Question about Army Reserve

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Hello All.This is my first independent post so bare with me. I am thinking about joining Army Reserve but I am not certain what the benefits would be. I already have a BS and MS and I was be starting an ABSN program in the Fall. I am interested in joining the Army Nurse Corps Reserve after I complete nursing school but I am just wondering if there are any benefits for signing up for Army Reserve while I am in school. My husband is in the Army and he did the Army scholarship as a medical student but they dont have such a program for nursing students (I wish they did). I read somewhere that if you sign up for Army Reserve that you will be able to finish school before being called to active duty. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or can offer any helpful advice or insight.Thanks

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The reserves does not have a nurse candidate program (active duty does) which helps current nursing students in school - but not yet a nurse. If you are strictly looking at the reserves I would stay current with the incentives - as they are likely changing by the time you graduate... as of now the benefits are for a loan repayment or a bonus.. or a stipend towards your BSN if you are already a ADN holder. Also as you finish your junior year you could start contacting a recruiter and working out a timeline so that you could have your packet submitted and perhaps sync your graduation date with a monthly board so you could then be commissioned shortly after.

v/r

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Specializes in Emergency RN, CEN.

As far as deployment? It depends on your unit.... Go in knowing that you will always be subject to the needs of the Army. Your schooling takes a back seat... the Reserve will do everything they can to accommodate you by asking for volunteers for deployment first... but there is no guarantee you will not go once you are green lighted as deployment ready. There will always be the chance.... its part of service.

66HM5

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Thank you for the replies. They were very helpful.

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

If the army is paying for the school ie the strap program you will not deploy but otherwise you are subject to deploy. If there are multi units for you to choose from see what year of their 5 year rotation they are on for activation.

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It sounds like you are wanting to be a student in a BSN program, within the Army's STRAP program where you gain monthly stipend and upon graduation you automatically commission in the active duty nurse corp... obligation is 5 years active duty.. then if you do not continue you will be on inactive reserve for 3 years. Correct-Army won't deploy you as a STRAP member as you have absolutely no training ... at all.. and you are just in the pipeline to be a future nurse.

v/r

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Just_cause... Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the STRAP program is a Army Reserve Program...there is not an Active Duty Obligation for participating in it (but there is a Reserve Duty Obligation). You perhaps are mixing information about the Active Duty Nurse Candidate Program?

LA40

From Army Web site:

RESERVE NURSE CORPS PROGRAMS

SPECIALIZED TRAINING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (STRAP)

This program is open to associate degree/diploma nurses currently enrolled in an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Recipients receive a monthly stipend of more than $1,600.

Participants incur a two-year obligation to serve in the Army Reserve for each year or partial year of financial assistance.

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

Unless the strap program has changed in the last 2 years you could not use it then go active duty. The program was to get reserve ADN's their BSN to increase the number of Captians who would be eligible for promotion to Major. I did call someone at HRC about this when I looked into it 2 years ago and the above was the info they gave me. If you want to go active look into the regs your self before signing anything.

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I apologize, I mean to say it sounds like the OP should be looking at the Army Nurse Candidate program.. enables junior and senior BSN students to submit packet, gain monthly stipend (while in school) and upon graduation will commission, then be sent to OBC and serve 5 years obligation..... nurse candidate would not be subject to deployment, gain money while in school, establish a 'guarantee' to work as a nurse after graduation, and be active duty in the Army... sounds good to me ;)

My mistake.. yeah STRAP is for current ADN to BSN or BSN to MSN reservists...

v/r

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

Long as the right info gets out for people to make an informed decision is what counts. NCP is a good program and wish I would have been able to use it, but once you get your Reserve commission you are not eligible for it.

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Specializes in ER/Critical Care.

yeah but you can get TA through GoARmyEd. pays $250.00 per credit hour for a cap of $4500.00/year. The process isn't too tedious. If it is an undergrad degree program most schools send you the books required for free. The home page of GoArmyEd is pretty clear with the steps you need to follow, I did everything online to enroll and arrange for TA.

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Long as the right info gets out for people to make an informed decision is what counts. NCP is a good program and wish I would have been able to use it, but once you get your Reserve commission you are not eligible for it.

True.. but w/ reserve commission you can use the STRAP to get your BSN / MSN.. depending on if you are still eligible based on when you took your previous bonuses... regardless there are a LOT of different variations/benefits to improve yourself and the care within the Army ;)

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