What is 'active-duty' means?

Question

I don't know what it actually means...


the Army’s active-duty force dropped first to below 600,000 and then below 500,000 before the increases ordered after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Answer 1

Active duty is a term used to describe your status in the Armed Forces. If you are Active Duty, then you are there full-time: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You go through bootcamp and your job school, after that it's off to whatever unit you are assigned to.

In contrast, if your status is Selected Reserves or National Guard, you are required to attend whatever basic training is needed--bootcamp and job school--and then you serve one weekend a month and one summer training period.

Answer 2

Well in the military you have three types of duty. Active Duty means that is their full time job. Then you also have reserve units and guard units who work part time but can be sent to active duty. So active duty are the troops that do their job like a normal job 24hrs a day 7 days a week!

Answer 3

When you first enlist in the military you have a choice between active duty or active reserve duty. Active duty means once you are done with basic training you will be assigned to your next duty station whether it be school or another command. Active reserve duty means you go back home and report to the nearest reserve command in your area and do one weekend a month and two active weeks a year. Both are under contract so once you sign up you have to fulfill your contract obligations. So basically I guess you can describe it as either full time or part time military person.

Answer 4

Active duty are those soldiers working full time at the job of soldiering.

Then you have your reserve, which are only part timers.

And you have your National Guard, which are soldiers charged with defending the nation (until this latest war--Bush should be shot for using the National Guard in Iraq!).

Answer 5

You are Uncle Sam's property when on active duty. Those in the reserves, national guards, or inactive status are not on active duty until they receive activation orders

Answer 6

It means that this is your permanent job for however long you signed up, whereas a reservist may only serve a tour of duty, and then go home to his civiliam life.