Thanks for all of this excellent info!
I have a follow-up question(s) for those who will entertain it:
I am an incoming 1835 this year and will likely be based out of NCR (Washington, DC) due to my prospective new day job.
My question is around expectations with respect to personal travel / commitments beyond what is listed here (ODS, AT, etc.)
My partner is a foreign national in a friendly (Latin American) country - and I expect (hope?) that with the continued possibility of a remote working world, I am able to continue spending chunks of time abroad with family and friends in Latin America (weddings, holidays, etc.) - for weeks, or maybe even a month or two at a time, as work and the Reserves allow.
My specific question is, especially in years 1-3, how difficult is it to be out of the country somewhat regularly for work and personal travel, (again, not talking going to Russia, China, etc.), assuming one makes all requisite commitments? Is it just filling out a security notification form a bit in advance, or is it a total pain/hindrance?
Also - maybe a long shot I know - but are the quarterly drilling units (which of course would provide much more flexibility from a travel perspective - aka, needing to be physically present monthly), hard to come by in years 1-3?
Finally - if there are extenuating circumstances (eg: family wedding, etc.) - are drill weekends in these first years occasionally acceptable to be rescheduled / made up at other times for good reason?
I know I’m at risk of sounding naive or wanting to have a glamorous, gallivanting travel life -- but honestly, it’s more just trying to gauge expectations for family, especially with having a partner from abroad who keeps asking how much time she’ll get with family, etc. etc.
Thanks in advance!!