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Going Active from Reserves

jorgelito

PRO-REC INTEL
I wanted to know if it was possible to go Active Duty from the Reserves? For example, if I apply to the Reserves for say, INTEL or SWO, could I then transfer to Active Duty?
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
You can't go Direct Commission in the Reserves to SWO. You can go into Intel, Supply Corps, IW, CEC, PAO, Chaplain Corps and of course all the medical fields. If you go Intel, Supply or CEC, especially Intel, you will not have much trouble getting active duty orders or some term of time. The trick is to get a set of orders for a year or more in what would be a normal active duty billet. Then, sometime during that period you request to be transfered to the active duty rolls. When you come to the end of that job you will just be detailed like anyone else. I have seen it done a few times. Of course you can request active duty the minute you commission, but that is pretty unlikely. Short of getting transfered to the active rolls, you can just be a Reserve Bum and keep taking voluntary recalls and temporary active duty one right after the other. It is sort of like being a contract Naval Officer. Flyinspy has personal experience with this sort of thing. His gouge is better then mine if he says different.
 

Bevo16

Registered User
pilot
If you are going to do the reserve bum thing, you need to be really damn good when you show up to work. One spotty review/fitrep and you will find yourself totally on the street. I have seen it happen to a guy that worked in my building. Nice dude, but seems to lack an adrenal gland. Out of work in the Navy, and can't find a job. The worse the economy gets, the quicker any open spots are going to fill. We have some Fed-Ex pilots in the reserve unit here looking for AT to fill the gaps in their paychecks.
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
If you are going to do the reserve bum thing, you need to be really damn good when you show up to work. One spotty review/fitrep and you will find yourself totally on the street. /QUOTE]


+1 pony

Excellent point. Being active duty is like being in a union. Marginal performers are carried for years. If you are a Reserve Bum, especially in a small community, you have to rely on your reputation to get that next job. Everyone knows how you performed on your last job and, unlike most active duty billets, they don't have to take you. Many of the good deals are by name requests. So your name better not be associated with poor performance
 

FlyinSpy

Mongo only pawn, in game of life...
Contributor
Both Bevo and Wink are spot on. I think you are asking in the context "Can I become a Regular officer by augmenting from the Ready Reserve?"

The answer is "Yes, but...". The attached MS Word document is the one-stop shopping answer to the question "So You've Decided to Steal Cable".

stealcable.jpg


Oh wait, that's from a Simpson's episode - the real question is "So You Want to Be Recalled to Active Duty". The document below really is a nice little summary.

I did notice on the BUPERS website that they decided not to have an FY08 Reserve Intelligence Officers Recall Board, and that further info for FY09 should be forthcoming this month. From some of the numbers I've seen, the Reserves are hurting big-time in the O-3 and O-4 buckets since so few folks are affiliating coming off of active duty; I don't know if this has any impact on decisions regarding boards like this. (Kind of like robbing Peter to pay Paul, except in this case Peter exists to be beaten like a rented mule at will by Paul.)

As both Bevo and WInk mentioned, it's possible to be a SelTAR - stringing together sets of orders and recalls, one after another. I have a good buddy that's done it for over 8 years now. It's a lot easier than it used to be, but it's still a pretty uncertain existence. And if you did manage to string together 20 years of doing this, you'd still have to wait until you were 60 to collect any retirement.
 

Attachments

  • RecallProgramDecisionMatrix.doc
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jorgelito

PRO-REC INTEL
Thanks for the info guys. I just wanted to look at my options. If I don't get picked up for OCS, then I wanted to explore other possibilities such as the Reserves. I suppose Coast Guard and Army are options too. Or I could enlist in the Navy but I don't know if I could go Officer from that route.
 

Twitterpate03

Personnel Specialist
My story.

Joined the Reserves enlisted. Have no prior active duty experience. After 5 years decided I want to be and Officer and go active. Exactly what your asking correct?

I contacted an ACTIVE DUTY recruiter and started the process. The key is there are recruiters for active duty and reserves. They are not one in the same. I applied and have been accepted for Intel. Right now I am still contracted with the Navy with my original Reserve contract. When applying you have to sign a 'conditional release' form. This allows them to end my reserve contract in order to enter into the new active duty contract.

It is harder I have been told if you are not a Medical or Specialty type Officer it is MUCH harder to go in as an officer.

Hope that helps a little.
 

jorgelito

PRO-REC INTEL
My story.

Joined the Reserves enlisted. Have no prior active duty experience. After 5 years decided I want to be and Officer and go active. Exactly what your asking correct?

I contacted an ACTIVE DUTY recruiter and started the process. The key is there are recruiters for active duty and reserves. They are not one in the same. I applied and have been accepted for Intel. Right now I am still contracted with the Navy with my original Reserve contract. When applying you have to sign a 'conditional release' form. This allows them to end my reserve contract in order to enter into the new active duty contract.

It is harder I have been told if you are not a Medical or Specialty type Officer it is MUCH harder to go in as an officer.

Hope that helps a little.
Ah, ok that would make things more interesting. I am looking at the Reserves as a way into the Navy in case I don't get picked up for this coming board. I would like to go in as INTEL or SWO if possible then try and go active somehow. That is the objective. The main reason is to try and get around the age limits (34 for for Active and 42 for Reserve.

I'm just looking at the possibilities and options. I'm feelin' a bit like Wile E Coyote at the moment and licking my wounds.
 

utak

Registered User
I spent the good part of a year trying to get a "junior" (an E-3 Sonar Technician Seaman in his mid-30s with extensive Public Relations experience in the media industry) sailor into OCS. His CCC deliberately slowed up and dragged ass on the application until sailor's 35-year birthday had passed, then sent it off . . . knowing full well that they'll reject him for his age.

They did.
 

bubblehead

Registered Member
Contributor
Short of getting transfered to the active rolls, you can just be a Reserve Bum and keep taking voluntary recalls and temporary active duty one right after the other.

I would tread lightly if you are considering this course of action: you are essentially "riding orders."

The problem with doing this is that for every set of orders, you are going to receive one-off FITREPs wherein you are not compared against your peer group, which is vital to advancing (e.g., "The TOP LCDR in the division.").
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I spent the good part of a year trying to get a "junior" (an E-3 Sonar Technician Seaman in his mid-30s with extensive Public Relations experience in the media industry) sailor into OCS. His CCC deliberately slowed up and dragged ass on the application until sailor's 35-year birthday had passed, then sent it off . . . knowing full well that they'll reject him for his age.

They did.

WOW! Never heard of a command failing to encourage any sort of advancement, especially E to O, let alone derailing it. Heck, if they didn't think he was up to it, fine, just write the skipper's endorsement accordingly. Your experience is outrageous.
 

bubblehead

Registered Member
Contributor
His CCC deliberately slowed up and dragged ass on the application until sailor's 35-year birthday had passed, then sent it off . . . knowing full well that they'll reject him for his age.

Any recourse against the CCC other than a drop-kick? Why the hell would someone be so crass?
 

jorgelito

PRO-REC INTEL
I spent the good part of a year trying to get a "junior" (an E-3 Sonar Technician Seaman in his mid-30s with extensive Public Relations experience in the media industry) sailor into OCS. His CCC deliberately slowed up and dragged ass on the application until sailor's 35-year birthday had passed, then sent it off . . . knowing full well that they'll reject him for his age.

They did.
Oh wow, this is my nightmare and is currently happening to me at the moment. There's a lot that's going on behind the scenes but if anyone is in the know or has experience in these matters, I would like to see what my recourse is.

Thanks for all the info guys, I appreciate it.
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I would tread lightly if you are considering this course of action: you are essentially "riding orders."

The problem with doing this is that for every set of orders, you are going to receive one-off FITREPs wherein you are not compared against your peer group, which is vital to advancing (e.g., "The TOP LCDR in the division.").

Never was a problem for the guys I saw do it. One reason might be the so called "running mate" for selres. You can be in the inactive reserve and get promoted for sitting at home with a beard and long hair. I never was a personnel type though.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Never was a problem for the guys I saw do it. One reason might be the so called "running mate" for selres. You can be in the inactive reserve and get promoted for sitting at home with a beard and long hair. I never was a personnel type though.

They are doing away with the 'running mate' system.
 
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