Anyone on IRR

[phrogpilot73]

The date that matters is your anniversary date. In your case, it will be the date you're commissioned or your BDCP date. Not sure which one. If you can get your career retirement credit report, it should tell you what date that is...

 

[OnTopTime]

A "good year" for reserve retirement purposes is based on your anniversary date, as phrogpilot mentioned, which is your DIEMS, or Date of Initial Entry to Military Service. For you that would be August 11, so for counting retirement points you would go from August 11 of one year to August 10 of the following year.

You should be able to request an Annual Retirement Point Record (NAVPERS 1070/885) from PERS that confirms your anniversary year and has a record of all your points, active and reserve, earned to date.

 

[vxc961]

Yup, if you go to Bupers online, you can click on APRSH and it'll show you how many points you have in each anniversary year. As described above, those start from the date initially entered military service (DIEMS).
Even in the IRR you get your 15 gratuity points, so you can shlep away for just 35 points a year to get a good year.
Where the kicker comes in is that if you won't promote in the IRR, so you'll probably make LCDR and never go beyond that. As a LCDR, the Navy will kick you out 20 years after your commissioning date. So if you have, say 3 "bad" years (where you didn't make 50 points), you might hit 20 years of commissioned service, with only 17 "good" years, and the Navy will say "bye bye". So...do the coloring books each year!

If you have 18 "good" years when they try to boot you out, you can request sanctuary, and they basically give you two years to get those two more good years.

I had a guy I drilled with who had four "bad" years while working overseas. He got the boot at 17 years, and ended up enlisting in the Air Guard to finish up his time. I guess he had to enlist for four years, but he can retire when he hits 20, and will get his O-4 pay.

 

[vxc961]

Resurrecting a zombie thread, but I'm trying to find the actual definition of a "good year".

I know it's 50 points. And I get 15 for having a pulse, so I only really need to get 35.


For myself, I separated from AD on 1 MAR 2012, commissioned 5 OCT 2001, and enlisted (for BDCP, but it counts) on 11 AUG 2000.

So what is the window I need these 35 points done in?

To answer your question directly, your last year ended on Aug 11, and with your AD time you had plenty of points for a good year. Get 35 points before Aug 11, 2013 and you'll have another "good year". Do that until August 11, 2020, and then you can retire (won't get a check for another 20 or so years, but still...)

 

[atmahan]

vxc961 is right. You can potentially earn a Retirement by simply participating through the IRR as long you get your 20 (or more) "Qualifying Years" (called "Good Years" by everyone although this is technically a tire name!) AND do not hit any High-Year-Tenure (HYT-enlisted) or Failure to Select/Above Zone (FOS -officer) issues that force you out before you get your 20.

You run the risk of HYT and FOS since advancement in the IRR just doesn't happen (for enlisted you can't take the advancement exams and for chiefs/officers you just aren't doing anything to impress the selection boards).

The only way to avoid HYT and FOS is to reach a rank/grade that will let you stay in 20+ years.

For Enlisted, HYT is:

E-5 20 Years
E-6 22 Years
E-7 24 Years
E-8 26 Years
E-9 30 Years

For Officers, you are guaranteed so many Commissioned years:

O-4 20 Years
O-5 26 Years
O-6 30 Years

As long as you are earning Qualifying Years and reach the magic number 20 (or more) before you are forced out then you will get a Retirement.

How much you get will depends on you rank/grade and how many points you earned. You can earn 3 types of points in the Reserves (SELRES and IRR):

Active Duty
Inactive Duty
Funeral Honors

Assuming you are in the IRR and do not go on any Active Duty (AT, ADT or ADSW which SELRES do), you can earn up to 130 Inactive Points per Anniversary Year (this includes the 15 Gratuity Points awarded each year). I believe Funeral Honors are considered as Inactive Points.

It use to be 70 max Inactive Points before 2003

In 2003, it was increased to 90 Inactive Points

In 2008, it was further increased to 130 Inactive Points

If you do go Active Duty (AT, ADT, ADSW or Recall), each day = 1 point, and is not considered as part of the 130 max. This means that you can earn 130 Inactive Points PLUS however many Active Duty days you performed. The total number of points you can earn per year is the same as Active Duty (365). Therefore the max Inactive Points one can get = 130 while the max Active Points one can get =365 - # of Inactive Points.

You can get by with the minimum 50 points (35 + 15 Gratuity) to get your 20 by doing the coloring books as vxc961 said, or you can color a lot more books!

 

[MasterBates]

So what's the HYT for a LT?

 

[atmahan]

Don't have the Title 10 U.S. Code section number handy right now but I believe that an LT is guaranteed 16 years Commissioned Years.

 

[atmahan]

Just looked at the Title 10 US Code

Section 14505

Does not look good. Apparently O-3's are not guaranteed anything:

Unless retained as provided in section 12646 or 12686 of this title, a captain on the reserve active-status list of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps or a lieutenant on the reserve active-status list of the Navy who has failed of selection for promotion to the next higher grade for the second time and whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the next higher grade and who has not been selected for continuation on the reserve active-status list under section 14701 of this title, shall be separated in accordance with section 14513 of this title not later than

the first day of the seventh month after the month in which the President approves the report of the board which considered the officer for the second time.


Compare this to Section 14506 for O-4's:


Unless retained as provided in section 12646, 12686, 14701, or 14702 of this title, each reserve officer of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps who holds the grade of major or lieutenant commander who has failed of selection to the next higher grade for the second time and whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the next higher grade shall, if not earlier removed from the reserve active-status list, be removed from that list in accordance with section 14513 of this title on the later of

(1) the first day of the month after the month in which the officer completes 20 years of commissioned service, or

(2) the first day of the seventh month after the month in which the President approves the report of the board which considered the officer for the second time.


And I was mistaken on O-5s, according to Section 14507, they get 28 Years (O-6;s still get 30 Years).

 

[Gatordev]

I hate to be the fun sponge, but...

This seems to be much ado about nothing. It's completely normal for O-3s to not make grade when they "should" after affiliating with the Reserves (although this seems to be changing for the lucky few with the Wings + 8 issue). If you don't make O-4 in the IRR, it's probably because you don't deserve it. There's plenty of O-3s out there that are supporting hardware units (or less) as a SELRES that make grade. And if you're IRR and don't make grade, that's okay, you're not really contributing anything...get over it. And it's just the same on the enlisted side. Why should I be burdened (as an operational support unit) with no-loads when there's plenty of other individuals who want to participate but there's no room for them at the table due to limited billets/ratings?

I've said it before and I'll say it again...often times I feel like the Reserves is a Jobs Program, where the only concern is if you show up just enough and meet the minimums, you're a super-star. Meanwhile unit after unit is trying to support operational commitments while being weighed down by "minimalists" being foisted upon them by Big Navy Reserve. If you don't make rank in the IRR, get over it.

Respectfully...Have a nice day...and all that...

 

[phrogpilot73]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...often times I feel like the Reserves is a Jobs Program, where the only concern is if you show up just enough and meet the minimums, you're a super-star. Meanwhile unit after unit is trying to support operational commitments while being weighed down by "minimalists" being foisted upon them by Big Navy Reserve. If you don't make rank in the IRR, get over it.

I don't know about Navy SelRes, but I'd argue that things seem to be changing on the green side of the Reserves. Since there is clearly a shift from a strategic reserve to an operational one, more and more of the no-loads are being shed in order to make room for those that are willing and able to participate to meet the demand.

I think in the future you'll see that SelRes/SMCR becomes operational reserve, and IRR becomes the strategic reserve. I think then you will see more people getting promoted from the standpoint of keeping a certain number/percentage of officers/senior enlisted/junior enlisted on hand in case the "break glass in case of war" happens.

 

[bubblehead]

If you don't make O-4 in the IRR, it's probably because you don't deserve it.

That is not necessarily true, especially for some designators, like URL. Making O4 in the Reserves is no longer something one can count on, especially if you are URL. Selection Boards have left promotions on the table. URL is especially tough.

The only group that I have seen who can expect promotion to O4 and beyond are those in the United States Merchant Marine. That is the best kept secret in the entire military. If you have your shit together you will make O6.

IPs can also expect to promote. They are in high demand and there are less than 300 of them in the entire Reserve.

Why should I be burdened (as an operational support unit) with no-loads when there's plenty of other individuals who want to participate but there's no room for them at the table due to limited billets/ratings?

There are a great deal of no-loads in the Reserve, but they will end up fragging themselves when they go up for O4. To be competitive for O4 and beyond, you have to do the obligatory admin officer, operations officers, and training officer jobs. No loads will not readily volunteer themselves for the admin officer job because it is a huge pain in the ass, especially if you are in a large unit. At least this is the way it is for IDC units (ie, Intel).

If you are motivated and take the tough roles and bust your ass, you will shine. No loads are noticed and their fitreps, which are what the boards look at, reflect accordingly.

...I feel like the Reserves is a Jobs Program, where the only concern is if you show up just enough and meet the minimums, you're a super-star.

The main goal of the Navy Reserve is to be mobilization ready. Period. If you are able to do peacetime, contributory support, then that is good.

Meanwhile unit after unit is trying to support operational commitments while being weighed down by "minimalists" being foisted upon them by Big Navy Reserve.

At least on the Intel side, one must choose their units wisely. There are some that do what I feel is absolutely nothing and there are others that actually do real world work. But, like I said, at the end of the day, your job is to be mobilization ready.

If you don't make rank in the IRR, get over it.

More or less, up to the O4 level. I cannot say the same about URL. That is a tough board, even for people who are busting their asses.

O5 is a different story because you have to take on CO/XO billets, which are very competitive and usually require traveling -- at your own expense -- outside of your AOR.

O6 depends on your designator. If you are a Reserve IP and bust your hump, you wil make O6. The same cannot be said about the URL's. That is some tough shit there, especially for O4.

 

[Gatordev]

I don't know about Navy SelRes, but I'd argue that things seem to be changing on the green side of the Reserves. Since there is clearly a shift from a strategic reserve to an operational one, more and more of the no-loads are being shed in order to make room for those that are willing and able to participate to meet the demand.

I can only hope. On the Navy side, they are just starting to look at this stuff, and I think a main reason is you have a bunch of hardware-centric admirals that just took the job(s) and the staffs are seizing the opportunity to bring it to their attention.

@bubblehead:

You keep saying "URL" but then make a differentiation. I'm talking about URL. Pretty much every hardware unit and support unit to hardware units (ie, Fleet SAUs) on the aviation side are being negatively impacted by the people that "only have to be MOB ready." Great, that's how it was originally designed, but that's not how the hardware units are being used. Having a non-current, non-qualified aircrewman in Wisconsin who is "MOB ready" does nothing for me when I need someone to meet an operational demand, or, I need a billet for someone who just got out of the Navy and is willing and able to meet that operational demand but can't get a billet because Wisconsin is being kept safe from the monthly GMT monsters. The overall manning system is broken and it needs to be addressed. You'll find just about every unit CO will agree on the aviation side.

 

[MasterBates]

So where do the people like me, who want to fly, stay "MOB Ready" but not be a BURP/SELTAR fit in?

Aviation will always be more than 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a year, but when I call units and get told they want 10+ days a month, every month.. Most of us who are not Airline Pilots cannot swing that. Even then, that's 2/3 of an Airliner's time off.

I have a work sked that can be worked to mitigate the distance I live from a hardware unit (say, I come in for 2 weeks every 2 months) and travel expense, but 6 day blocks 2 times a month are not happening.

This is 90% of the reason I'm doing Correspondence Courses for points.

 

[Gatordev]

So where do the people like me, who want to fly, stay "MOB Ready" but not be a BURP/SELTAR fit in?

Aviation will always be more than 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a year, but when I call units and get told they want 10+ days a month, every month.. Most of us who are not Airline Pilots cannot swing that. Even then, that's 2/3 of an Airliner's time off.

I have a work sked that can be worked to mitigate the distance I live from a hardware unit (say, I come in for 2 weeks every 2 months) and travel expense, but 6 day blocks 2 times a month are not happening.

This is 90% of the reason I'm doing Correspondence Courses for points.

Sometimes you can't have everything. You can certainly still drill, earn points and some money, but if you're schedule doesn't allow it, you may be out of luck for flying. Flying is not an entitlement. And if you ask most SELRES, they'll probably tell you they enjoy it, but at times it's actually a sacrifice.

If you schedule doesn't even allow you to do regular drills and you just want to earn points doing what you're doing, have at it. I'm not saying that's a bad thing as you're still on a list to get a call if they need you. Just don't be surprised you're not making grade when there's lots of other people out there that you're competing with who are doing more.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Flying is not an entitlement. And if you ask most SELRES, they'll probably tell you they enjoy it, but at times it's actually a sacrifice.

Yep.

On Active Duty, you juggle your military career and your family. SELRES/SMCR have to juggle a civilian career, a military career, and your family. From personal experience - sometimes it can be a bigger pain in the ass than AD.