army STRAP, deployments and other Qs

Wow. I have a lot of the same questions as I took commission over a month ago and am still awaiting orders. I was also curious if you can use STRAP money for what you choose,since it is given to you and not school. They had told me I could get STRAP plus use the loan repayment....

I have been told that you can use the STRAP money for what you need. It is a stipend, to get you through bills while in school. Did you commission with the STRAP program in your contract? Are you trying to use it to pay for a BSN or MSN? If a BSN, how long did it take for your paperwork to go through from beginning to end? I cannot really do anything much right now because I wont take the NCLEX until the beginning of next year. Did you get assigned a unit yet?

I took commission with the loan repayment and 15000 bonus. the plan is to apply for the STRAP as soon as I get my orders, which is hopefully soon because I start my BSN program in May. (I got my ADN going on two years ago, when I was 20.) anyway, when I start getting STRAP money, it will cancel my bonus which is okay because the strap can end up being a lot more than the bonus.

So is your plan to use your STRAP for bills and use student loans and what not and then apply for loan repayment later?

And yes I was assigned to a unit all ready, about 20 minutes from my home.

Also I am glad you are looking at your options now. I have worked mostly in management and corrections(mostly corrections) most of my short career and lost most of my medsurg type of skills. That is part of why I joined the service. I am nervous regardless considering I haven't touched an IV or anything of the sort in sooo long!

My plan is to use the STRAP for bills and living expenses. With the STRAP I can keep the loan repayment and use it when I get commissioned. I can't get STRAP and the bonus though. What kind of unit are you in? Do you know what the difference is between a TPU and an IMA?

How long did it take for you to get commissioned once you spoke with your AMEDD recruiter? I am trying to get a feel for how long the process takes once I put my packet in.

I won't get both simultaneously either. I will have to forfeit my bonus as soon as I start receiving STRAP money.

I do believe I am in a TPU that drills once a month and two weeks each summer. I'm pretty sure IMA get together for two weeks out of the year sometime(and may deploy somewhere for those two weeks) and probably do their two weeks of AT in the summer as well(annual training).

Once I got all of my paperwork in(the application took me forever, plus I had a lot of doubts, as my fiance' just got to baghdad and I would hate to deploy soon as he returns next year. Yikes! So anyway, depending when you get your packet in, they have a board review every month (in Ohio anyways, not sure if it's different anywhere else.) So find out when Board review is and get you packet in before the next one I would say(after you get your NCLEX squared away.) Hopefully your recruiter is an actual medical recruiter and not enlisted?

I'll let you know anything I learn once I get my orders. I'm a Corrections charge nurse fulltime and it will be scary/strange getting back into the MedSurg swing of things.

Btw, I don't recall if we addressed this: are you considering Active duty or Reserves? I joined Reserves mainly because I love my current job and the benefits yet need a taste again of the side of nursing that I have been away from.

Thanks and good luck!

I am considering reserves. I am speaking with an AMEDD recruiter. I want to do reserves only because my boyfriend cannot travel around the country due to job committment. I wish I could do active.

Why did it take a long time for the paperwork? What did it entail?

Get the packet from your recruiter that includes the application. It wouldn't hurt because the application itself doesn't bind you to anything. So get it, check it out. It's a lot of background stuff and I had to have three letters of recommendation, etc etc. It's not too terrible, but it seems like you write some of the same stuff over and over. For example: they want all of your past residences in the past 7 or so years and THEN they want a contact person with their address and phone number that knew you at each residence. So if you move a lot, you have to have a new person for each place! yikes! Also, part of what took so long for my app to get completed is the bureacracy at my job at the county jail. Everyone was arguing who was and wasn't supposed to fill out the recommendations. What kind of nursing are you thinking about trying in civilian life?

Thanks, that sounds like a lot of information. I am interested in Emergency or ICU nursing. What are your goals in the army?

I honestly am not completely sure.I would love to work my way up the ranks and possibly even go active if it means that I can secure a position in an education capacity, because that is my passion! I love to teach and am a great administrator/manager. When I retire, I believe I would love to work with veterans or managing some kind of veteran type program. (Partly because my fiance' is currently in Baghdad and we together have a dream of doing some great for vets. )

Hi there, am 45, have 7 yrs ICU experience, got US citizenship 3 yrs ago, starting RN to BSN in July, seriously considering Army Reserves, would like to use STRAP and then loan repayment. I've talked to a recruiter, he said I would not get deployed while in school, the stipend is 1900.- a month for a max of 2 yrs. Will owe the Reserves 4 yrs total for that. Does not sound like a bad deal. I have started some of the paperwork but still having doubts. Guess I am just a big chicken. I have been around Army most of my life and really miss it. Any encouragement / tips / advice out there? Currently live in Missouri, the unit I would be assigned to is located in St. Peters, Mo.

It is a big decision. I am still nervous that I am making the wrong decision for my family. It is, however, something that I want to do and have wanted to do for a VERY long time. I feel that I will regret not doing it, if I choose not to go forward with this. I have weighed the pros and cons and involved my boyfriend in the decision. After that, all that's left is to sign on the dotted line and hope and pray for the best!

good luck to both of you!!!!!! You will make the right decsion!!!!!!!! GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS