Key Considerations for Prospective Reserve Members

Many of us gathered last week on the 4th of July, enjoying cold beers and barbecues with our loved ones to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day.

The holiday is a privilege hard-won by our founding fathers and serves as a reminder of the importance of giving back to our country. Today, I will discuss one of the many, yet more direct, ways of giving back—military service. More specifically, the reserves component. Just like the active duty service, joining the military reserves can be a big decision to make. And oftentimes, you see people join for different reasons. In this article, we will take a look at who usually chooses to join the reserves, along with the pros and the cons. 

Starting with the WHO, there are usually four types of service members who choose the reserves instead of active duty. 

Firstly,

the future officers, typically non-ROTC candidates aim to commission after graduating from college. They join the reserves as enlistees to get a better understanding of their jobs, and most importantly understand the dynamic of the enlisted side. This will come in handy as they commission and take charge of a platoon of enlisted members as a young 2nd Lt. 

Secondly,

the prior active service members, whether completed a 4-year contract or a 20 year, you will find prior active duty members in any reserve units. Some join as a way to slowly transition into civilian life, some join to ride out their 20 years and retire, and some join just because they enjoy doing their jobs, and being with the boys. They also tend to bring more knowledge and experiences from the active side.

Thirdly,

people with civilian careers, many reservists are individuals who prioritize careers outside of the military while still having a strong desire to serve. As mentioned earlier, there are countless ways to serve to our country and community, regardless of whether you work in construction, medicine, education, law, or any other profession. This group of reservists will bring diverse skills and experiences.

Lastly,

people who are looking for benefits, there are TONS of benefits Uncle Sam has to offer. There are tangible benefits such as health care, dental, education, and travel opportunities, and also the intangible ones: lifelong brotherhood, professional connections in different career fields, leadership development and so much more…

If you belong to one of these four categories, I would strongly recommend doing more research and contacting your neighborhood-friendly recruiters. But before signing that contract, and buying that V6 Mustang. I want to briefly point out some of the cons. One is inconsistent schedules. Recruiters might tell you it’s only 2 days a month, but sometimes that might get stretched into a week. Sometimes you would get activated for a local humanitarian mission that would last over a month. Two, limited schooling and promotion opportunities. This one is self-explanatory due to the slow tempo in reserve units. The last one is the limited job opportunities, reserve units are usually spread out in the country, and they might not have the job you want in your hometown.