SELRES to VTU Question (Acronym Heavy)

[MIDNJAC]

I think this thread is funny in the sense of the ingrained gouge of 1315/1325s is "Hardware unit", "Shitty NRC SELRES drill weekends and Djibouti MOBs", or VTU. The more I've learned about the reserves, it's really a choose your own adventure once you know the rules.

I don't disagree, but many of us are simpletons who probably don't have the bandwidth to search for and find the unicorn COMNAVEUR job that is also fenced from MOB. In that sense, the gouge you speak of isn't wrong, IMO. But you are right, there are a ton of options out there. Even MOB credit hard fills in CONUS that pay you like a real boy (or girl) to sit on a watch floor or staff somewhere.

I think there are more than a couple folks on AW who had interesting careers as reservists, that weren't pigeonholed into any of the three stereotypes you mention. One nice thing about the reserves, regardless of where you choose to plant yourself, is that they aren't trying to force your hand with career decisions, for the most part.

 

[AllAmerican75]

I don't disagree, but many of us are simpletons who probably don't have the bandwidth to search for and find the unicorn COMNAVEUR job that is also fenced from MOB. In that sense, the gouge you speak of isn't wrong, IMO. But you are right, there are a ton of options out there. Even MOB credit hard fills in CONUS that pay you like a real boy (or girl) to sit on a watch floor or staff somewhere.

I know that guy! Or at least I knew him when I was at 6th Fleet. The billet is an O5 billet somewhere at NRC Atlanta at the NAVEUR-NAVAF-C6F support unit there. He was busy though since he was like our liaison back to the reserve side and I think was also the CoS for the C6F Reserve Staff (CO was an O6 or O7 IIRC) and was constantly flying out to help us plan and prep for Reservist support for various exercises and events. I'm not sure how much of that was self-imposed and how much was just the requirements of the job.

 

[MIDNJAC]

I know that guy! Or at least I knew him when I was at 6th Fleet. The billet is an O5 billet somewhere at NRC Atlanta at the NAVEUR-NAVAF-C6F support unit there. He was busy though since he was like our liaison back to the reserve side and I think was also the CoS for the C6F Reserve Staff (CO was an O6 or O7 IIRC) and was constantly flying out to help us plan and prep for Reservist support for various exercises and events. I'm not sure how much of that was self-imposed and how much was just the requirements of the job.

Yeah that is part of what worries me about those post-command O-5 and baby O-6 "SELRES" jobs. From what I've seen, it is a lot of working for free, in what kinda is a full time job. Maybe some are more lenient with orders, but they're definitely not burning add drills. My take is that the folks that take those jobs, are the type that typically "self impose" work, like you say. Which is awesome for those who they support. But it starts to really blur the lines between (traditional) reservist and TAR IMO.

 

[snake020]

Yeah that is part of what worries me about those post-command O-5 and baby O-6 "SELRES" jobs. From what I've seen, it is a lot of working for free, in what kinda is a full time job. Maybe some are more lenient with orders, but they're definitely not burning add drills. My take is that the folks that take those jobs, are the type that typically "self impose" work, like you say. Which is awesome for those who they support. But it starts to really blur the lines between (traditional) reservist and TAR IMO.

+1. Too many late night teleconferences during the week for various forums, mid week reactive taskers with expectations to resolve in days well outside of drill weekends. I checked in with a former community lead who retired after a senior O-6 role as CNIFR chief of staff, and he said he was spending about 3-4 hours each day nightly doing that work during the week, every day. Then add in the expectations to travel cross country or overseas at my expense for drills, and my sentiment rapidly changed.

I feel a lot of these senior SELRES Os I've met have day jobs as real estate agents, GSs, or stay at home parents, and have plenty of time to burn.

 

[Python]

If transitioning from SELRES to VTU, can you still purchase and participate in Tricare Reserve Select?

 

[snake020]

If transitioning from SELRES to VTU, can you still purchase and participate in Tricare Reserve Select?

No, you have to be SELRES. This benefit is why a lot of people seem to stay captive to SELRES even when retirement eligible since the insurance cost compared to external plans can be significant. If you are below 60 and retired, you have to use Tricare Reserve Retired, which costs an additional $1,200/mo if you're insuring a family.

I'm single and have VA, so it was not a factor in my choice to go VTU.

 

[Mos]

I'm single and have VA, so it was not a factor in my choice to go VTU.

When you say you "have VA" do you mean you're within convenient distance of a good VA health facility, or is there something more to it? I'm single and a few years from 20 years total service, so I'm starting to contemplate my options.

 

[Gatordev]

When you say you "have VA" do you mean you're within convenient distance of a good VA health facility, or is there something more to it? I'm single and a few years from 20 years total service, so I'm starting to contemplate my options.

The VA has different thresholds for the care they provide. If you just have a DD-214 with no associated service connected disability, you can use the VA, but it's like an insurance and still requires payments of some kind. If you're over the disability rating threshold (I can't remember if it's 30% or 50%), then it's "free" health care. If you're 100%, you are usually able to get dental, as well.

 

[JTS11]

The VA has different thresholds for the care they provide. If you just have a DD-214 with no associated service connected disability, you can use the VA, but it's like an insurance and still requires payments of some kind. If you're over the disability rating threshold (I can't remember if it's 30% or 50%), then it's "free" health care. If yoI.u're 100%, you are usually able to get dental, as well.

If you're 40%, inpatient and outpatient care is free. There are co-pays for meds that aren't related to something service-connected. If you're 50% or above, no co-pays for anything. Correct on dental.

 

[Python]

No, you have to be SELRES. This benefit is why a lot of people seem to stay captive to SELRES even when retirement eligible since the insurance cost compared to external plans can be significant. If you are below 60 and retired, you have to use Tricare Reserve Retired, which costs an additional $1,200/mo if you're insuring a family.

I'm single and have VA, so it was not a factor in my choice to go VTU.

Thanks. Is Tricare Reserve Retired generally the same coverage and quality of TRS, just at a higher price?

 

[AllAmerican75]

Thanks. Is Tricare Reserve Retired generally the same coverage and quality of TRS, just at a higher price?

Yes, it works almost exactly like Tricare Reserve Select but it's more expensive.

https://www.tricare.mil/trr

The VA has different thresholds for the care they provide. If you just have a DD-214 with no associated service connected disability, you can use the VA, but it's like an insurance and still requires payments of some kind. If you're over the disability rating threshold (I can't remember if it's 30% or 50%), then it's "free" health care. If you're 100%, you are usually able to get dental, as well.

If you're 40%, inpatient and outpatient care is free. There are co-pays for meds that aren't related to something service-connected. If you're 50% or above, no co-pays for anything. Correct on dental.

Here are the VA priority groups which determine how much you pay for VA healthcare: https://www.va.gov/health-care/eligibility/priority-groups/

 

[sevenhelmet]

+1. Too many late night teleconferences during the week for various forums, mid week reactive taskers with expectations to resolve in days well outside of drill weekends. I checked in with a former community lead who retired after a senior O-6 role as CNIFR chief of staff, and he said he was spending about 3-4 hours each day nightly doing that work during the week, every day. Then add in the expectations to travel cross country or overseas at my expense for drills, and my sentiment rapidly changed.

I feel a lot of these senior SELRES Os I've met have day jobs as real estate agents, GSs, or stay at home parents, and have plenty of time to burn.

100%. This is the expectation for reserve O-5s and up (even some O-4s). I found it quite off-putting, particularly since I left active duty in part to have a healthier boundary between work and family life.

 

[snake020]

When you say you "have VA" do you mean you're within convenient distance of a good VA health facility, or is there something more to it? I'm single and a few years from 20 years total service, so I'm starting to contemplate my options.

Single, 80% rating, right living in New York City which has solid VA services and I have a great relationship with my primary care physician. Your mileage may vary. When I was living in Northern California I found the experience to be not as great.

 

[Mos]

Single, 80% rating, right living in New York City which has solid VA services and I have a great relationship with my primary care physician. Your mileage may vary. When I was living in Northern California I found the experience to be not as great.

Thanks. After the above replies I looked up the basics. I'm in the burn pit registry and have had some chronic issues develop over time, nothing traumatic, but will see what kind of mileage that gets me when the time comes. Have seen both good a bad reviews for the VA facilities here in NW FL.

 

[SynixMan]

100%. This is the expectation for reserve O-5s and up (even some O-4s). I found it quite off-putting, particularly since I left active duty in part to have a healthier boundary between work and family life.

I just, *sigh*. To anyone reading this considering SELRES, you should really do your homework on your unit. It's not like Active Duty. You get to pick. You can pick a unit halfway across the country and drill at an NRC closer to your house. There's contact information for every billet in JOAPPLY. Call them. Ask what their expectations are. Some are hard over on 0700-1500 drill days. Some are flexible for khaki. Some let you telework. I've seen my CO in person once in 3 years.

Demanding you work outside of drill weekends for free is quite extreme and should be frowned upon if you have good unit leadership. If that expectation exists for some real reason, paid RMP and ADTs exist for this reason, or at a minimum an unpaid drill. I'm a unit OIC and my asks of my khaki outside DWE are maybe 2-3 small things a month that take 5 minutes. Like mustering a sailor, approving a reschedule, NROWS approving, DTS, whatever. I'd say I do ~4hrs of navy work a month and I use RMPs when able (not many in the funding world we live in) and unpaids otherwise. Mostly DWE prep and the standard admin tasks.