Why You SHOULDN'T JOIN the Reserves?! 

Why did you decide to go reserves?

@@xx-knight-xx2119 he just said why...

I disagree with this analysis. I know plenty of people that did not enjoy active duty and would have gone reserve if they had to do it over again. Lots of perks about the reserve left out of this video, which is sad. I have been in the Air Force reserve for 6 years now and it’s been great.

@@zachmaruda7397 what perks did he not mention?

@XX-Knight-XX21 Networking applies to the reserve as well, not just exclusive to active duty. I have met reservists that are lawyers, police, and all kinds of others professions in the civilian side. My current job was a result of networking in the reserve. Pay can be better in reserve compared to AD. If you live in the dorms or on base, you don’t get Base Housing Allowance. He also didn’t mention signing bonuses that exist for mission critical positions in the reserve. This is another great incentive to join the reserve. Tuition assistance applies to Reserves also, not exclusive to AD. I have had the reserve pay off a portion of my federal student debt which has been a great help for me. VA disability applies to reserve weekends in addition to drill weekends, if you get injured while on duty. You can collect VA benefits in the reserve too. Reserves gives you way more control over what job you can pick and where you get stationed, compared to AD. You can actually meet units you are interested in joining before you sign and see which is the best fit for you. Active duty simply cannot offer that, they put you where they need you. You can still volunteer for deployments or Temporary duty (TDY) assignments as a reservist as well. You are not stuck just showing up to drill one weekend a month for your entire career. Health Insurance benefits can apply to discounts on your civilian health insurance as well. Another Big perk he did not mention was differential pay that some employers will pay reservists for their time deployed, or training. A deployment differential can be calculated in different ways, depending on the employer but my current civilian employer will calculate the difference between my civilian hourly wage and my basic pay and pay me the difference for the time I am deployed, for up to two years. This is a voluntary benefit that some civilian employers will do, but nonetheless it is still a huge perk of being in the reserve. Another perk is the “deploy to dwell ratio”. AD gets 2 month’s dwell time for each month deployed, while reserves gets 5 months dwell time for each month deployed. Another perk in the Reserve is that you promote through the ranks in much less time compared to Active Duty. I know there has been this stigma in the reserves that “in order to promote in the reserve, someone has to either retire or die”. Although that may have been true maybe 20 years ago, as of now the military across the board is facing a manning shortage, which also means that there is a lot of room for growth and opportunities for promotion, especially in the reserve. Being a “reserve bum”, “bumming” or “troughing” I would consider another perk of the reserve. So this video addresses this, kind of. When you are bumming, you get in orders or deploy for a certain amount of time to cover your expenses for the year, then for the rest of the year you can coast off of the money you have earned. This really depends on the unit you join and their financial/operational standpoint within the military but I would consider working 6 months out of the year and having your expense covered as a perk of being in the Reserve. I am probably forgetting several other perks, but I hope this info helps.

the truest statement ever said LOL

Im gonna join the reserves when I turn 18, go to college and then active duty.

@@jaredkeeler8522 what branch do you want to join ?

@@blakedavis2447 Air force, both of my grandpa's served in there.

@@jaredkeeler8522 yessir I just finished MEPS that’s the plan

Let me know how it goes once you’re enlisted I think you’ll hate it unless you’re at rock bottom right now in your civilian life

Get it 🔥🔥🔥 Army I’m assuming?

Wtf, bruh you’re gonna hate dealing with a bunch of 18 year old rowdy kids

Branch?

nice im turning 35 in may just waiting for social security card so I can go take asvab at meps

Ex-reservist here and I agree. I hated AD and for me SELRES was 10x better. The stories I told the AD MAs I saw from A-School or in general had them in awe. It also helped that on deployment I not only got per diem in many places of at least $122/day but also NYC BAH.

hi @zach maruda, what if I joined the reservist with a green card. if I became a citizen will be able to be a commissioned officer?

@@TonTon-sy4ki you may need to speak with a recruiter. I know that military service is a way to become an American citizen, but I am not sure if this works by joining the reserve.

That's air force though. You guys have way better things. Better uniforms, opportunities, everything. The navy is the trashiest branch ever. Unless you get into some boujee brown water navy gig, it is trash.

Hi! Can I work a full time job as a reservist? I’m scared I’d be deployed and lose the job. How does that work

You are working a federal job

And bullshit most guys i know that are making six figures a year are federal employees everything from federal law enforcement to dudes being mechanics

@@stephenpaulmccarter4160 i was a federal employee while doing the reserves. Many guys are federal cops and I even meet a federal prosecutor from Puerto Rico when I was TDY in Qatar.

How was it going from reserve to active again? Was the process hard?

@@licishanelle I went on an ADSW or Active Duty for Special WOrk. After you are duty six straight months with no break, at that tie you could put in to re-enlist. I do not know if the the rules have changed at all. If they have not, find a project longer than six months and put in for it. Once you have orders for over six months put in to re-enlist.

Did you had a family an kids.. I’m trying to do it right now an I’m 28 also but have a family an two young kids

@@oscaraparicio2834 you fine its people and all that plus some they won't send you overseas but they look out for people with families and thats married.... that young man stuff is usually said by people that joined young but not everyone that is even higher ranked went down the same path. You will see , better late than never

Oscar Aparicio what do you want to do

@R' merac what do you mean by waiver?

AGR?

@@cellardoor199991 Active Guard Reserve

Ethan, lots of great opportunities for nurses to mobilize 👍

I just graduated from nursing school and am also looking into joining the Air Force Reserves and work as a civilian in ICU. Thanks for sharing!

Hello! I am a pacu rn, thinking of going into Navy reserves. I love my job but it is repetitive and I want to keep things fresh. What is your experience?

Why Navy? I’m an RN too debating Air Force or Army Reserves

@@hellojuneau8917 they have better bases to go to and I have family members in the air force and I don’t want to step on their toes by coming in later with a higher rank. Some of them are funny like that.

How was doing infantry in the marines? I’m thinking of doing that or army reserves because I want the military experience but I also want the college experience too?

Im 26 also and have some what the same plan as you just got my bachelors in criminal justice and getting ready to go air force reserve to help build up before I go FBI or Air Marshall.

@@clerklerp8458 Why would you want to do infantry first? If doing basic things fits your personality then do it, but if not you will be wasting your time and will be bored out of your mind with repetition, having to follow guys who,are intellectually beneath you, and not to mention hurry up and wait. Two other jobs that you may find just as good but a bit more intriguing and may want to look into are, military intelligence and civil affairs. Just saying! Btw, I did 4 in USMC field artillery (84-88) and saw what the infantry had to do and it did not look fun at all or mentally challenging, just repetitive and learning to be miserable. Field artillery was just as boring after you learn all of the systems. Once I got out I joined the ANG where I did helicopter maintenance while I got my collage degree. Did that dir about 8 years, until I got bored and decided to apply to OCS. I wanted to do anything, but a chemical officer, which is what the Army gave me. You know, needs of the Army. I did that for another 8 years, and doing a tour in Iraq in 05 and getting out in 07, bc of BS unit politics, too much twiddling your thumbs, even as the reserve weekend HHD commander, at the regimental level. At the same time I worked as a state prison guard, where I retired from after 20 years with a pretty good pension. Always keep in mind that there are a lot of ways to do it, but alway try to do it in a way where it’s the most beneficial and with the least amount of resistance and effort in order to accomplish your long term goal and where you want to be at in your older years. I’ve seen/ heard of a lot of guys who go “balls to the wall” trying to appear to be tough guys, just to end up being sped out by the system after they get hurt and what not. Also, while serving may seem great and fun, just never forget that you are only going to be a number who will be quickly forgotten after you leave the organization. 🤷‍♂️

How can I become apart of MILTECH?

What is MILTECH

Matt Granger hell yea brother

Reserves is horrible for someone doing minimum wage

Lol who goes military that already have a 6-figure income

@@freshswagga100 Airlines pilots with multiple ex-wives?

@@freshswagga100 many ppl do. Esp with covid it saved many ppl that were out of work.

@@evilload that's dif. They have nothing else to lose

Agree, AD was a straightforward life for me . People give Reserves/Guard crap , but it’s hard trying to juggle between a civilian job and a guard job , that’s supposed to be part time, but still requires full time proficiency . The longer I stayed in guard, the less I enjoyed it .

I think I fucked up I gave up on school, I'm 18, don't really want to work but I just recently got in a reserve unit and got all my gear but I'm not really doing anything with my life and I kind of regret it idk I haven't started basic yet but if I try and do a component transfer to active duty it'll take forever.. I'm from Canada btw

Kiara Roberts so true

You're right, you can't count on 20 years of active duty. Too much force shaping over the years.

Why?

It also depends on if you have scholarships for college too. Or any other major plans. Like in my case I have a scholarship to a university so I’m just doing reserves.

Well I get free college for 4 years and 1000 a month for those four years but college is just not my thing and i want to be a firefighter EMT in the civilian world but then I figured out that in the marines they have a MOs called crash fire Rescue I’ve always wanted to be a marine so I might as well just go active Get new Experience and meet new people I live in a small town nothing to do I’m just simply bored 😂

alaya little yeah it’s ultimately where you think you’ll find your niche.

Lol sounds about right

Definitely on the same boat as you but for the Air Force. It’s really frustrating.

This is actually the exact reason I am considering staying in the reserves. I have a great job with good pay and benefits. However, nothing is guaranteed and if something ever happens, I am thinking the reserves may be a good plan to fall back on.

What did you think about first joining at 40? What key pieces of advice would give to your 40yo self? Thanks.

@Miguel Bermudez, agree 💯 % ... MA’s in the Reserves have a lot of great opportunities compared to Active Duty 👍

what did you do in djibouti?

@@Logan-kb5vp DJ is where MAs go to do law enforcement. It is the largest base in Africa.

how has it been

This is what I was worried about. I enlisted for reserves and leave in a month for basic training but I want to go active now, the reasons being my unit is 2 hours away, I’d have to work a ton to make ends meet and go to school all at the same time and I am 19 years old, I feel like the smartest decision for me would be to go active. Reserves sounded good at first but when I actually started to used logic and lay everything out on the table it makes more sense to do AD

Omega Mochi same

Trust me, no it is not LOL

That is to be expected in any profession based on doing something full time vs part time.

Lol you must be a recruiter

I can confirm as a Guardsmen. A lot of people (At least in my unit) do lack military knowledge. The only people that do have a lot of military knowledge are those who are prior service, prior Regular Army, or those that study a lot as I did. Most people in my unit are lenient on import stuff, serious on the less important stuff, and being soup sandwiches.

It depends. I was a civilian cop and MA and the AD MAs were stupid when it came to LE stuff. I had an MA1 pull me over in Norfolk because there was no sign stating I couldn't turn left between 07-09. He called his chief and SECO over and the SECO let me go after i told him and that my dash camera could prove it.

A drilling reservist is not on any kind of Title 10 orders. An activated reservist is on ADOS/ADSW orders or Title 10 mobilization orders.

I wonder as well. I’m thinking about AD Air Force or Air Force Reserves.

Me too man, I turn 30 in November and haven't decided yet.

I am turning 40 in a bit and just joined active reserve( Not USA but NATO country) . I was AD 18 years ago. I am just right now on a training and it is amazing. I am not the oldest ( everage age) . Because everybody wants to be there.

@@MrCody6925 what branch(es) are you looking into?

@@brendane3283 Navy, mainly because a lot of my family was in it. Grandfather on dad's side was on the Enterprise in the late 60's his brother was Navy and eventually worked in the Pentagon for 13 years or so. Then his wife was on President Clinton's medical staff in the mid-90s she was the most successful earning Captain so got a lot of Navy people. If not Navy then For sure Air force. Have a lot of good buddy's there.

Same I turn 30 next year but I have no idea what to do.

Go to your drilling site and speak with the command career counselor. This will very in availability and also if you would be willing to switch out of rate etc.

NICKY MGTV thank you for a quick reply! I’ll find out next week,

If you have a plan stay as a Reservist. HM rating advancement is terrible and you’ll spend most of your enlistment whining how much more money you can make as a civilian.

Light Yagami that’s true, but I want apply for deployment as soon as I come back home, and the requirements say they need 3 of my evals, that’s 1.5 years 😞

Ksenia Kazorina Why is that?

All contracts are for 8 years total, typically for what you're wanting 4-6 of reserve duty followed by inactive reserve (no drilling). You will have to make time for bootcamp, and specialty training for whatever field it is you're going into. In some cases that could be 6 months or more.

veg head, I recommend picking a rating with good advancement and lots of opportunities to mobilize if you go the Reserve route. Make the Reserves work for you 👍

@@LauraZorza thanks Laura I will speak to my recruiter as soon as i gather more information on rates

veg head, definitely do your research on Navy Cool. Remember, a Recruiter is selling you a rating and often a line of BS, but the Classifier at MEPS is the only one that knows what ratings are available and they change daily.

yea, I'm 30 have mortgage, kids and a great job as a nurse, however, looking into navy reserve nurse corps, air force reserve. My fatass needs to lose weight first!!

@@LauraZorza He said he already has a stable life and youre talking about how he should be the route with the most mobilization. Makes no sense

Well your Navy time counts towards federal time (retirement etc...). Federal job gets you 120 hrs of paid military leave (per fiscal year) which you can use for reserve AT or trips. Reserve pay could be used for fun money, like hookers and blow. You will have to give up one weekend a month but at least you pick where you want to serve and they cannot make you move. There is also the possibility of being mobilized, but that is dependent on what job/unit you serve with.

Join reserves. Part time pay and retirement.

As I reservist I deployed more than 99.9% of Active Duty guys I know. My Master Chief had 25 years in and deployed 12x in his career before an injury ended his career. He hated the active-duty chiefs mess b/c he was a federal agent and would talk about how the AD MAs all suck and how he preferred his reservists.

@@miguelbermudez5426 which reserves. i wanna know

@@miguelbermudez5426 12×? What unit was this?

Honestly reserves should just be for people with a career already as a civilian. Someone in their mid 20s to 30s. If you are straight from High school wanting the experience, why did you join the reserves? I want to join the reserves, but im 25, an electrician, and own a piece of land. I dont need benefits

@@matt59fire straight up answer. At 18 i didnt have the life experience to know that a $10k sign on bonus was not enough incentive to go reserves instead of just active. I wanted a Jeep. 😆

Im not the sharpest bulb in the drawer

@@ancient_aeryn4224 🤣. Hey you are honest

Did searched some videos about National Guard. I heard it takes a lot of your time? Sometimes they even call you from Thursday- Sunday? Well that sounds to me that it interferes a civilian life a lot.

Timur Joro it can definitely specially when your a sgt. But I joined so i do not have to leave the state. But most of the time its only weekends depending what the state needs.

They didn't mention any of that btw of the training reservists and I didn't even know that existed. All I was told is " it's basically the same, but you get paid by reserve"

Pretty much the benefits of being active duty but not deploying on ship, squadron, etc.

@@NICKYMGTV yeah but what about the training of other reservists? Like is that as big a part of the job as they make it seem? Also will it get in the way of what im actually signing up for which would be AE

@@skylerhand7258 your job is AE which you’re scope or your job would pertain to that. Not just some random stuff usually. The military doesn’t train you to not do the AE job.

@@skylerhand7258 it depends. As FTS you can get a billet in a squadron and deploy with them. My friend is an FTS IT and hes deployed with me now. But most of the billets are pushing paper at NOSCs. Doesnt matter what rate. They’ll put you through AE A school then you’ll come to a NOSC to learn how DTS works

This hit the nail on the head

They never want to send you to school because then they lose you for summer camp.

that is your fault for never signing up for a deployment in all 7 years. I joined a reserve CRS unit and got to go to all kinds of schools. I did 7 years on AD and it absolutely sucked!!

@@miguelbermudez5426 mind if I ask what is CRS?

No a recruiters job is to fill slots they dont really take anything personally so if you messege them they will try their best to get you in but you have to be careful they might try to put you in a job they have to fill

Was it worth it?

You got higher ten-year because you couldnt promote....

@@jonbertocchi173 went from HT2 to UT3. Over confident. Thought I could pick up second class in a year or two. No one in the seabees were promoting. Then nmcb40 was getting decommissioned and they let everyone who wanted an early out get out. After I left. The seabees promotions went way up. Bad gamble on my part but I got what I wanted. The experience of being a seabee, $22,000 severance check and went to DIT commercial dive school. I'm not doing bad at all now. Wouldn't change anything.

HYT stands for High Year Tenure fellas. I used to say higher ten-year as well lol

I picked up 2nd Class on the fourth time and 1st Class on the first time up as a reservist. I also deployed 8x as a reservist over 12 years vs active duty I never deployed once I begged to deploy. Maybe for you, it was a hobby but I made it a career and kept volunteering myself for deployments until I hit 20 years. I make more on the outside as an environmental engineer with a master's degree than I would have ever made on active duty.

As a reservist I know a lot of active duty folks, I've been to many places over the years. I also know a lot of people from the civilian community though also, much more networking opportunities.