Question for Jr. Officers.

[apendle]

I have kind of a dumb question I was hoping someone can answer.(there are no dumb questions, only dumb answers...right.

I noticed that when your commissioned as an Ensign your designated as being in the Naval Reserve, and while you're in your training phase you're still in the reserves. My question is; during this time of all of our training to get our wings, etc. does it count as active duty time, our does active duty begin when you hit the fleet? If anyone has an answer I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Meridiani]

All officers are commissioned into the Naval Reserve (USNR), regardless of their commissioning source (ROTC, Academy, OCS). Later on in their careers, an officer may augment to the regular Navy. Nevertheless, they are active duty. It's just a technicality.

 

[apendle]

I guess my next question would then be, What are the reasons for an officer to augment into the regular Navy? Thanks Meridiani.

 

[Fly Navy]

Promotion.

 

[schmuckatelli]

Originally posted by Fly Navy
Promotion.

Not really. If you are USNR and the military shrinks they can fire you and you will be out the door with no separation pay. If you are USN then they have to give you separation pay. So basically it all boils down to money.

In the past academy grads were given USN commissions and other sources such as OCS or NROTC were given USNR commissions but this is not the case any more.

 

[Fly Navy]

Well, the way I understand it, you're not going to see a Captain or Commander that hasn't augmented (outside the actual Naval Reserve). But yeah, the shrinking thing too.

 

[Vic]

Automatic augmentation occurs when promoted to LCDR!

 

[Fly Navy]

Sure about that? They don't HAVE to augment you...then again, they don't have to promote you lol

 

[dustydog]

Hang around your squadron long enough and your Skipper will force you to augment. My admin Chief did the paper work and I just signed it. As for being promoted, the Navy doesn't even hold LT promotion boards anymore. If you last 2 years as a JG and can fog a mirror, you make LT. In some year groups it's the same for LCDR's.

 

[Gatordev]

And if there's any one thing LCDRs can do well, it's fog a mirror. That, and make up jobs for themselves...

 

[Fly Navy]

Put a SWO in a room with nothing in it, and after a while, he'll figure out how to work weekends.

Sorry, that just made me think of that joke

 

[wink]

Just how automatic augmentation to the regnav is varies over the years. There was a time when they sent you a letter that said "congratulations on your augmentation, sign here." Then again, I saw years where it was almost difficult, hardly automatic. You can stay on active duty as a NR officer and make rank. They are called TARs (Training and Administration of Reserves). They are the everyday continuity of an reserve unit. When you get to the end of you first shore tour, or at least O-4 and you don't augment you pretty much have to become a TAR. There is no point in concerning yourself with augmentation since it won't be an issue until you have been in long enough to know all about it. The answers above are pretty accurate. A regnav commission is pretty much like being in a union. If there is a reduction in force (RIF) then the first to go are the NR guys on active duty (not TARs tho). If a regnav guy does get rifed then he does get some lump some of cash.

 

[NFOtoBE]

It is just a paperwork thing, you are active duty. you can go regular Nav after 0-3 I think. Like said earlier if downsizing they can let you go easier in USNR than USN.

 

[bunk22]

Originally posted by schmuckatelli

Originally posted by Fly Navy

In the past academy grads were given USN commissions and other sources such as OCS or NROTC were given USNR commissions but this is not the case any more.

Uhmm, no. At least 10 years ago, those getting commissioned through NROTC and who were on scholarships were designated USN. I know because I was. I'm guessing sometime in the mid to late 90's that policy changed and all NROTC midshipman are commissioned USNR.

 

[DustydogCSAR]

I believe that you can request for augmentation after four years, and after 5 it is automatic. At least that's how it was a couple of years ago. The request thing may be gone now that it is automatic?

-Ike