Army Reserve

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Mar 5, 2015

Reserves are a bit different, but I can help as far as general info.

You need a BSN to apply. You'll come in as an O-2 once you get through the 6-12 month app and waiting game (at which point you'll have 4 years of experience equaling 24 months of constructive credit). The pay at that level is slightly better than pay for civilian nurses in the south, and about on-par with pay in the Northeast/Midwest. Google "Army officer pay" and add about $1000-$1600 for BAS&BAH each month; that gives you active duty pay (full-time) to give you some kind of idea.

You'll go to basic officership training (BOLC for Army) and then do your 1 weekend/mo and 2 weeks of training per year after that. You serve in your local area unless deployed (kind of a strong possibility even these days since you're ER). Deployments for active duty Army are 9 months...not sure about reserves. You get full-time benefits and pension though.

jeckrn, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2015

When you are doing your weekend drills you will not receive BAH (housing) but will be paid for 2 days of active duty wages for each day. So for the weekend you will be paid for 4 days. When you do your 2 weeks active duty you will receive BAH but will only be paid for 1 day each day versus 2 like weekend drill. BAH is based on your zip code, rank, & if you have dependents or not. Pay is based on your rank and number of years you have been in the military.

What you do on your weekends will vary based on your unit and its location. Often medical personnel do not have a medical facility they can train at on the weekends and end up doing mandatory training along with some unit specific training. Some units are high speed based on leadership, available training sites, & funding. Some other units have the leadership to be high speed but do not have the training sites or the funding. Some units are low speed do to leadership even with money and training sites available. Most of the reserves units I served in were in between.

Reserve units work on a 5 year rotation of when they are available for mobilization. The first 2 years are basically a reset were they get new equipment etc. But not a lot of training funds. Years 3&4 they are training for a possible mobilization and have more training money and opportunities. Year 5 is the ready year were they maintain their proficiency level.

Most reserve deployments are 12 months long vs 9 months for active. One reason for this is training before you go overseas and then demobilization. Reserve units are deploying less then in the past. Active duty units are picking up rotations they had before 9-11. An example of this is Kosovo, it started out a active rotation and in the early 2000's went to the reserves & national guard. Today active duty units are back in Kosovo.