What happened to marine reserve aviation?

+1. I didn't know AR existed until I joined the SMCR.

If I knew about it before I left AD (and if I wasn't married to PSW), I'd be all over AR like a fat kid on a donut. Let's see, very few deployments, bounce from flying squadron to flying squadron, lots of airshows, and a full retirement?? Who wouldn't want to??

This SMCR?

How'd you guess??

There's a whole lot of reserves that no one on AD knows about.

IRR = Inactive Ready Reserve. This one is the one that most guys on AD know about. You get out, accept a reserve commission, and you're in the IRR. You get out prior to 8 years of total service, you're in the IRR. You don't do a thing, unless you want to.

SMCR = Selected Marine Corps Reserve. This is the one that most AD guys identify as the reserves. Drilling reserve units that people affiliate with. There's Infantry Battalions, Engineers, Squadrons, etc...

IMA = Individual Mobilization Augmentation. This is the one that almost no AD guys know about. You name it, there's an IMA billet doing it - helping out the active component. Our squadron XO just took a 1 year IMA billet with MCLL in Afghanistan. I know two people flying C-12's on IMA billets. VMR-1 has IMA billets for Phrog pilots flying the HH-46E. HMX-1 has IMA billets. They're everywhere, CONUS and OCONUS.

Hmmm...I see much research in my near future.

If you need any help in the future, let me know. The reason most AD guys don't know about this stuff is because they can't access RDOL (Reserve Duty Online) on MOL. Those of us who are nasty reservists can. We can search for IMA/SMCR billets by state, rank (and you can put in for a billet 2 up/2 down from your current rank), and MOS. So if in the future, you're serious about looking into it - let me know and I'll pull billet lists for you.

Reserve squadrons do take active duty types. Both VMGR-234/452 have done so previously and will continue to do so.

I'd say it depends on T/M/S. In the CH-46E T/O there is ONE billet for AD, the rest are AR. You sometimes can work a deal with the monitor (for instance, our OpsO is AD filling an AR billet), but as always - it's timing.

They got rid of the majority of the F/A-18 Reserve Squadrons because we needed their jets in the fleet because we were running out. I've heard rumors that once the JSF comes online slowly they will reactivate those Reserve Squadrons and give them essentially the "pick of the litter" Hornets we have left from the fleet...if we have any. It makes sense.

Cool, wonder if they will do this on the Navy side. Probably would be about the time I am eligible for going reserve....

Stinky...you really getting 200-250 hours a year part time? How often do you go in to fly each month?

I'm local to the unit, so I was going in 2-3 times a week. Catching some ADOS time here and there as well. This year I got 313 points towards retirement, last year was 200-some points. I'd say if you do alot of dets (CCXs galore) 150-200 is probably closer to the norm. I'll drop you a line on email later tonight...

Does Miramar have a reserve hornet unit? It is is odd that the Air Force can have weekend warriors from the beginning but not the other services. Anybody know why that is, just curious?

Any gouge out there on which reserve squadrons are looking for pilots? I just saw the prior service recruiter last week, and he said it'll take about 4-6 months to get me back in. Now the paperwork drill begins...

Pretty much all of them, outside of the F/A-18 squadron. We need pilots, 764 needs pilots - that is, if you want to fly the Phrog until we transition to Ospreys. I know 772 was looking for pilots, and skidkid (RIP) once told me that 773 was looking for pilots, and willing to transition Phrog guys.

Did you know Squishy? He was east coast phrogs. He did some of my instructor upgrades at HT-18 and he mentioned going to 773. I think he finally transitioned and he's up there drilling now. I'll have to look him up and see. My wife's and my family are all spread out in the Atlanta area, so 773 would be ideal. I heard they just moved to Robins AFB, but it's still not that far.

I've heard of him, but I just looked him up on MOL - and he did indeed transition over to HMLA-773. I can dig up some contact info of some guys in that squadron if you're interested...

I still logon to MOL every now and then, so I'll check. Thanks for the heads up.

Did they get rid of the reserve Hornet unit out of Miramar?

No reserve Hornets at Miramar currently. Just AD gun squadrons and the FRS.

Is there exceptions to this rule? Or did this just happen?

Not sure what you mean......all the Hornet squadrons here are active duty. The RAG does have some reservists that fly, but so do most training commands

Oh, so they do allow them to fly in the RAG?

Yeah, there are a handful of reservist IP/IWSO's flying in -101. Pretty much O-4 and above, though I guess this could probably be said about most reservist aviators.

As always, if you find yourself thinking about joining the Reserves, go out to the squadron, preferably on a drill weekend, and meet all the bro's. Even though your thinking of "getting out" still try to get as many quals as you can while still active. It's a bitch getting any quals as an SMCR, at least in the Hornet. All the squadrons will have a "join board" of some sort if you want to affiliate and you definately want your package to be positively endorsed by the command. If you don't have a lot of quals, at least you can get the "good dude, we want him" endorsement, which really is more important. And it never hurts to bring some booze.