GRFD to Active Duty

[mrsrahoi]

I just commissioned in Spring into the Army Reserves, I branched MI. I am ADOS for GBR until I go to BOLC II in September and then I will finish up BOLC III in February. I took a 2 year GRFD when I was a MS III because among other things my social and educational situation would work better with a reserve status. Well, in two years time time a lot of things have changed and now I would much rather be on active duty after all my training. I have a degree in sociology and that doesn't provide much in the world of civilian employment.

Anyways, I want to eventually go Civil Affairs which is in the Army Reserves but I would like to do Active Duty time up front. I am willing to change branches to one that is more in demand in order to go AD and I don't have any real preference for duty station either. I just want an AD job and some experience! I was wondering if anyone out there has any experience with this sort of situation and if it would be possible to for me to do this. If so, who in the world would I talk to about this? Thanks in advance! :)

[I274]

Fort Bragg has active duty Civil Affairs units. You might get lucky. Check army.mil and AKO.

[Un4given]

I know numerous CA peeps, but never met a single reserve one. Interesting.

Good luck with all that, I've the slightest on the how-to. Ass is our resident Guard/Reserve (whatever he is) dude.

[Sassy05]

I don't know about CA, but apparently all the PSYOPS Groups except the one I'm in (4th POG) are reserves.

[rkam98]

The Active Component CA community is very small, although expanding. CA will prob not take a 2LT, and in all honesty if you are a line officer, I would not recomend going to CA as a 2LT even if you could. CA is very top heavy and the leadership oppertunities for a 2LT are close to 0 ( my RC CA unit has more 05s than E5s and we have 05s do police calls as well). Now That said I love it, and I am going to push very hard to try and be a JAG officer for one of the AC CA units as my first assignment( although the chances of that happening are also close to 0).

[Associate289]

I just commissioned in Spring into the Army Reserves, I branched MI. I am ADOS for GBR until I go to BOLC II in September and then I will finish up BOLC III in February. I took a 2 year GRFD when I was a MS III because among other things my social and educational situation would work better with a reserve status. Well, in two years time time a lot of things have changed and now I would much rather be on active duty after all my training. I have a degree in sociology and that doesn't provide much in the world of civilian employment.

Anyways, I want to eventually go Civil Affairs which is in the Army Reserves but I would like to do Active Duty time up front. I am willing to change branches to one that is more in demand in order to go AD and I don't have any real preference for duty station either. I just want an AD job and some experience! I was wondering if anyone out there has any experience with this sort of situation and if it would be possible to for me to do this. If so, who in the world would I talk to about this? Thanks in advance! :)

Send a request through your chain of command asking to be released to active duty. Talk to your Company Commander and Battalion Commander in person or through the phone if that's not practical. Not to piss in your cornflakes, but from what I've seen those who've had GRFDs aren't getting released without agreeing to pay back the money. But then again, I'm in the National Guard, not the Reserves.

Everything is possible. When you ask, you'll probably get the response "oh I don't know" or "you can't do that". That's someone blowing you off because either they don't know, or it's too difficult for them to find out. If it's really something you want to do, keep pursuing it up the chain of command and remember, that doesn't stop at the Battalion Commander. Go higher if needed.

You could also volunteer for a deployment, and while you're oversees request to stay with the active unit you're deployed with. But yes, you're right- Civil Affairs units are only in the Active Army/Reserves. National Guard has no Civil Affairs units.

[mrsrahoi]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I am not looking at going CA until it's my time start thinking about functional areas. I was hoping that doing AD first and then fulfilling my obligation to the RC when I go CA will make my chances a tiny bit more successful.

I am currently assigned to a very top heavy unit here and although the experience and networking I will get at that unit are very valuable I am worried that the position might have a potential negative effect on my career progression. Hence, wanting to explore what else I can do.



If I can't get on AD and I stay with my current unit, that's fine, I just want to know I exhausted all my options first.

Thanks again...