Join Reserves if at Risk of Not Promoting?

[Flash]

I have seen O-4's transition to the reserves when they were passed for DH and thus had no hope of making active duty O-5....

But declining promotion to O-5? That is a few years later and is a big roll of the dice, especially if they are not promoted to O-5 in the reserves.

The rest of your scenario of getting promoted all the way to O-6 hinges on a lot of factors, including the ever present timing and luck. It may work out but may not, a big gamble to be sure.

 

[Randy Daytona]

But declining promotion to O-5? That is a few years later and is a big roll of the dice, especially if they are not promoted to O-5 in the reserves.

The rest of your scenario of getting promoted all the way to O-6 hinges on a lot of factors, including the ever present timing and luck. It may work out but may not, a big gamble to be sure.

I agree - declining active duty O-5 would have to be a very strange situation - i.e., you were offered some incredible job on the outside.

 

[subreservist]

I agree - declining active duty O-5 would have to be a very strange situation - i.e., you were offered some incredible job on the outside.

Even with a great job offer, I don't know why you would decline...accepting the rank doesn't lock you in to serve. Of course, you need time in grade for retirement at that rank, but it still makes no sense to decline unless there is a benefit to staying O4 and avoiding the responsibility that comes with the promotion...

 

[nittany03]

It just doesn't make a lot of sense with no extra info, unless you have an ex-wife you want to screw out of alimony payments (I have heard of that happening).

I once met a reservist who (I was told) took a $100,000/yr pay cut from Federal agent to regional pilot in order to do just that . . .

 

[Farva01]

Even with a great job offer, I don't know why you would decline...accepting the rank doesn't lock you in to serve. Of course, you need time in grade for retirement at that rank, but it still makes no sense to decline unless there is a benefit to staying O4 and avoiding the responsibility that comes with the promotion...

So that is the urban legend I am trying to hunt down; accepting O-5 does commit you to orders(a couple guys have been told that who were trying to retire). I can't find the particular milspersman or instruction.
I am currently on flying orders. Just starting to think about plan C about switching over to the reserves at 16 years and get the seniority number at the airlines. I will be putting on O-5 just before these orders are up.
I understand the risks involved. That is NOT the discussion I am trying generate here, it has been discussed ad nauseum elsewhere. Instead I am investigating the possibility of transitioning to SELRES within months of pinning on O-5 and what it entails. I am also aware that flying SELRES jobs are out of the question.

 

[nittany03]

Instead I am investigating the possibility of transitioning to SELRES within months of pinning on O-5 and what it entails. I am also aware that flying SELRES jobs are out of the question.

This COA, if actually executed, is probably going to make heads explode in PERS-9.

 

[subreservist]

So that is the urban legend I am trying to hunt down; accepting O-5 does commit you to orders(a couple guys have been told that who were trying to retire). I can't find the particular milspersman or instruction.
I am currently on flying orders. Just starting to think about plan C about switching over to the reserves at 16 years and get the seniority number at the airlines. I will be putting on O-5 just before these orders are up.
I understand the risks involved. That is NOT the discussion I am trying generate here, it has been discussed ad nauseum elsewhere. Instead I am investigating the possibility of transitioning to SELRES within months of pinning on O-5 and what it entails. I am also aware that flying SELRES jobs are out of the question.

Well, let me start this off by saying I don't know the answer to this query (and there are probably few that do), but this is what I THINK based on what I do know:

The criteria for selection is slightly different for active O5 and reserve O5 for the same designator; generally, it is easier to make rank in the reserves depending on manning numbers. I guess the key, if you turn down active O5, is if that somehow gets documented in your record some type of way as a flag for future selection opportunities. This I don't know. But my best guess is I don't see how that is any different than FOS twice active and getting picked up for promotion in the reserves.

If there was some red flag, then why would a selection board select you when they "saw" that you were passed over for rank multiple times on active duty. And I have seen multiple active FOS to O4 select in the reserves.

My thoughts are there is Active and there is Reserve and they play in completely different buckets that don't share much information beyond connecting basic info. I "feel" if you turned down O5 active, that notation (if there is any) would stay with your active record, and if you went SELRES and go up for board, it would not be visible to the reserve board and have no bearing (i.e. negative weight) to your chances for selection to reserve O5.

 

[Farva01]

So to follow up...
I did some research and confirmed it with my detailer. Putting on O-5 does not commit you to orders, but you do owe three years before you can retire (which of course can be waived but not likely).
So no need for me to make anyone's head explode at PERS, although maybe worth it for shits and giggles.

 

[snake020]

I am currently an Active Duty O3 Supply Officer and considering a switch to the Navy Reserves. I want to stay Active Duty but fear not making O4.

I am at a crossroads here and I have heard two schools of thought:

1. If I join the Navy Reserves now I am told I will be likely to promote to O4 given I have a warfare device and active duty time/sea duty/deployments/qualifications/many things Reservists have a hard time getting.

2. If I stay Active Duty I may not promote to O4 given the current trends in my community (Supply currently promoting about 60%). Many who have "hit the wickets" are still not promoting.

I am thinking, why not just go into the Reserves, promote to O4 the less risky route, then rejoin AD several years later (or just stay Reserves)? I can easily do a similar DoD job I am doing now as an Active Duty member as a civilian/reservist. Thoughts?

Follow up: Can an Active Duty person who was passed up for promotion and separated join the Reserves? Thanks everyone!

-Stephen

Thread has gotten slightly off topic. Back to the OP:

I was an O-3 3100 who left active duty just before getting a look at O-4 and hadn't done a department head tour. Skipped SELRES and went straight to IRR. Wrote a letter to the board explaining I was in graduate school, and ended up getting selected for O-4 whilst in IRR... so it can be done.

If you get 2xFOS on AD, you will get additional opportunities to get looked at for promotion in the Reserves, but "[rejoining] AD several years later" is extremely unlikely unless you get picked up for FTS. As previous posts have alluded to, once you go to the Reserve side, PERS watches your time like a hawk to make sure you don't have cumulative 20 years active duty and qualify for a regular retirement. If that 20 year AD retirement is important to you, try and stay in.

 

[nittany03]

So no need for me to make anyone's head explode at PERS, although maybe worth it for shits and giggles.

Meh. Two years in, I just got done unfucking the documentation of my retirement points, courtesy of the knuckleheads in the Career Transition Office not performing that minor detail known in some circles as their job. Doesn't take much to make their heads explode.

 

[subreservist]

Thread has gotten slightly off topic. Back to the OP:

I was an O-3 3100 who left active duty just before getting a look at O-4 and hadn't done a department head tour. Skipped SELRES and went straight to IRR. Wrote a letter to the board explaining I was in graduate school, and ended up getting selected for O-4 whilst in IRR... so it can be done.

You left off an important component; how much time elapsed between when you left active and went IRR? If you transitioned immediately, your record was still "fresh" with active service when your were up for a look. But if you left active duty and been sitting in IRR for a few years before getting a look and picked it up, then that would be a good data point.

Of course, these days reserve O4 select at a higher percentage on average than active.

Now picking up O5 in the IRR...that's the story I really want to hear!

 

[subreservist]

So to follow up...
I did some research and confirmed it with my detailer. Putting on O-5 does not commit you to orders, but you do owe three years before you can retire (which of course can be waived but not likely).
So no need for me to make anyone's head explode at PERS, although maybe worth it for shits and giggles.

Correct, you need the time in grade to retire at that rank. The only way you'd get that waived is serving a couple years in a warzone (but still not likely).

 

[snake020]

You left off an important component; how much time elapsed between when you left active and went IRR? If you transitioned immediately, your record was still "fresh" with active service when your were up for a look. But if you left active duty and been sitting in IRR for a few years before getting a look and picked it up, then that would be a good data point.

Of course, these days reserve O4 select at a higher percentage on average than active.

Now picking up O5 in the IRR...that's the story I really want to hear!

I left active duty in April '14, and then non-selected at the O-4 Reserve board that summer. Got picked up on my second look above zone last year. So whilst I had quite a bit of active duty time, I was not fresh.

 

[speeddypat]

I left active duty in April '14, and then non-selected at the O-4 Reserve board that summer. Got picked up on my second look above zone last year. So whilst I had quite a bit of active duty time, I was not fresh.

All,

Quick question that seems to be similar to Snakes. I left active duty this past September, immediately joined SELRES and started 2-year AD recall orders as a CANREC. I was below zone last year for the active duty O-4 board and it looks like I'll be above zone for this coming reserve O-4 board based on the NAVADMIN. In short, I haven't had an 'official' look yet with a board and I'm above zone this year, will the board understand that or do you think I should write a letter? Thanks!

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

All,

Quick question that seems to be similar to Snakes. I left active duty this past September, immediately joined SELRES and started 2-year AD recall orders as a CANREC. I was below zone last year for the active duty O-4 board and it looks like I'll be above zone for this coming reserve O-4 board based on the NAVADMIN. In short, I haven't had an 'official' look yet with a board and I'm above zone this year, will the board understand that or do you think I should write a letter? Thanks!

I've seen CANRECs who just come off active duty, do CANREC/reserves for a few months and get selected and ultimately put on O-4. If you did well as an O-3 you should be okay for O-4.