Hello all im new to this board and strongly thinking about joining the Army Reserves. So i just saw a recruiter today and i was telling him how i want to join the Reserves and he told be for reserves i have to sign up for minium 4 years reserve and 4 years on the computer just in case there is a draft or something.. Is this true or am i confused? i thought it was like 2 or 3 years now...oh and something else it both has to add up to 8 years.. can someone please explain this to me

When I was in the Reserves I had to do 6 years TPU and then 2 years IRR which totaled 8 years. In a TPU unit you will drill once a month with your unit and during the summer 2 weeks for annual training in which you will be brought on active duty during that time. Also while in Basic and AIT you will be on active duty. Again this was back in January 2000 - 26 March 2002, and then I got realesed to come in active duty.

When you joing the military, you are signing up for an intial 8 years (Military Service Obligation-MSO).

Now, how you complete these 8 years is up to you and what MOS/option you select.

I've seen some do 2 years active and 6 years reserve.

I've seen some do 6 years reserve and then come active (for 2 or more years).

So when i enlist into the Army Reserves i can do 3 reserves and 5 active.. But what does active mean for the reserves does that mean full time or i dont drill anyumore but i might get called for a draft?

Active Duty: A full time job with salary, benefits, and vacation days.

Selected Reserve: minimum duty requirement is 2 days each month, and 2 weeks of annual training each year. You may be called to active duty if needed.

Individual Ready Reserve: no regularly scheduled duty requirement. You may be called to active duty if needed

Every initial contract is for 8 years.

It doesn't matter what duty status you serve those 8 in. If during those 8 years, you are not otherwise obligated, the default duty status is Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). In the IRR there is no regular duty requirement, but you may be called to duty at any time (quite a bit of that going on these days).

Army Reserve contracts are typically 6x2, meaning 6 years selected reserve, the next 2 years unless you are otherwise obligated, you will revert to IRR.

He@t,

I think you're getting a little confused by the three different status: Active Duty, Reserve, and Inactive Ready Reserve.

What the other posters said is true. If you join the Reserves, then your status will be "Reserve", which means you drill one weekend a month, two weeks a summer.

When your unit gets deployed, your status becomes AD. When your back from deployment, you go back into the Reserve status.

When you're done with your contract in the Reserves, and if you decide not to re-enlist or go into Active Duty, you are technically still committed to the Army in case they needed you. That is the IRR. To find out how long you'll be in the IRR status, subtract the number of years you've served from 8, and that tells you how long you'll be in the IRR.

When your recruiter told you that you'll have to sign up for "minium 4 years reserve and 4 years on the computer", what he meant is those last 4 years you'll be in the IRR (meaning that you don't drill but if for whatever reason the Army needs you back, you'll have to answer the call of duty. What are the chances of that happening? I am not sure. My guess is that it depends on your MOS and the situation in the Middle East etc.) Thus the 8-year minumum commitment.

SSG Blalock,

How easy was it to AD? Did your commander release you right away or did they give you a hard time?