1 yr medsurg exp considering army nurse active duty

Renee4christ · Jul 29, 2009

Hey there! When I began to get interested in the army, I wrote down all the con's of the military, and what I wanted to get out of my service. Once I did that, I came up with questions that would help me achieve those goals and also information that I was curious to know (i.e. deployments, stations, incentives, training, educational advancements). Don't be afraid to ask any questions you have! That is what they are there for and get paid to do. When are you looking into joining? I think the army only takes ADN for the Reserves, but the great thing about it is that you can do the STRAP program where the army pays you to go back to school for your BSN, and then we you graduate, you fullfill your term as an active duty nurse. You should definetely check out your options! I remember when I was in your shoes just starting out... now I'm waiting to find out if I got in! Best of blessings to you!

I'm a 26 y/o RN with an ADN and 1 yr exp med/surg looking for a way to pay off some hefty student loans. I've looked into other programs such as NERLP, IHSLRP (basic govt funded and civil serv jobs servicing rural or Indian areas) but these programs are extremely competitive & slow moving. There is sooo much info out there about army nursing that I don't know where to begin. I've visited the website, read all the threads I could get my eyes on. Anyone have any suggestions for concrete questions to ask a recruiter?

dynastykb · Jul 30, 2009

Thanx for the info. I actually have an AD in Liberal Arts and took some bachelors level nursing classes while getting my ADN so I only have 14 credits to complete my BSN. It would be great to complete the degree quickly without getting into further debt, I will def ask about the STRAP prog. Best of luck to you also :)

Skeletor · Jul 30, 2009

I think the army only takes ADN for the Reserves, but the great thing about it is that you can do the STRAP program where the army pays you to go back to school for your BSN, and then we you graduate, you fullfill your term as an active duty nurse.

Actually Renee, you fulfill your Reserve obligation in the Reserves Nurse Corps:)

The STRAP rate is now $1,992/month. :up:

prettyprettyRN · Jul 30, 2009

Did anyone currently do the strap program for the reserves to pay for school whether bsn or msn. If so, what are your one weekends a months like

Skeletor · Jul 30, 2009

Did anyone currently do the strap program for the reserves to pay for school whether bsn or msn. If so, what are your one weekends a months like

I will begin this September with my "weekend drill" spent studying in my recruiter's office/doing homework/helping him with recruiting efforts.

The Army's main priority for us is that we pass our respective programs so we can effectively begin serving out our obligations.

Skeletor · Jul 30, 2009

department of the army

national amedd augmentation detachment

1401 deshler street sw

ft. mcpherson, ga 30330-20000

reply to

attention of

afrc-nad-pm (140) 12 january 2004

memorandum for officers in the specialized training assistance program (strap) stipend phase attached to the national army medical department (amedd) augmentation detachment (naad)

subject: training guidance for officers in the strap stipend phase attached to the naad

1. the following training guidance is for officers participating in the naad strap stipend program. this guidance is to help the soldier to better understand the training opportunities available to them.

2. officers in the naad strap stipend program are allowed and encouraged to participate in two types of training while in their residency/training program: inactive duty training (idt) and annual training (at). these trainings consist of the following:

a. inactive duty training (idt)

(1) after the first forty hours of each work week, naad strap stipend officers can use additional course training that is not direct patient care as idt. idt for pay consists of four hours training (every four hours receives one retirement point). the four hours of training must be done on the same day. an idt can be a combination of different types of training written as 1 four-hour block.

(2) an idt can include but is not limited to the following:

(a) medical/educational research and studies related to the residency/training program. this may include research and studies related to certain cases, thesis, dissertation, lecture preparation, etc.

(b) grand rounds, morbidity and mortality conferences, cmes, hospital/residency training class meetings, workshops and seminars.

(d) working with an army recruiter.

(3) idt training "cannot" involve direct patient care or contact in any form.

(4) idt duty must be performed in military uniform. however, hospital "scrubs" are an acceptable substitute, if the duty performed is in a clinical setting and a military uniform is inappropriate.

(5) to receive pay and retirement point credit for an idt, an officer must submit a department of the army (da) form 1380.

(6) officers may perform up to 48 idts per fiscal year (the fiscal year is 1 oct - 30 sep). idt pay is in addition to any stipend pay. fyi: officers participating in the health professional loan repayment (hplr) program are required to perform 48 idts each year to qualify for loan repayment. below explains the maximum number of drills that can be performed in a given time frame:

afrc-nad-pm

subject: training guidance for officers in the strap stipend phase attached to the naad

(a) a maximum of 2 drills may be performed per day

(b) a maximum of 9 drills may be performed in one month

(d) a maximum of 48 drills may be performed in a fiscal year (1 october - 30 september)

(7) officers must submit their height and weight on the april and october da form 1380's. only trained army personnel (usually located at a unit, medical facility or recruiting station) can perform this weigh-in; civilian personnel at local civilian hospitals are not authorized to perform this function.

(8) da form 1380's can be submitted by mail (must have original signatures, both the soldier and certifying official signatures), e-mail or faxed.

(9) the da form 1380 will be sent to the naad to the attention of the soldier's finance manager and must arrive no later than 60 days after the last day of the month from when the duty was performed. if the da 1380 is mailed, the above mentioned date will be determined by the postmark. failure to submit this form in the allotted amount of time will result in the soldier not being paid for this duty. the da form 1380 will be processed for retirement points only.

(10) if upon initial assignment/attachment to the naad, an officer's orders were delayed through no fault of their own, the above-mentioned 60-day suspense for submitting da 1380's can be extended. this will be reviewed on a case by case basis and must be approved by the naad commander.

b. annual training (at)

(1) at involves short tours of active duty. it can be used to attend the naad orientation, military schools, such as officer basic course (obc) and civilian or military continuing medical education (cme) conferences. newly assigned naad officers will be asked to attend the 4-day naad orientation and the 12-day obc as soon as possible. naad generates all at orders except for obc. the human resource command (hrc) in st louis, missouri generates all obc orders. to ensure that naad receives a copy, all soldiers must submit a copy of their obc orders to the naad strap team.

(a) requests for at must be submitted to the naad on a usarc form 1058. an example of this form is enclosed. requests must be received at the naad 45 days before the start of duty. for cmes, the soldier must submit a copy of the brochure with the usarc form 1058.

(b) when attending at, officers will be on military orders and in uniform (except during travel). they will receive full pay, allowances and per diem, round trip travel and up to $250 towards registration fees. naad will make any and all travel arrangements; officers will not be reimbursed if they purchase their own airline ticket.

3. if you need additional information, please contact the naad strap team at toll free, 866-401-9443, then ext. 523, ext. 522, or ext. 521.

(original signed)

deborah a. kelly-hoehn

col, ms

commanding

Skeletor · Jul 30, 2009

I am still looking for a more current version of the STRAP paperwork. It's called "NEW STRAP."