Hello, nurses.
I've just started following this forum and felt the need to log in and ask clarification with army reserve direct commissioning. I'm loving the military threads. If the other services's procedures extrapolate to my army RC question, please chime in as well.
In my situation, I've been given an incentive and obligation sheet to select from and sign. All of my other paperwork is in. It's really a matter of picking my initial obligation although I realize it's up to "the board" to convene and select me. That hasn't happened yet which makes me think this is premature. Maybe it's not, but it wasn't part of my recruitment process many years ago. (No, I've never been in the military before. I had to pull out of that previous process due to life obligations.)
There's now a 2 (+6) year obligation for direct commissioning, apparently. The 3 & 4 obs still exist. What remains uncertain is the associated incentives.
I have less student loans remaining than the student loan repayment option so that seems like a good way to go, but it's uncertain how the $60,000 is paid out, and apparently my state doesn't tax this so that's cool. Also, I was quoted a commissioning bonus, but how that's paid out is a bit nebulous, e.g. is it total bonus paid out in increments over obligation OR bonus payment every year of obligation. Clearly, if I have the option I want to select the largest $ value.
Should my recruiter know by now what my appointment rank will be, ie captain (O3) with six years experience (maybe 5 as one year was all admin and never heard back on that)?
My initial interest was 3 years as an initial obligation although 2 seems more comfortable psychologically, lol. I've put this process off for several years, but I'm leaving a rather cush group practice that's closing and going to work next week for the U.S. Government in a non-military position, and this department is rather happy to have its employees also be drilling reservists so the time to proceed is now. Carpe diem!
At this point in life, I'm more excited about being an officer in the army than being a nurse in the army although I realize the dichotomy.
Thanks, AN.