

What are you actually required to do while in the IRR? Well, you are required to contact information current with Army Human Resources Command whether in phone, regular mail or email. If those have changed, then you need to update the info with HRC. You must complete a readiness screening, only once per year, to make sure you’re fit to work whenever the Army needs you. If HRC sends you any correspondence in the mail or email, you have to reply to it (unless of course it says not to do that). Lastly, if you are asked to attend a Muster Duty, you have to go. These requirements hardly amount to anything that anyone could not comply with to continue your faithful service to your nation. The benefits greatly outweigh the costs.

Last but not least, at any time, you can transfer to an active Reserve unit from the IRR. You can go to a drilling unit and fulfill all those requirements, if you want. The IRR is a great component of the Army. You can do practically nothing, if you wish. You can continue in grand style to serve this awesome nation of ours. Your future can be up to you.

Response by CSM David Heidke made Dec 10 at 2015 2:52 PM

2015-12-10T14:52:31-05:00

Excellent article! I'm sure many people don't know this about the IRR

Response by CDR Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2015 8:51 PM

2015-12-10T20:51:54-05:00

You are missing some important items. I did 10 years active, 8 years SELRES reserves, 5 years IRR, and rejoined SELRES last year. While in IRR you have limited opportunities to get a good 50 point year towards retirement. You previously could do correspondence classes and quite easily get 130 points a year. (I did for 4 years; things like 'Basic Military Requirements' or 'Photography'). They changed the rules last year that you need your CO to certify that the class has value. When I wanted to go back in to the VTU to try to get back into SELRES, I had to work with very uncooperative recruiters, and big Navy medical tried to say that I was not medically qualified because I was taking Crestor to keep my cholesterol low. (Even though you can be on it while already in SELRES.) IRR is good for 'taking a break' from drilling reserves; however, there are limits to what you can do. Also, while you are eligible for promotion, etc. you are at a disadvantage against people actively working. When I was initially trying to get a SELRES APPLY billet, the APPLY board left my 3rd choice vacant instead of assigning it to an IRR member (so I ended up getting it as an interim fill).

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2018 1:18 PM

2018-06-03T13:18:10-04:00

CPT Andrew Branley 1 m
I was a Captain in the IRR, GOT BACK FROM Afghanistan and found out I no longer had a job. I was in the Army reserves and requested a transfer into the IRR until I felt my new business was ready ( I became self employed) and I could start drilling again. Well that time is now but I found out I was discharged. I am 50 and want to start drilling again...I called HRC they said talk to a recruiter but I am a bit upset, I was never called or emailed that the intention to discharge was in my future. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Thanks,

Response by MSG John Duchesneau made Oct 11 at 2018 1:03 AM

2018-10-11T01:03:50-04:00

Thanks for a lot of good information. I "retired" from the National Guard 3 years ago, after more than 20 years of service, and I transferred into the IRR. My only complaint is that they seem to have forgotten about me. I thought there would at least be an annual muster so they could confirm that I am still breathing. Even though I am "overweight and out of shape" I thought they might tell me about training and/or temporary Active Duty tours. I will get my retirement pay in two years when I will be "finally" out of the Army but I'd like to have a chance to serve some more if I could.

Response by Cadet CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 30 at 2018 12:07 AM

2018-11-30T00:07:47-05:00

how do you get out of IRR, what is the form that needs to be completed and who can do that?

Response by SGT(P) Le'a K Billingsley made Jan 7 at 2020 4:09 PM

2020-01-07T16:09:57-05:00

Still ready to go, if needed.....in months of prep. (ETS'd Feb 2001)

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 27 at 2020 1:51 PM

2020-01-27T13:51:13-05:00

I'm in a very similar situation and I've just started the process of requesting to go IRR. I did have a question regarding volunteering for active duty tours, both short or long. I would love to maintain "good years" while in the IRR. How do you go about doing these tours? thanks!

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2020 8:30 PM

2020-07-17T20:30:36-04:00

I am currently joining the navy IRR, I enlisted for it not just serving out my 8 years. I can understand that you can drill on weekends, but what about the 2 weeks in the summertime, or perhaps go to tech school?

Response by MSG John Duchesneau made May 19 at 2021 1:38 AM

2021-05-19T01:38:35-04:00

Thanks for the info!