You cannot do
paid AT in the VTU. You can only do paid ADT, paid ADSW or MOB (volunteer), as well as
unpaid AT.
Any VTU questions, please let me know as I am VTU and I have a LCDR pilot in my VTU unit who came off of active duty and I can put you in touch with him.
And yes, what
@AFUAW said. You can be tagged well before your dwell ends with a Ready Load Date (RLD) that starts the day after your 2 year deferment ends. If you have a TS/SCI then count on it. They have a big boner for O4 pilots/NFO's with TS/SCI's and they are getting tagged with RLD's just after their dwell ends.
See if you can log in here (CAC Enabled):
https://www.bol.navy.mil/
Then select ASOSH which is your annual statement of service. It will tell you how many points and how many years you have that count towards retirement.
Re, Reserve VR Squadron jobs, while I am no pilot, other Reserve pilots have told me these Reserve VR squadron jobs are very "clicky". That is, you have to know someone.
Have you considered changing your designator on your way to the Reserve? I am an IP/1825 and we get many a pilot coming off of active duty who come to our community some of whom pick up O5 just by sheer numbers math (we are a very small community). Last couple of O5 boards have been hovering around 85% select rate. You'll be in a training status for at least 36 months and cannot be MOB'd during that time. If you wanted to do 1815/CW I think their qualification time is 4 years but I'd have to check.