USN AD to SELRES Transition

[MIDNJAC]

Sigh . . . they do this sort of petty bullshit, and then they wonder why they don't meet their retention goals and have a bunch of anchors and oak leaves bailing as soon as they're retirement eligible.

I swear to God the average SELRES is basically treated as the equivalent of an AC E-4, regardless of rank.

In our weird little org chart, being administratively attached to the NOSC, but not operationally or even directly via command, it can be a strange world. But I have come to appreciate how well those in our front office have shielded us from most of the NOSC antics. It, thankfully, is mostly like they don't even exist most of the time. That isn't to say anything particularly bad about our particular NOSC, just that NOSCs aren't really configured, staffed, or informed/trained in a manner appropriate to support a hardware unit. I'm sure they would treat us like E-4s if they didn't have a direct line to our E-6s to yell at (god bless them, they are saints, and equally shield us from the nonsense).

 

[Gatordev]

hence the tactic of saving IDTs and burning AFTPs first. In the last 3+ years I've been in the reserves, I haven't seen it happen in our command, but the threat still is there.

Definitely a tactic. It also helps when you have a good line of communication with your money man. Communicating what you expect to need up helps him out, and hearing what to expect coming down helps the unit out.

In our weird little org chart, being administratively attached to the NOSC, but not operationally or even directly via command, it can be a strange world. But I have come to appreciate how well those in our front office have shielded us from most of the NOSC antics. It, thankfully, is mostly like they don't even exist most of the time. That isn't to say anything particularly bad about our particular NOSC, just that NOSCs aren't really configured, staffed, or informed/trained in a manner appropriate to support a hardware unit. I'm sure they would treat us like E-4s if they didn't have a direct line to our E-6s to yell at (god bless them, they are saints, and equally shield us from the nonsense).

That's part of the benefit of living in the hardware world, even if you don't have hardware. TSW, MSW, and the VR wing can help with a lot of customer service that your average NOSC participant has to fight to get.

Unfortunately the hardware support units like SAUs still have to rely on the NOSC for things like travel approval, which can be cumbersome when you need short-notice travel to support the fleet.

 

[Flash]

Sigh . . . they do this sort of petty bullshit, and then they wonder why they don't meet their retention goals and have a bunch of anchors and oak leaves bailing as soon as they're retirement eligible.

The pay is definitely very good for the work but I often wondered just how the Navy Reserve limped along with just how disorganized and screwed up it could be at times. It is a pretty sad commentary when Kelly Beamsley's site is still going strong 6-8 or so years after he retired.

 

[SynixMan]

We really need a Reserve Admin 101 course (paid) for new SELRES. I'm 2+ years into this shit and still learning stuff.

 

[Randy Daytona]

We really need a Reserve Admin 101 course (paid) for new SELRES. I'm 2+ years into this shit and still learning stuff.

I put these out earlier, thought it might be useful here concerning records and admin in the Reserves:

The Navy Officer Occupational Classification System consists of 4 parts:

1) Designator / Grade
2) Subspecialty (SSP) - identifies post graduate education or significant experience. By definition, a Master's Degree rates a SSP.
(2000 series is Political Science, 3000 series is Management, 4000 is Applied Sciences, etc)
3) Naval Officer Billet Code (NOBC) - General occupational duties (8696 is NATOPS officer, 8675 is dept head, etc)
4) Additional Qualifications and Skills (AQD) - (1315 is the designator for SelRes naval aviator but the AQD is refined DV-3 is H-60F, DJ4 is P-3, etc)

I’m retired so you probably want to ask someone current on the reserves (paging Flash or Nittany) but I remember the main instruction manual for the reserves being BUPERSINST 1001.39F. It is a big manual (about 250 pages) that should answer most of your questions.

Perhaps the most important thing to understand is what Flash mentioned earlier: understanding the difference between calendar year, fiscal year and, in particular, your anniversary year - and to make sure you get 50 points so you get a good year for retirement purposes.

 

[SynixMan]

I put these out earlier, thought it might be useful here concerning records and admin in the Reserves:

The Navy Officer Occupational Classification System consists of 4 parts:

1) Designator / Grade
2) Subspecialty (SSP) - identifies post graduate education or significant experience. By definition, a Master's Degree rates a SSP.
(2000 series is Political Science, 3000 series is Management, 4000 is Applied Sciences, etc)
3) Naval Officer Billet Code (NOBC) - General occupational duties (8696 is NATOPS officer, 8675 is dept head, etc)
4) Additional Qualifications and Skills (AQD) - (1315 is the designator for SelRes naval aviator but the AQD is refined DV-3 is H-60F, DJ4 is P-3, etc)

I’m retired so you probably want to ask someone current on the reserves (paging Flash or Nittany) but I remember the main instruction manual for the reserves being BUPERSINST 1001.39F. It is a big manual (about 250 pages) that should answer most of your questions.

Perhaps the most important thing to understand is what Flash mentioned earlier: understanding the difference between calendar year, fiscal year and, in particular, your anniversary year - and to make sure you get 50 points so you get a good year for retirement purposes.

Again, I feel this is important enough to be taught it and I wish big USNR thought the same. I appreciate the reference but I don’t have the time or fucks to give to read a 250 page document and grab the relevant nuggets.

BT BT

For everyone else, big plug for RMP drills if your unit can afford them. Don’t work for free on your off days. Or at least put in for unpaid and get a point for sending emails.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Happened to see this article and thought some might benefit from it: information on the Survivor’s Benefit Program (SBP) which pays your spouse 55% of your retirement if you pass away first. (It also covers your children to age 18 if both of you pass away.)

2023 or bust: Now’s the time to revise your Survivor Benefit Plan​

2023 or bust: Nowâs the time to revise your Survivor Benefit Plan

Opinion: Military retirees have a once-in-a-generation chance to revise their Survivor Benefit Plan during the congressionally-authorized 2023 “SBP Open Season."

www.militarytimes.com

 

[nittany03]

The pay is definitely very good for the work but I often wondered just how the Navy Reserve limped along with just how disorganized and screwed up it could be at times. It is a pretty sad commentary when Kelly Beamsley's site is still going strong 6-8 or so years after he retired.

Man . . . I'm a soon-to-retire O-5, and I worked with him briefly on an AT as a baby O-4, and he was getting ready to hang it up then.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Media is all over this - is this a big deal or just business as usual disguised as "something new"...

Ordering the Selected Reserve and Certain Members of the Individual Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty | The White House

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 121 and 12304 of title 10, United States Code, I hereby determine that it is necessary to augment the active Armed Forces of the United States for the effective conduct...

www.whitehouse.gov

 

[nittany03]

Media is all over this - is this a big deal or just business as usual disguised as "something new"...

Ordering the Selected Reserve and Certain Members of the Individual Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty | The White House

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 121 and 12304 of title 10, United States Code, I hereby determine that it is necessary to augment the active Armed Forces of the United States for the effective conduct...

www.whitehouse.gov

Whoops . . . I'll delete my thread. This looks like just more of the same GWOT-style IAs, just with European beer and scenery. 3,000 meat missiles requested downrange in EUCOM to do whatever the hell various and sundry things the EUCOM J1 shop is asking for.

10 USC 12304 is the same authority Bush used to kick of the GWOT-era IA train; Biden is just using it to support EUCOM now. It's a partial callup of the reserves, and he has 197,000* more reservists in his hip pocket before he has to ask Congress for a full callup.

*Edit the order-of-magnitude typo ?‍♂️

 

[sevenhelmet]

Looks like exercise support to me. Those numbers wouldn’t move the needle for much more than that.

Unless you’re planning on participating in Atlantic Resolve, I think this is in the “nothing to see here” category.

 

[nittany03]

Stupid west coast Sailor question . . . is Atlantic Resolve a EUCOM exercise in the same vein as Pacific Sentry, Keen Edge, or Keen Sword? I spent my COCOM staffer time eating poke, plate lunches, and kalua pork, not schnitzel, sausage, and sauerbraten.

Because it'd be really, really weird to invoke 12304 for an exercise. That's "involuntary MOB" authority, not "cut a bunch of back-to-back AT/ADT orders" authority. I figured this was a "Russia is being fucky for longer than we thought, and we need staffers for the cube farms" type deal.

 

[AllAmerican75]

Stupid west coast Sailor question . . . is Atlantic Resolve a EUCOM exercise in the same vein as Pacific Sentry, Keen Edge, or Keen Sword? I spent my COCOM staffer time eating poke, plate lunches, and kalua pork, not schnitzel, sausage, and sauerbraten.

Because it'd be really, really weird to invoke 12304 for an exercise. That's "involuntary MOB" authority, not "cut a bunch of back-to-back AT/ADT orders" authority. I figured this was a "Russia is being fucky for longer than we thought, and we need staffers for the cube farms" type deal.

I think Atlantic Resolve is the general ooeration to support Ukraine. I've been seeing hotfills come across the wire from the detailer asking if anyone wants to help out J4 with acquisitions and FMS stuff for Ukraine. Probably what these SELRES folks are being called up for.

 

[nittany03]

I think Atlantic Resolve is the general ooeration to support Ukraine. I've been seeing hotfills come across the wire from the detailer asking if anyone wants to help out J4 with acquisitions and FMS stuff for Ukraine. Probably what these SELRES folks are being called up for.

Figured as much, also considering the WH order listed it as a named operation.

 

[sevenhelmet]

I stand corrected. Not an exercise.