IraBeaOasis

Best of luck, Care&Joy, let us know how it all pans out for you... Eric

CSHRN, The 345th CSH is a part of the 332nd Medical Brigade, which itself is headquartered in Nashville, TN. Interestingly enough, my unit is located within the confines of Jacksonville Naval Air Station, wonder how many other Army Reserve units are colocated like that? There are other CSHs assigned to the 332, but I'm not sure where they are or what other type units - supply / logistics, etc, are also included under the brigade framework. Hope to find out more after I start actively participating. Regards, Eric

Oh, yea, an the Army's got some snappy blues to wear too... Cheers! Eric

Care&Joy, Well, I just joined the Army Reserve as a 66H8A critical care RN. I was a medic 91Bravo in the Army in the early 80's and a medic 90250 in the AirForce in the late 80's - early 90's. When I decided to go back in I looked into an Airforce reserve commission but chose the Army Reserve instead. One of the reasons was the unit I joined was the type I was most looking to be a part of, and it was closer to my home for weekend drills. The main reason I " go green " though is the much higher espirit-de-corps and team -work ethos of my prior Army experiance as compared to the AirForce. I always felt the Army took care of it's own better. the USAF does have some bucks to spend on better housing / recreation facilities, if that is a factor for you to consider... Regards, Eric

Hey, CSHRN, Thanks for the post, my first Battle Drill Assembly will be in Jan. '07. In the old days we just called it " drilling ", or weekend drill. I'm in the 345th CSH in Jax., Fl. What outfit are you with?

Hey, KAINETX, My experiance on gettin' a commission in October into the ANC as a reservist was as a 1st Lt. O-2, with 18 months time in grade towards Capt., O-3. That's with 13 years experience as Rn with a critical care certification. What my recruiter told me was that the medical board that selects applicants for commisions into the health care field uses no set standard for specifying rank awarded to direct commissions other than O-1, brownbar, for entry level ( graduate ) RNs. On any given day the board uses prior experience, prior service, specialty / education level, and Army needs to arrive at a decision for rank. Hope that helps a little, good luck in the Navy. Regards, Eric

Thank you, JaixiaKiley and SmilingBluEyes. Todays the day! Regards, Eric

Best of luck, Gennaver! Be waitin' to hear the news. Regards, Eric

Hey, smattles, What are you waiting around for him to contact you, for? Keeping in - touch with a potential officer candidate is your recruiter's business, and it is your job to remind him, gently of coorifice, when he does not. Don't be frustrated, take an active role and contact him yourself. Let him know you are still interested and ask if their is anything else you can do to facilitate the application process. On the flip side, the process can take many weeks / months to complete even at its' best, so a little patience is a good virtue... Best of luck, Eric

Hey, Sergeant, I'm commissioning Saturday, the 14th, as a 66H8A, into the 345 Combat Support Hospital, USAR, at Jacksonville, Fl. Just wanted to let you and everyone else know that I had a very positive experience in working with my health care recruiters and have alot of respect for the hard work and professionalism they exhibited during the whole process. I mainly worked with Capt. Saint Kaniaupio and SSG Doug Harding, and they were great, but the whole recruiting station at Gainesville, Fl was top notch. LOL, I thought it was funny you consider going to commissioned status a step down for a SFC! You are probably correct in many respects, pay rate included. Best of luck with your career change and thank you for your input. Regards, Eric

Gennaver, I'm so very sorry to hear your news... that is a bummer. Hope you won't give up on getting a commission after your program completion. Yes, the Army does accept new BSN grads, as a 2Lt. If you also have your RN, at the MSN level, it would only make to much sense for the Army to accept you too, at that time. What's your plan B regarding finances till then? Regards, Eric

Corvette Guy, glad to see you are back. Yep, wifes' got the digital camera and sis has the video. They said I could get commissioned anywhere I'd like, so the ceremony will be at O'leno State Park, along the Santa Fe river, - one of my most favorite places in the whole world - with family picnic to follow! Regards, Eric

Gennaver, Hey, way to go! Congradulations on submitting your packet, that in and of itself is no small achievement! Hope the best for you and please let us know here when you get the word. Regarding your MSN entry, well , perhaps you will get extra rank out of it? Also, regarding your having to take the ASVAB, I'm jus' a lil' older than you and didn't have to take it or prove myself eligible to enlist rather than commission, what was your recruiters reasoning on that? Just curious. All the best, Eric

Well, just got the word last Thursday, 9/28. My commissioning date is 10/14/06, would of been sooner but I'm having family from out of town who would like to attend and this was a good date for all. This has happened so fast, especially after months of putting the application packet together, thought I'd have to wait a whlie longer. Glad to get it going and will hopefully have orders in hand before the new year. Cheers all, Eric

Gennaver, My recruiter told me it would be a month or so too, but, as it turned out, the very next week after was when I found out I had been accepted. Here's hoping your wait will be just as short and I wish you and feb06 the best of luck in your endeavors to join up. Regards, Eric

Corvette Guy, Gennaver, athena55, and JaxiaKiley, Thank you for your kind salutations. I appreciate them all. Best regards, Eric

Hey janae0704, Greetings and welcome from a relative newbie, myself. Deciding on a career in the armed services is a serious question to consider, probably doubly so with a dependant child whom you quite possibly could be seperated from for a year or more. That would be a tough choice for me to make. Still, as Corvette Guy quite ably illuminated above, there are reasons far greater than any individual's issues to reflect upon as well. Have you considered other options, such as service as a GS nurse working in a military hospital, or perhaps part time in the Army Guard or Army Reserve to give you a best of both worlds kinda thing? Regards, Eric

WOW!!! Corvette Guy, I could not have said that any better, and it would have taken thrice the number of words. Well put, soldier! :yeahthat: Eric

Ho Ho, Corvette Guy, Roger that! I was just bein' respectful of a person senior to me in years, as my momma taught me to. And though we may, for a time, hold the same rank, your date of rank would make you the senior officer to me. I'm all about showing respect both in civilian life and military, where it is due! :wink2: Respectfully, Eric

Thank you, sir! I am very psyched! Regards, Eric

Evening all, Just felt like posting the good news here. My nurse recruiter called this afternoon to say that my application has been approved by the AMEDD September board for a direct commission in the Army Reserve as a 66H8A, critical care RN. Have been working on this since mid April and this was a very exciting day! Still got a few months to go before I start activley participating in my TPU. If anyone else out there is waiting to hear about their application or has proceeded to the next step or two, I'd be pleased to read your accounting of it - or if anyone has any nuggets of info to share, let's hear it, please. Cheers, Eric

Evening all, Well, I can't speak to the Regular Army, but the Army Reserve just recruited me. Found out today from my recruiter that the September AMEDD board has approved my application for a direct commission into the USAR as a 66H8A, RN with a critical care specialty, and as a 1st Lt. with time in grade to boot... Like dconnors above, my nurse recruiter has not heard of any new plan by the Army to freeze recruiting, to the contrary, the Army is highly engaged in welcoming more nursing staff, not turning them away. IMHO - rumour has it... Cheers, Eric

Corvette Guy, Hello, thanks for your replies and information. Believe it or not, from Dec. 81 - Sep 86, I was a ole 91 Bravo in the SCARNG so I guess I was just mixing old and new terms to come up with " battle drill ", let's hope I get it straight before I embarass myself futher at my new TPU! Also, yes, I'm coming in as a 66H8A due to my critical care background and my recruiter has already worked with my civie bosses to document the some 20,000 hours critical care experience I have accumulated thus far. I must also say that my recruiter has been very thorough and up - front with me about the application process and the length of time it takes to move through it all. Working with him has thus far been a positive experience. From what he estimates, it will be at least Jan. 2007 before I first report for a weeken...oops... battle assembly. Regards, Eric

Oh, yea, Silvernessima, As you are the originator of this thread, just wanted to say that I admire and respect your sense of duty and willingness to serve, need more out there like ya. And this is one ole RN that gets it... I'm prepared to serve ,if the Army will put up with me, that is! Ho Ho Ho. Regards, Eric

Gennaver, Hello, yep, the wait, an-ti-ci-pa-tion is making me ... well, I've been working with my recruiter since early May, and from what he tells me even should the board approve my application for a commission, it will still be a few more months of rubber stamping through the senate and Army Resources before my orders are cut sending me to my first " battle drill " with my reserve unit. Hang in there... I just keep telling myself that the Army just don't give these things away to jus' any Joe Blow off the street. Best of luck, Eric