Anyone on IRR

[FlyinSpy]

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.

No. That outlook is one that leadership happens to have right now, but if that were truly the case why do we even bother with SELRES units? If all the Navy wants out of its Reservists is a ready pool of warm bodies, then let's do away with the unit structures that we have today, and pursue an Army-like IMA structure. In fact, why do we even bother to have "mobilization billets" that go with each SELRES billet in a unit - given that the vast, vast majority of Navy Reserve mobilizations are IAs? I'd like to see a day when Navy Reservists are mobilized into Navy billets, not Army billets that have been coded to the Navy. We're 11 years into this fight, and I would think we should have been able to figure out the manpower flows by now. I happen to be one that believes Reservists main job should be their contributory support, and that mobilization should be much more rare thing - and that when it happens it should leverage what they've been doing on DWEs and ATs. I think there are three choices: 1) Align units with expected mobilization responsbilities 2) Eliminate units altogether or 3) Align mobilization billets with existing units.

Involuntary mob's are like crack to the active side - tough to kick the habit. I strongly believe the "operationalization" of the Reserve, with a 1-in-5 year mobilization profile, is unsupportable in the long term, and that the Reserves will hemhorrage heavily in coming years. We're already seeing that in a significant drop in gains from folks coming off active duty - they see Reservists getting beaten like rented mules, and say "I'm getting out because I want to spend more time at home (or for other reasons), so why should I sign up for this?" Guys like me with 14+ are in-to-win, and there are still people clamoring for DCO slots and such on the junior end of it - but I think we're going to see a mid-grade T-notch develop and expand over the next few years. If mob's wind down significantly than this might help, but I already see signs that mob's are going to increase as the Navy dumps GSA billets on the Reserves. There's a line out there that's a happy medium between "eating your seed corn" and "under-utilizing your assets" - I happen to think we're burning through our seed corn awfully fast.

 

[Gatordev]

No. That outlook is one that leadership happens to have right now...

Exactly. It's an old outlook, but one still there. But it's not how the operational units are actually utilized. Not a surprise, but you get that mantra from the admin side, the op side tries to fight back, gets told to be quiet and color by the admiral, and then everyone goes about trying to make it work.

Involuntary mob's are like crack to the active side - tough to kick the habit. I strongly believe the "operationalization" of the Reserve, with a 1-in-5 year mobilization profile, is unsupportable in the long term, and that the Reserves will hemhorrage heavily in coming years. We're already seeing that in a significant drop in gains from folks coming off active duty - they see Reservists getting beaten like rented mules...

I understand different areas of the Reserves see different metrics, but I've been finding the problem isn't people not wanting to come into the Reserves, it's that the Reserves doesn't have billets for them in their rating. Why? Because that rating is filled by people who live somewhere other than a fleet concentration area not doing their rated job. We can't capture the talent leaving the REGNAV side because there's no place for them. But overall, I agree with your sentiment.

...but I think we're going to see a mid-grade T-notch develop and expand over the next few years. If mob's wind down significantly than this might help, but I already see signs that mob's are going to increase as the Navy dumps GSA billets on the Reserves.

Agree, at least on the O side. I know there's still discussion at high levels about exactly how many bodies get put on the RMP list on the CNAFR side this year, but even if they bring the proposed number down, they'll lose bodies as a result. That can be good and bad, but it has the potential to bring down end-strength.

 

[bubblehead]

You keep saying "URL" but then make a differentiation.

My apologies. I was differentiating between URL's and other designators in terms of promotion and promotability in the Reserve.

Intel officers do not compete for promotion with URL designators (11XX, 13XX, 19XX) and only compete against others of the same designator. Same for IP and for IW. That's why promotion can be tough as a URL in the Reserve. Met a former pilot who redsignated to HR officer because making O5 would be nearly impossible.

 

[Gatordev]

My apologies. I was differentiating between URL's and other designators in terms of promotion and promotability in the Reserve.

Intel officers do not compete for promotion with URL designators (11XX, 13XX, 19XX) and only compete against others of the same designator. Same for IP and for IW. That's why promotion can be tough as a URL in the Reserve. Met a former pilot who redsignated to HR officer because making O5 would be nearly impossible.

I get the first part, but you lost me on the second part. Making O-5 as a pilot is easy if you still play as a pilot. If he wasn't going to make O-5 it was either because he wasn't actually doing anything hardware related (which some certainly choose to do) or there's more to the story.

 

[ArmySupplyGuy]

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.

Also, if you have a break in service, like me for instance. Whatever date you re-enlist or get comissioned becomes your new anniversary date.