Promotion to 0-6 and Astronauts

[Swanee]

I don't think you can realistically transition to the reserves after 20+ years of active component service.....

Anything over 17 ish years would be a no-go, especially if the member is close to sanctuary.

I'm not sure about the reserves, but there is a waiver for everything in the Guard. Though that waiver requires specific circumstances. For instance, if you are going to take command of a squadron or group and stay a drilling status guardsman, or work in a staff job as an O-6 on an active duty tour, or on the Adjutant General's staff, or you get hired into a full time Air Reserve Technician slot where you have to be a drilling member of the unit.

But most places would rather promote from within to that level than take someone off of AD. The stars would have to align, the timing perfect, and you'd have to be willing to do a job that no one else not on AD is qualified, or willing, to do.

 

[nittany03]

I don't think you can realistically transition to the reserves after 20+ years of active component service.....

Anything over 17 ish years would be a no-go, especially if the member is close to sanctuary.

The other side of the "realistic" piece is having enough understanding of how the reserves work to be a credible and effective CO.

 

[MIDNJAC]

The other side of the "realistic" piece is having enough understanding of how the reserves work to be a credible and effective CO.

Oh for sure, I just meant even administratively. But to your point, even TAR struggles at times to understand......no chance a 20+ year AC person would know anything.

@Swanee Guard is an amazing animal that we don't have. But you're right, so many cool options over on that side, for a guy that might be on the fence about just staying full time in AFRES or AGR until retirement, and many more options to fly beyond 20. At least so I'm told.

 

[taxi1]

Once again, cart before the horse here with crazy situational questions.

They're interesting ones, though. I knew an O5 who rolled off active duty into the airlines and reserves at the 16 year point. Made O6 as a reservist and did 30 total, including a year on active duty as an O6.

The other side of the "realistic" piece is having enough understanding of how the reserves work to be a credible and effective CO.

Back in the day, 92-96, the Chief of Naval Reserve was RADM Thomas Hall, who rolled into the job from the AD roster. Obvious consternation from the RC about poaching the position, but he did a good job and became a reserve koolaid drinker.

Thomas F. Hall - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[John Laurens]

Anything over 17 ish years would be a no-go, especially if the member is close to sanctuary.

Why no reserves after a certain amount of time? I am from NYC, and our former police commissioner, Ray Kelly, whom I once had the pleasure of meeting, did 30 years in the reserves and retired as a full colonel, again, in the reserves.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Why no reserves after a certain amount of time? I am from NYC, and our former police commissioner, Ray Kelly, whom I once had the pleasure of meeting, did 30 years in the reserves and retired as a full colonel, again, in the reserves.

There’s policy in place in which if a reserve member crosses 18 years of active duty service, they can complete the last two years on active duty (total 20 years) and receive an active duty retirement.

The navy closely tracks those who get close to 16 and 17 years of active duty service and can limit the type of orders you can do. If you have 16/17 years of active duty and transition to the reserve, it can impact future promotions since there’s limited “room” for you to complete orders.

Additionally, active duty and reserve can be two different worlds with different career paths. Managing reserve personnel and understanding reserve management can take years to learn. Throwing an active duty person into that can complicate things…

 

[John Laurens]

There’s policy in place in which if a reserve member crosses 18 years of active duty service, they can complete the last two years on active duty (total 20 years) and receive an active duty retirement.

The navy closely tracks those who get close to 16 and 17 years of active duty service and can limit the type of orders you can do. If you have 16/17 years of active duty and transition to the reserve, it can impact future promotions since there’s limited “room” for you to complete orders.

Additionally, active duty and reserve can be two different worlds with different career paths. Managing reserve personnel and understanding reserve management can take years to learn. Throwing an active duty person into that can complicate things…

Got it. Thanks. Ray Kelly also spent the bulk of his military service as a reservist rather than on active duty. Therefore, that is a very different scenario from which I originally posited on this thread.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Got it. Thanks. Ray Kelly also spent the bulk of his military service as a reservist rather than on active duty. Therefore, that is a very different scenario from which I originally posited on this thread.

In short, navy doesn’t want reserve personnel collecting an active duty retirement since that involves more $$$.

 

[eeedoubleyou]

Astronaut career path is a whole other world... literally.

I work two floors below the Astronaut Office and I can tell you that sh#t hot does not begin to describe these folks. I haven't met a single one of them whose career path wasn't specifically tailored toward getting selected as an ASCAN (pronounced exactly how you think it is). Top flight grad school (for Aero, MechE, Physics), Test, and SCUBA cert seems to be common themes on the sixth floor. Ironically, they're some of the most down to Earth people I've met at the Center.

 

[snake020]

My former commander at Beale AFB went to NASA as an O-4... made O-7 at NASA... came BACK to the regular Air Force... and retired as a 4-star.

If you're a quality candidate, anything is possible.

I'm assuming it's this guy:

Kevin P. Chilton - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[nittany03]

They're interesting ones, though. I knew an O5 who rolled off active duty into the airlines and reserves at the 16 year point. Made O6 as a reservist and did 30 total, including a year on active duty as an O6.

Back in the day, 92-96, the Chief of Naval Reserve was RADM Thomas Hall, who rolled into the job from the AD roster. Obvious consternation from the RC about poaching the position, but he did a good job and became a reserve koolaid drinker.

Thomas F. Hall - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The rubber really meets the road when you hit the senior O-4 to O-6 ranks, where you need to be reserve-savvy enough to actually RUN a reserve unit and not run it into the ground. Which means not only having an idea of how things run, but also enough savvy to handle the inevitable corner cases that reach the CO's desk. Having enough of a BS filter to know when to play along because an NRC Sailor is honestly trying to help, and when to engage with the NRC front office because their folks are screwing over yours. How to best support the active component and be able to manage expectations, which again goes back to knowing the reserve game, how to game it, and what the limitations are.

It's not that there aren't smart people on active duty who couldn't hack it and learn on the job. I mean, we all come into the SELRES at some point and have a "deer in the headlights" moment or two. But at that point, you run the risk of being senior enough that your rookie mistakes could potentially wreck a career or two, or cause unnecessary strife and drama before you get your feet under you.

 

[taxi1]

The rubber really meets the road when you hit the senior O-4 to O-6 ranks, where you need to be reserve-savvy enough to actually RUN a reserve unit and not run it into the ground. Which means not only having an idea of how things run, but also enough savvy to handle the inevitable corner cases that reach the CO's desk.

Choose your XO wisely.