Mobilizations, when did you tell your employer?

[SELRES_AMDO]

Are CONUS commissaries that unprofitable? I get that the OCONUS ones would be.

They're not designed to make a profit. They operate at cost plus expenses. Kind of like a working capital fund.

 

[snake020]

They serve a purpose in overseas locations. In Hawaii it is way cheaper at the commissary compared to out in town. I'd estimate at least 40% cheaper.

But in CONUS? Not really cheaper. Walmart is way cheaper.

Edit: someone already pointed out the big cost savings is overseas.

I guess it depends on where in CONUS. Commissary difference was significant in Monterey CA vs out in town.

Alaska was similar to Hawaii, about 40% savings.

 

[Flash]

I guess it depends on where in CONUS. Commissary difference was significant in Monterey CA vs out in town.

Alaska was similar to Hawaii, about 40% savings.

For quite a few items that is also the case in DC, even when compared to the cheaper options. I stop by the new Belvoir Commissary once or twice a month to get a some staples.

 

[Deleted member 67144 scul]

Well, we kind of have the best of both worlds:

• no PCS'ing / train where you live
• Mobs typically come with ~6 mo advance notice, and 4+ years dwell on the back end
• choose your unit in JOAPPLY and APPLY
• don't like your reserve unit? go on ADSW and you can AA all your DWEs, and get your FITREP signed by someone else. Or, you can move to a different geographic area and do a TRUIC change.
• don't like your civilian job? go on ADSW or Mob.
• unemployed? see above.
• health insurance choice: TRICARE Reserve Select, or your employer's plan, whichever you prefer
• cherry pick your ATs, somewhat
• (what else am I missing?)

I like these points a lot and wish this was the case in general, but it looks like several of the points assume a qualified officer in a particular designator that has ADSW and MOBs available on a whim like INTEL? I've seen an O-1 volunteer for MOB.

For example, another community is like this:

• You're in quals for 4 (if you're fast and get lucky with scheduling) or 5 years, add another 1-1.5 years because of COVID. In that time, you cannot change units except to an equally mostly-enlisted sister unit in the same program where you'll continue playing DH and/or XO. The new PQS as of several years ago is a monstrosity and clearly meant for people with substantially more free time than most reservists or adults in general.
• No picking your AT/ADT until you qual.
• MOBs and ADOS opportunities are rare, and everything I've seen is at O-4 and O-5. Great choices for MOBs too: Afghanistan or Camp Lemonnier. I think I've seen one for USMTM. No ADOS until you're qualed either. I've heard of only one case of ADOS before qual and it was a Navy civilian with connections.
• Unemployed? Tough luck.
• The plus side: No 20-weeks straight school like CW and IP but that would probably be preferable.

"Choose your rate, choose your fate" is true, that's for sure.

 

[nodropinufaka]

@Sculpin you should be able to get Adsw orders almost anywhere. There’s tons of designator blind ones.

IW designators is similar. 4-5 years of qualification.

@SELRES_AMDO is working on ADSW and isn’t even working in his designator.

 

[vxc961]

For quite a few items that is also the case in DC, even when compared to the cheaper options. I stop by the new Belvoir Commissary once or twice a month to get a some staples.

Good points. My dad was reserves while I was growing up, and I thought it was so cool being able to use the commissary. When I got commissary privileges in college, and into my first few years of active service I thought I was in a secret society of good deals. Eventually, I started wondering “am I really saving money by buying rotten vegetables? Is the total lack of customer service worth it? Amazon and Walmart are almost the same price”.

that said, I was thinking that on an officer’s pay. Years later during RIMPAC (as a reservist) I was amazed at how much cheaper the commissary was than the markets in Oahu, and how the retirees FLOCKED to that place.

 

[Deleted member 67144 scul]

@Sculpin you should be able to get Adsw orders almost anywhere. There’s tons of designator blind ones.

IW designators is similar. 4-5 years of qualification.

@SELRES_AMDO is working on ADSW and isn’t even working in his designator.

Isn't it a max 36 months to qual for the designator? Once you get that done, you can go on ADOS and MOB, right? I know there's the separate qual for the IWO pin, but it doesn't block people from ADOS or MOB unless people bend the rules to be able to apply for MOB as an ENS.

Regarding designator-agnostic ADOS, I've been told it doesn't look so good come promotion boards in my community. The possibility of considering ADOS is still a few years off for me anyways, and ideally would be OCONUS.

This kind of goes back to Pags' point. Is 6 years to qualify before you can think of doing any of ADOS, MOB, change units, and 14 years after that of doing all Navy work possible to be competitive and not get FOS worth $1400 or so a month after 60? This being at the expense of millions of dollars of expected additional earnings in a particular field/industry due to ongoing career damage. Seems like a heck of a gamble for a guaranteed loss. That's assuming too that the status quo stays and the reserve retirement system doesn't get cut into given the way things have been trending.

 

[HAL Pilot]

I started wondering “am I really saving money by buying rotten vegetables?

I’ve been going to the commissary my entire life and I’ve never seen bad vegetables or any other bad food in the commissary.

 

[nittany03]

This being at the expense of millions of dollars of expected additional earnings in a particular field/industry due to ongoing career damage. Seems like a heck of a gamble for a guaranteed loss. That's assuming too that the status quo stays and the reserve retirement system doesn't get cut into given the way things have been trending.

Interested in what the math is to prove that someone is losing literally millions in guaranteed future earnings. How do you quantify so-called "career damage?"

 

[MIDNJAC]

I’ve been going to the commissary my entire life and I’ve never seen bad vegetables or any other bad food in the commissary.

I don't go very much but when I do it is to reliably find some sort of produce most of the time.....like various fresh hot peppers that most grocers don't stock, or whatever else. They have a pretty decent selection up here. Pre-COVID, they have also maintained a pretty good "ethnic" section in the shelved areas......maybe it is due to all the 7th Fleet folks wanting their snacks.

 

[SELRES_AMDO]

Regarding designator-agnostic ADOS, I've been told it doesn't look so good come promotion boards in my community. The possibility of considering ADOS is still a few years off for me anyways, and ideally would be OCONUS.

Promotion boards aren't just people in your community.

What looks better? Someone on active duty supporting the Navy doing real world work or someone doing 3 weeks of AT per year and herding cats? Nothing wrong with being a DH doing weekend warrior stuff. But, someone doing ADOS is doing much more than almost any SELRES. That counts for something.

 

[nodropinufaka]

Honestly I’m not sure I could have stomached the reserves as an ensign/LTJG non qual.

I came from active so it was a fairly simple process and all my quals and everything transferred.

I can see your point @Sculpin

 

[SELRES_AMDO]

Interested in what the math is to prove that someone is losing literally millions in guaranteed future earnings. How do you quantify so-called "career damage?"

You can't.

Like every career choice in life, you roll the dice and hope it was the right choice. I know two different people who were SES and Flag ranks in the reserves. I also know a few who never were able to break past mid career management positions.

 

[MIDNJAC]

You can't.

Like every career choice in life, you roll the dice and hope it was the right choice. I know two different people who were SES and Flag ranks in the reserves. I also know a few who never were able to break past mid career management positions.

I think an honest question of mine would be if there are many (or any) reserve babies that made it to that level (on the mil side)? Seems like a very tall hill to climb without an AC career to precede it.

 

[Jim123]

I think an honest question of mine would be if there are many (or any) reserve babies that made it to that level (on the mil side)? Seems like a very tall hill to climb without an AC career to precede it.

It depends a lot on your designator and community but more than that it depends on your personality. Overachieving workaholics tend to make it that high. If your friends and peers often make remarks like "Don't you ever sleep?" in regards to your Navying then you're probably that guy.

(If people say that a lot but only in the context of your meme-ing prowess and similar personality manifestations, well then you're probably not that guy...)