Can someone elaborate on their experiences with the ARMY RESERVES?

Question

I would like to get into the army but through the reserves. I would like to go ahead and try out for the linguist position in the army. I would like to do this to serve my country.

Answer 1

Well, you have to go to Basic Training and then AIT.

Then you do a weekend drill once a month, with a two-week mission once a year.

Of course, your unit can be called up to active duty at any time, and sent to a war zone, or to replace another unit so they can go to a war zone.

Answer 2

Go for it, as a reserve if that is what you want to do. I will warn you that the training for linguist is very long so that even as a reserve you will spend almost two years on active duty.

My daughter is active duty Army, currently training as a linguist at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey California. She went in last july and will complete all of ehr training around July of next year. It involves Basic training, language training, and then the skills needed for the specific type of linguist (sucha s interrogator or crypto linguist). Part of the length will vary depending on what language you get, and the Army will guarantee your linguist status but not the language when you enlist.

Incidnetally, if you do get this, you can consider it the first two years of college. The DLI is now an accredited community college and you can get your associate's degree while there. You need to complete just a few extra classes besides the language school.



My son is in the reserves and is enjoying it. He completed his basic and AIT, and now goes in for one weekend a month and then two weeks during the summer.


Talk to a recuriter, and he can introduce you to soldiers in your nearest reserve unit. That way you can talk with them directly and find out about their experience to help you decide. Also, check with a National Guard recruiter since there are some differences between the guard and the reserves. A regular army recuriter cannot get you in the guard and may not mention the differences you want to consider.

Answer 3

I would strongly discourage anyone from joining the reserves right now. You might as well go active duty because chance are, you'll be spending much of your time on active duty, especially as a linguist.

Active duty offers much better benefits and you get more control over your career.

The reserves is overstretched right now and you can be "cherry picked" from your unit, forced to change your MOS and be attached to a unit going to Iraq. This happens quite frequently. This is something you don't have to worry about on active duty. Of course you'll more than likely do time in Iraq, but it will be in the MOS you selected rather than one the Army chose for you.

Answer 4

Don't play around with the reserves, go active duty. My husband was a reservist, but decided to go back to Active duty after our daughter was born. We get much better benefits and healthcare, and they are a constant, for reservists they activate some benefits when you are deployed, but as soon as the deployment is over, so are your benefits. Plus active duty deployments are shorter, typically a year as compared to up to 18 months for reservists. My husband's friends from his reserve unit have deployed way more than my husband has since he became active. Some reserve units are deployed so much they might as well be active duty anyway. Plus right now we are stationed in Europe and seeing and experiencing a lot of things that we never would have been able to had my husband stayed in the Reserves.

Answer 5

Hey, the best thing is to go active, because it has more benefits for you then just being a reserve. Being active give you more benefits including but not limited to Dental and health care, promotions, and many times you can chose where you want to be station at what base.
When I was active duty navy within a couple of years I had two promotions and when my three years almost ended I re-enlist and get to chose many exciting place to be stationed at, for example, Germany, England, Australia, Japan and many more. So, why go reserve when you can go active and get more benefit? Not only that, being active gets you more incentive and pay.

Answer 6

If you've got the time, go active and check out the real army (or navy or marines or air force). If you don't really like it, get out at the end of your contract and join a reserve unit. Then you have money for college and are officially a "veteran" and can get VA health care.