Join the Navy Reserve - Naval Reserve Association

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Career

Join the Navy Reserve

Recruiter Information

Find a Navy Reserve Recruiter

Find a Navy Recruiter

Becoming a Navy Reservist

Whether you have prior military service or just possess a desire to give back something to the nation, the Navy Reserve has a place for you. The Navy Reserve supports the active Navy in a variety of missions. Navy Reservists serve side by side with active duty members at locations around the world. Currently, Navy Reserve Sailors comprise 20% of the total Navy manning.

Navy Reservists are obligated to drill one weekend per month and perform two weeks annual training per year. Drill and annual training locations can vary depending on the needs of your assigned unit and the active Navy.

The path to get more information about joining the Navy Reserve is through a Navy Recruiter. You can obtain more detailed information from the Navy Recruiting Command sponsored website. Read more….

Getting a Commission

There are three primary avenues for being tendered an U.S. Naval Reserve commission:

The vast majority of Reserve commissions go to those entering active duty following receipt of a four-year degree. This includes graduates of the Naval Academy, NROTC programs and Officer Candidate School. Following commissioning, these officers serve an active duty military service obligation.
Reserve commissions are also tendered to USN Regular officers who resign their Regular commission upon separation from active duty and request a Reserve commission. The Reserve commission allows the former Regular officer to continue his/her Naval career as a Reservist.
The Reserve Direct Commission Program provides educated/experienced individuals the opportunity to serve without having had previous active duty service.

The Naval Reserve Direct Commissioning Program allows college educated professionals, between ages 19 to 35, the opportunity to be appointed as an officer in the Naval Reserve. The Direct Commissioning Program serves the expanded needs of the Navy in certain officer skill areas listed below:

Engineering Duty Officer
Cryptology Officer
Intelligence Officer
Merchant Marine Officer
Public Affairs Officer
Oceanography Officer
Medical Programs – Medical, Dental, Nurse, and Medical Service Corps
Supply Corps Officer
Chaplain Corps Officer
Civil Engineer Corps

Some skill areas may not have openings each year. Each year, skill area recruiting quotas are promulgated for recruiters to fill.

For more information, qualifications, and quota availability, visit your local Naval Reserve Recruiter, call toll-free 1-800-USA-USNR, or view the web site.

For information about the two week long Direct Commissioned Officer School, in Newport RI, visit their web site.

Benefits of Being a Reservist

Regular Pay
Pay is earned at the rate of one drill (minimum four hours of training) for one day’s pay. In a normal two-day weekend, a reservist earns four days of pay. Full pay and allowances are given for the two-week annual training periods each year.

Future Retirement Pay
Reservists earn credit toward future retirement pay that starts at age 60 following the completion of 20 years of qualifying service. Qualifying service includes the combination of annual training and attending weekend drills. Retired reservists are entitled to medical care, full exchange and commissary privileges, and are allowed to use recreational facilities on military bases.

Group Life Insurance
Reservists may select a full-time term policy up to $250,000 under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) for a small monthly fee.

Exchange Store/Commissary Privileges
Naval Reservists and their spouses are entitled to unlimited use of military exchanges (department stores) and limited use of commissaries (grocery stores).

Travel
Space-available travel on military aircraft for drilling Reservists is authorized for upon presentation of a travel eligibility form and identification card. Travel limited to within and between the Continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and American Samoa. Worldwide space-available travel is authorized for retired members and eligible dependents.

Promotions
Upward mobility in the Naval Reserve depends on time in grade (rank) and documented professional performance. Even in a part-time status ample opportunity is given to qualify for promotion to a higher grade.

Home-Loan Program
Department of Veterans Affairs Home-Loan Guarantee program is available to Reservists with at least six years of honorable service.

Work with a Reserve Recruiter

The Naval Reserve Recruiting Command is responsible for recruiting Drilling Reserve officers for Inactive Duty Training (IDT) pay assignments guided by the annual FY Drilling Reserve officer accession plan. All new accession affiliation requests for LCDR (04) and below to either pay or nonpay status will be processed by the local Reserve officer recruiter. All CDR and CAPT (05/06) accession requests require an accession waiver from Naval Reserve Forces Command (N11) Officer Community Manager.

Assignment to a pay billet via echelon III board action does not require recruiter involvement. Affiliating Reserve officers must be in an active status Ready Reserve (USNR-R) or Standby Reserve Active (USNR-S1) before being issued IDT orders which authorize drill IDT participation.

Naval Reserve Forces Command (N11) has sole approval authority for pay billet quotas for new Reserve officer accessions that Reserve recruiters utilize.

Fields of Specialization

There are multitude of opportunities for officer participation in the Navy Reserve. Career progression is important in whatever field of specialization that you choose. Fields that are currently open to Reserve Officer include Aviation, Clergy, Engineering, Health Care, Intelligence, Information Warfare, Legal, Merchant Marine, Public Affairs, Supply, Transportation and Logistics. See sample career paths for a variety of officer designators in the Career Path section.

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