What are the qualifications to join the Reserves and National Guard?The following are the basic requirements for joining. You must:.
Be a U.S. Citizen or nationalized to be a Reserve or National Guard officer. To enlist, you must be a U.S. Citizen or a resident alien.
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Age requirements differ between branches of service, but in general you must be between the ages of 17-35 with no prior service (NPS). Note: Seventeen year olds need parental consent. Or between the ages of 17 and 59 for those with prior service (PS) and are able to complete 20 years of creditable service for retirement by age 60. The Guard experimented with raising the age to 42, but reverted to the lower age in 2011.
Take and pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. Pass an Armed Forces Physical Examination. Must be available for initial active duty training. Must agree to participate in an initial tour of active duty training of at least 12 weeks.Types of Status in the Reserve and National Guard.All Reserve and Guard service members are assigned to one of three Reserve Component categories-the Ready Reserve, the Standby Reserve, and the Retired Reserve. The Ready Reserve:There are three categories of the Ready Reserve: Inactive National Guard, Individual Ready Reserve and Selected Reserve.Inactive National GuardThis is a status used only by the Army National Guard. If you leave a drilling National Guard unit before the end of your enlistment you will be placed in the Inactive National Guard, unless you specifically request to be placed in the Individual Ready Reserve (see below).
In this category you cannot drill for pay or retirement points. Likewise, you cannot take part in any annual training or be promoted.Though you are considered 'inactive', you are still required to present yourself, or 'muster' with your last unit once a year. Also, in the event of a full scale mobilization you could be recalled to service with that unit.Individual Ready ReserveIf you enter the Reserves or Guard through the delayed entry program this is most likely the category you will fall in while awaiting basic training. If you have an enlistment that runs out after 4 years, you may also find yourself classified as Individual Ready Reserve, or IRR, in order to complete six years of total service. In the IRR, though it is not required, you can still be promoted, compile retirement points, and participate in annual training.While in the IRR you are not affiliated with any drilling unit, so it is up to you to complete any correspondence courses that may be required by your MOS for drill points.
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Also, it will be up to you to find a command that has funding to send you to annual training if you want to keep accruing retirement points. Postings for annual training slots open to IRR members can usually be found on the branch website or by contacting your personnel officer. Selected ReserveActive Guard and Reserve (AGR)The AGR is made up of reservists who serve on active duty to keep their units functioning on a day-to-day basis in training or administrative roles. There are other AGR members who serve as recruiters or instructors. The AGR category is very broad and encompasses not only active Air Force Reserve, Army Reserve and National Guard, but also Navy Training and Administration of Reserves, and Marine Corps Active Reservists.As a member of the AGR you are assigned a full time mobilization slot or billet in the unit you serve in on that one weekend a month/two weeks a year.
This affords the opportunity to continue a military career but not have to move as often as those in the active duty.If you want to follow this path in the Navy, then you will be required to pull some sea duty as part of the Training and Administration of Reserves (TAR), but when you are ashore you will be assigned to administer a reserve unit.Individual Mobilization Augmentees (IMA)As part of the IMA you will be assigned to an active duty unit. So in a time of war or national emergency you could be called up quickly to bring your unit up to strength.You will be required to train with your active duty unit for two weeks a year. However, in addition to annual training you will be required to earn 40 extra 'drill' points per year for retirement. These points can be earned through working at your unit 'for points only' (meaning you will not get paid), or by taking correspondence courses.All of the services have IMAs in a variety of ranks and skills, the Navy mainly uses the category for senior officer levels.Selected Reserve UnitsThis is what most people think of when they think of the 'weekend warrior'.
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As a reservist or guardsman you will most likely fall into this category. This where you will serve 'one weekend a month, two weeks a year'. You will be required to complete 40 unit training assemblies or 'drills,' and two weeks of annual training.For the most part, drills are held once a month on weekends. During your drill you will be paid for four days work, five if the drill weekend starts on a Friday.Some things to consider before you join a unit is to ask about the unit's drill schedule to make sure you can work your civilian job around it. Also be aware, with the downsized military, the Guard and Reserve are contributing more to the duties that were once performed by active duty units. So be prepared to deploy.Also, if you are in a job that directly supports an active duty unit, your drills may not fall into the 'one weekend a month' category. Positions in these units drill whenever they are able, sometimes even during the week.
This can be a benefit if your civilian job has irregular hours.Military TechniciansThese are full-time federal civilian employees who are also reservists. They are also known as 'dual-status,' and perform the administrative and training duties for the reserve units they serve.
What makes them different from AGR personnel is that they do not qualify for active-duty military pensions. They do receive federal employee and retirement benefits and qualify for reserve military pensions. Retired ReserveThough this area may not seem pertinent to you as you enter the Reserve or Guard, we will throw it in anyway as something to aim for while you are in the 'front leaning rest' position at boot camp.