August 14, 2020

All About The Navy Reserve

One of the United States’ five branches of the military, the US Navy is responsible for defense of our country from the sea. For people who are unable to serve full-time, or would rather make their commitment for only dire times of need, there is the navy reserve.

Like in all the branches, reservists for the navy train several days a month to keep their skills up to date, and are called upon to serve when needed. Reservists make up 20 percent of the total Navy force, so they are not a small component of the defense system.

There are three types of reservists in the navy, and several subsets of these categories. The Ready Reserve is made up of the Selected Reserve, and the Individual Ready Reserve. Selected Reservists receive benefits and pay, are required to train and work a certain number of hours or days, and are liable for recall to active duty at any time. Individual Reservists are trained naval personnel who receive no pay for training activities, and whose services are voluntary. They may receive benefits if they volunteer for active duty assignments.

Standby Reservists are those who have completed the legal requirements of a Ready Reservist, and are not required to train or work. They can only be ordered to active duty by an act of Congress, after a determination is made that there are insufficient Ready Reservists to handle the emergency. Retired Reservists are inactive members of the reserve drawing military retirement, or over 60 and eligible for retirement.

There are different ways to join the reserves, depending on your education, and any prior military service you may have performed. A high school diploma or equivalent is required to join the enlisted reserves, and officers must have a college degree. Those with no prior military experience spend eight weeks at boot camp, before returning to their civilian lives and serving an average of 16 hours a month plus two weeks per year.

As well as educational requirements, there are also height, weight, and age requirements. You must be between 60 and 80 inches tall to join the reserves (5’0″ and 6’8″), and between 18 and 39 years old. You must also be a legal US citizen. Foreign immigrants must have completed the citizenship process before they can join.

If you are currently serving in the military, or have performed military services in the past, you do not have to enroll in the eight-week boot camp. Instead, you can go directly to the 16 hours a month, two weeks a year service schedule of a Reservist. Age and education requirements for veterans and active duty military personnel are determined on a case by case basis.

The Navy Reserve allows former military personnel to enjoy the camaraderie and pride of serving their country while maintaining civilian lives and careers, and allows those without prior service to join without leaving their lives behind. But reservists should be aware that while in peacetime, they may spend their entire commitment stateside, they can and will be called upon to join our troops all around the world, as needed.

An Overview Of The US Navy Reserve

During the fight for American Independence, the first recorded citizen sailors served with the Navy, their brothers in arms, at sea. Though their numbers were initially small, they sextupled in size when President Abraham Lincoln called on men to serve alongside the Navy in the Civil War. Six civilian volunteers earned the Medal of Honor for their services. Despite their many acts of service over the years, the reserve Navy source only attained official status when Massachusetts arranged a battalion as a division of the state Navy militia in 1888. Thanks to Josephus Daniels, a secretary of the Navy, and his then assistant Franklin D. Roosevelt, the US Navy Reserve Force came into legally recognized existence on March 3, 1915.

Us Navy Reserve

Since legal recognition, the Navy Reserve has expanded in numbers into the millions, serving in both the United States and overseas. They have assisted in operations such Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and responded to situations such as September 11, 2001. People who join the Reserve recognize an unfulfilled need in their civilian lives, and they find this need satisfied when serving their country.

The US Navy Reserve does not require prior military experience for admittance. Recruits come from all walks in life, including officers and enlisted men and women currently serving active duty as well as young men and women who recently graduated high school. The experience and education level of individuals will determine their admittance process and rank insignia.

Men and women, between the ages of 18 and 39, without a military background require a high school diploma or equivalent, US citizenship, and the ability to pass a physical exam in order to enter. Those with a four year college degree qualify for officer training.

Currently active military men and women, from all military branches including the Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps, as well as military veterans can apply through the NAVET program, OSVET program, or the Interservice Transfer Program. The RESCORE-R (Recruiting Selective Conversion Reenlistment-Reserve) program is solely for military veterans who do not qualify for reenlistment. And only officers, men and women with college degrees, can speak to a Navy Reserve Recruiter for a direct appointment into an area of their expertise.

If admitted, the recruitments will train at one of the training sites located all over the United States. To control the training sites and keep records on the recruitments, the Navy Reserve created a Reserve Readiness Command Headquarters for every US region, encompassing the Northwest, Southwest, Mid-West, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. These institutions assist recruitments in finding the training location nearest their civilian homes.

Once through training, the recruitments will fall into one of three components. These include Ready Reserve, Standby Reserve, and Retired Reserve-Inactive. The Ready Reserve also breaks down into two sections: Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve. In the Selected Reserve, individuals perform duties similar to Active Duty individuals, and are the first called to serve when needed. Individual Ready Reserve individuals receive pay and benefits if they volunteer for Active Duty services, but otherwise perform military activities without compensation.

Careers differ amongst enlistees and officers. Enlisted individuals can serve in arts and photography, information technology, aviation, business management, religion and much more. Officers can choose from aviation, science, intelligence and other desirable positions. Like in Active Duty, every career has room for advancement, and every career gives individuals experience they can use in the civilian world.

Consider joining the US Navy Reserve Force. In serving America in challenging and fun ways, individuals will encounter adventures here which citizens in 9 to 5 jobs only dream about.

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