should i join the navy reserve as a corpsman? serious answers only!?

Question

i have serve 4 years in the navy and just got out last year of june. a navy reserve recuiter contacted talked to me and told me that i could possibly cross rate to HM. im currently IRR until june 2009. He said i would go to A school then after that i could get to choose where ever i want to go. He said he'll make sure that ill be drilling close to my home in chino, ca. he said maybe in moreno valley or san diego but most likely san diego. he said that i will not gonna be sent with the marines. he even told me that if i dont like the active reserve, i could just request a chit to go back in IRR. im currently going to college and i want to become a nurse so maybe joining the reserves would boost my nurse career in the future but also i dont want to be sent to iraq, i did my share already. would joinging the reserves a good idea or should i just stay IRR till 09?

Answer 1

a couple things to think about, recruiers lie, they may not mean to but they make the promises and someone else makes the assignments.....also it seems that there are an awful lot of reservist on active duty in a war right now, they don't seem to have the same guidelines as regular enlisted for how many tours of duty to the war zone and certainly are not being brought back in the time frame they were told they would be gone. I think it is wonderful to be patriotic and serve our great country, I just think a little more truth trickling down to the worker bees would be nice. How would being a reservist help you in a nursing career?? How many reservist are still in Iraq long after their 6 month call up time is long past. there is your answer, "I don't want to be sent to Iraq" really answers your own question.

Answer 2

corpsman is the best choice for you since you are going into nursing. the only thing that your recruiter said that was true was the stuff already in writing. the ylove to promise false
sh!t. even though you will have less benefits, the IRR is probably better. most likely in san deigo since there is a big navy hospital there. most male corpsmen get sent to FMSS. so if you deploy, it will most likely be with the marines (that would be so much fun). if you get stationed at san deigo you may be able to get a job at the hospital there. I chose active duty over reserves, so I dont know how easy it is to go from active reserve to IRR.

Answer 3

I wasn't in the reserves, but I would imagine they would have you drill close to home. They can't expect you to fly yourself to the coast every month..
As for just putting in a chit to go back to IRR...that sounds like some BS to me though. I'd ask to see the regs on that one.

You will get some sort of choice as to where you go. Remember, even though you've been out for a year you're REenlisting. It's handled pretty much the same way as some one who's still in (they get priority though). You do get to "negotiate" orders with your detailer.

You won't get sent out with the Marines unless you want to go. FMSS is an optional "C" school - you have to request it. Getting that NEC (8404??) and FMF designation could be good for you if you want to make the Navy a career though.

I apologize for my lack of knowledge about the reserves, but I hope this helped at least a little.
Good luck!

Answer 4

As you know already as a Navy vet, your recruiter can't guarantee you anything if the "needs of the Navy" come into play. Promises to not deploy you to Iraq or to a USMC unit aren't worth a damn, even if in writing.

If you enjoy your progress toward a nursing degree, stick with it. The pay is better than military pay, and if you still feel an obligation after you graduate college, you can go back in as an officer rather than an enlisted.

Answer 5

Are you using MGIB, or other benefits? If you have those, you could lose them in another enlistment. but, going Reserve or gurad is often a good option for college students because the military can help pay a huge chunk. find out exactly what the benefits will be. Also, you can enlist specifically for a slot at a unit, if that's where you want to be. Put it in this light: the Navy is not the place you want to be, it is a stepping stone to help you get through college to get to the place you want to be.

Answer 6

he's lying, don't believe him...yea, corpsman is a good choice if you want to be a nurse. but corpsmans are being deployed right along with the marines(as walking medics). if you are a male, their going to send you to field medical service school or fleet marine force(fmf) which means you are going to be deployed. it's hard to advance a corpsman, their not giving out any bonuses and they sending majority of the male corpsmans with the marines. you already served for 4 years why, don't you just use your m.g.i.b to get your nusring degree, you don't need to be a corpsman to get into nursing. just finish up your enlistment as an irr and continue to go to school.

Answer 7

Stay IRR till 09

Answer 8

your recruiter is full of it.

If you are male, you WILL go FMF as a Corpsman.. currently 100% of all reserve HMs are going Greenside..

Your Reserve unit would have to agree to let you go IRR. if they are undermanned( and HM is severely undermanned in the reserves, they won;t let you go. You can almost guarantee being called up for a deployment..meaning school would be put on hold.

Answer 9

there is no gaurntee where you will be stationed. The Government will place you where they see fit. Don't believe the recruiter.

As far as joining, that is something you need to decide upon, your the one who has to live with it, no one else here will.

Answer 10

Ask the recruiter if he's willing to put all of those promises in writing. Otherwise, base your decision on none of them working out as he said.