I am a reserve who doesn't want to go to drill anymore--What is better...now showing up or telling them?

Answer 1

Not showing up makes you AWOL, and gets you thrown in the brig.

Attempt to resign. You may or may not be able to depending on the terms of the contract you signed.

Next time, think a lot harder about major life changing things before you sign on the dotted line.

Answer 2

Umm, the military, reserve or active, isn't a job you can just quit. It is amazing how many people do not understand that.

And, you will not be AWOL, you will be UA, unauthorized absence. You don't receive an AWOL status until the 30th day of being UA.

And, you will not receive a Dishonorable Discharge for what some of the "solutions" listed in earlier answers. DH dicharges can only be handed down in a general court martial. If you go UA, and eventually AWOL, you will either get a General Other that Honorable Conditions or a Bad Conduct Discharge.

But, at present, most employers do not want to see anything except Honorable in the space on an application for Discharge Status. So, you will be making your own bed if you do not fulfill your commitment. Sad thing though, most people who get these discharges for whatever reason are the first ones complaining about how it effects them in later life.

Answer 3

Okay, here's the deal.
What you need to do is go to your commander or the cillivan during the week and request that you be moved to the inactive reserves, You probably need to explain why but its no biggie happens all the time. You will still be on the rolls but in an inactive status which means you still could be called up. Next I would enroll in correspondence course to keep accruing retirement points keeping in mind that you need 60 to have a good year.
You do not want to stop showing up they will give you "unexcused absent after 8 you automatic sent to inactive reserve or discharge sometime with less than honorable discharge which is not good or they can have you picked up by the police,
I spent 13 years in personnel so I know you can do it the first way

Now if you got signing bonus it could get more difficult.

Answer 4

You are SOL; if you refuse to go to drill, you are given a Less Than Honorable, maybe even a bad conduct discharge, which will make it near damn impossible to get a job or get any federal loans if you want to go to college.

However, you can buck up, hitch your britches and serve your time and once your time is up, get out with an honorable discharge and that'll be the end of it.

Trust me, I've been in the Reserves for 12 years and one tour in Iraq, my ETS is next month and I am out of the service with an Honorable Discharge and VA benefits.

Answer 5

Path is right. The way to do this is use your chain of command. Just be up front and honest, tell them you don't want to serve any more. They can transfer you to the IRR to finish out your time.
Besides, by you going ahead and getting out (the right way) you may be opening up a slot for someone that really WANTS to be there. But just not showing up anymore will stay with you the rest of your life!

Answer 6

Its one weekend a month! You've made a 6 year commitment to your unit you go there one weekend out of the month and 2 weeks out of the year! I honestly don't understand what the hell everyone bitches about going to drill. Its not like it occupies your entire life. You have 3 other weekends to go and smoke doobies and get **** faced, but you signed that contract to sacrafice one weekend.

Answer 7

You signed your name--- you raised your hand and took an oath--- show up!! You can't go through life signing up and dropping out. Need to learn the meaning of commitment. A dis-honorable discharge or jail time isn't a very good way to start life. Don't be a quitter!!!

Answer 8

If you do not show up you will not get enough points and it will be a bad year.

If you do not show up and your unit gets called up, you will not know how to do your job. You may die as a result or worse yet, you failure to know how to do your job may get your fellow soldiers killed.

I would recommend you put in separation papers and get out. Until then, live up to your word and show up for drills.

Answer 9

from a servicemans prospective, just go talk to your commander or first sergeant (if you're in the USAFR). Tell them your situation and be honest about it. If you're a conscientious objector to the war then by all means see yourself out of the armed forces. But if its job or family realted then they maybe able to help out in other ways. Don't just not show up it's a gainst the UCMJ and they will get you.

Answer 10

During the obligation days, you're subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, not civil law. I suggest you fulfill your commitment so you don't get charged with AWOL.