Army Reserves vs Active?

athena55, BSN, RN · Jan 26, 2009

Been there, done that!

Hello MJ795!

Okay, I was a direct Commission 1LT in ANC, RC (reserve component) while working at the local VA. I was able to attend the monthly battle assemblies/drills and still able to volunteer for SRP's and other medical missions (MEDRETE's etc) both OCONUS and CONUS. Every year you will have a two week AT (annual training) usually out-of-state to better prepare you for your unit's METL. Now, depending upon YOU (are you thinking IMA, IRR, TPU) will give you a better idea of what you can expect from the Army Nurse Corps Reserves. I learned A LOT! And I met many Soldiers and Officers with prior service (such as yourself) who I consider my mentors and I respected them and I guess you could say I was influenced (on the positive side) to go to the active side of the house. You will also have the opportunity to go to Officers Basic Leadership Course (whether you are RC or AC)

My only regret is that I didn't go Regular Army from the get-go. Now, having said that I must also say that I lost a huge chunk of change when I left civilian nursing to go Active Component (> $60,000/year) of course I have a few years of experience and I was working for the federal government (VA) but still.....Do I miss civilian life? NO. Do I miss the $$? Geez, YEAH! BUT....But I am happy.

I am now working at an Army MEDCEN in the intensive care unit. There are a lot of learning opportunities for one in the Reserves, you just have to look for them! There are a lot of opportunities to learn in the AC, as well, but here you don't have to go looking for them, usually your chief nurse will keep the unit up to date on what is going on in both the civilian and military world(s) of health care. I find the Military MUCH MORE SUPPORTIVE than civilian. No drama, no BS. There is respect for rank and the individual Soldier/Officer.

On the down-side is the fact that once you are AC you no longer own your life. What i mean to say is....Every 2-3 years you can expect to PCS to another state. Big change especially if you have a spouse and kids to consider. Yeah, you get free health care, dental etc. But you are "government property" and you give up certain "rights" (like the freedom of speech, for one) Now remember, I am speaking as an Officer. You have prior experience as an enlisted Soldier. I wish I had that.

I wish I could help you find your answer, but only you can make that important decision.

Let me know if I can help answer a specific question. As an aside, I do hope you consult a health care recruiter before you sign anything (but of course you know that!. I am old, I repeat myself and I find that my neurons are napping)

athena

MJ795 · Jan 28, 2009

Thank you so much for your reply. Your experience sounds a little bit like what I was thinking about doing. I work at the VA now on a surgery floor, which I love. I have talked to the healthcare recruiter some, but before I go back to him I want to have everything figured out for myself and all my paperwork finished. Right now I am in the process of going back to school to get my BSN, I should be done with that in Oct.

So what I have been thinking about is doing the reserves in the APMC and using the STRAP program. Then I would volunteer to be activated for a year CONUS. And if I liked that then I would go active from there and if I didn't like it I would just stay in the reserves.

On the other hand I could just go active as soon as I get my BSN. Then I could do public health nursing which isn't offered in the reserves. But my concern is what if I don't like being active. The only time I was active as an enlisted was when I volunteered for 2 deployments, which for the most part I loved because I got to get to know some of the greatest people, and those people are what makes me think that I would like being active.

I just think I have a lot more thinking to do. As of right now I am leaning more toward active but who knows what tomorrow will bring. Any more thoughts you or anyone else would like to share with me would be greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah a few questions for you.

If I decided to go active when would I know where I would be stationed after OBLC?

Do you know how hard it is to get into the public health course?

In my CV do I need to just put my nursing experience or do I put all my work experience on there? (I started nursing in my 30's, so lots of jobs before that).

Again, thanks for your help.

just_cause, BSN, RN · Jan 28, 2009

I think you would find out your duty location a few months prior to OBC... you typically will get one of your top 3 locations.. .typically top location... (this is based off you choosing from the available army MEDCENs).

I think active duty nursing will be a great way of life... great posting.. best of luck and hope to hear more from ya.

v/r

Staczse7 · Feb 4, 2009

Athena

How long have you been in???? and when did you go AD?

athena55, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2009

Hello runninmomof7:

Let me think....Commissioned RC May 2006, went Active Feb 2008

athena

Staczse7 · Feb 4, 2009

and what made you go active???

athena55, BSN, RN · Feb 5, 2009

Well, actually the question first should be what made me go into the Reserves in the first place?

It was seeing my first born son lying in an ICU bed at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center after being MEDEVAC-ed from down range intubated on an FiO2 100%, bilateral chest tubes draining BRB , unrecognizable from the IED blast and the third spacing and being told the probability of his survival was "slim" and having the Army Nurses and Air Force nurses take care of both him and me.

It was my wish to practice the art and science of nursing they way I saw it being practiced at LRMC by those Army and Air Force nurses.

And it was my strong desire to somehow give back after the Army and Air Force saved his life.

What made me go Active?

It was being mentored, as a Reservist, by others who had prior service.

It was my desire to be able to say to another Soldier "been there, done that" and being able to really understand.....

athena