Question for reservists

[iamspartacus]

I'm an IRR Marine looking into re-enlisting into the SMCR. I'm thinking through where I could do my drill. I've been researching this question, but wanted to confirm that I have it all straight in my head. So if someone who is knowledgeable on such matters could confirm, deny or clarify the following, I'd appreciate it:

1. You can join any reserve unit that will accept you. Theoretically I could live in California and join a reserve unit on the east coast just so long as I make it to drill every month.

2. You don't get reimbursed for travel expenses to drill weekends. If I drive 5 miles, 50 miles or have to fly 500 miles to my unit every month, it's all on my own dime.

One question I do have is, what is the lodging situation like? Do you just stay in a squad bay for the weekend? If you live close to your unit can you just go home every night?

Last question, If you move, is it up to you to find a new unit? If I currently live and drill in California, but move to the Midwest where there are no nearby reserve units with my MOS, would I just have to foot the bill to travel back to California every month?

Thanks for the help.
Semper fi!

[crazymjb]

I know we do have members of our unit that do commute from as far as the midwest (we are east coast), and they have to fly out. I am not sure if they are reimbursed due to their more or less unique circumstances, but the rest of us at least are only reimbursed for our travel to the unit when on orders (for summer, AT, activations, etc).

With regard to lodging, it will depend on your MOS. For 03s at least half our drill weekends are in the field, so no going home then. If we are at the unit, and we have serialized gear checked out for the weekend, generally they want us all in one place, like the drill deck. If it is just an admin drill, we either get barracks, the floor of the HTC, a hotel, or are cut loose. My fiance is motor-T and 9 times out of 10 they are not in the field and are put up in a hotel, and get out at a reasonable time. For whatever reason our admin drills still let out at like 12-2AM, so most choose just to sleep wherever is closest.

Hope this helps answer at least some of your questions.

Mike

[iamspartacus]

Thanks for the info Mike. What kind of deployments can reservists go on? I assume the majority of them are going to the middle east, but can you get activated to like a MEU or humanitarian missions?

[civgrunt05]

Reservists can deploy to anywhere, but often times get stuck with less glorious duties than AD. IE: If an AD company and Reserve Company are both in the same AO, reserves will probably do more FOB guarding while AD will be doing more door kicking/patrolling, speaking in terms of the infantry. This isn't always the case though. Plenty of reservists are "getting some."

You only get paid for travel when you are activated for annual training or deployment. If you are an obligor (you are not), and you move the nearest unit to your home has to take you despite your MOS. They might still take you if you moved, but they don't have to if you are an MOS mismatch and in the IRR.

We are an 03 unit and spend 10 out of 12 months in the field. When we are doing a homesite drill, we are usually put up in a hotel, but usually only have time to sleep there.

What's your MOS?

I'd recommend "courtesy drilling" at a couple of units before you join them because frankly some reserve units are absolutely terrible and some are actually quite good. For instance, my sister says a good portion of the Marines in her supply unit haven't passed a PFT in ages, fraternization is rampant, corporals and sergeants are so soft that they run around begging LCpls to do cleanup and what not, and training is scarce. Then you have companies like one in my BN where a large portion of the guys have one or more combat tours under their belts and work as nuclear security for the DOE in the civ world and do **** loads of training with all kinds of weapons (including machine guns) and MOUT at their everyday jobs. My unit is also pretty good because we are pretty physically fit for a reserve company and we have a lot of vets that are also policemen, firemen, professionals, etc; plus, the INI is really good and drive us/support us well. Then there are others in the BN that suck. Those types probably just won't deploy. In fact, to my knowledge my BN (it's a huge, non standard 03 BN) only has a few of its companies in the rotation.

It's a crap shoot, so make sure you try before you buy.

[crazymjb]

I'd second the courtesy drilling. Reserve units can be night and day. My company is pretty much good to go, especially on the platoon level. We have some great NCOs, most who have been deployed, many of them (though fewer now than when I first joined up) with combat experience. Also, many people bring good civilian experience to the table. Cops, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics. A lot of the guys are also pretty well educated, we have guys going to Harvard, guys going to law school, those who aren't working are for the most part in college. Also in my unit there is a lot of professionalism that carries over from the private sector into the Marine Corps, which I think helps to make things run a bit smoother. Also most of our Corpsman work as paramedics on their off time, so they see trauma day in and day out, some in areas where gun shots are common, so they don't get rusty being back home.

Mike

[iamspartacus]

Is "courtesy drilling" a common thing? I've never heard of it. So basically you just ask the unit if you can hang out on drill weekends for a few months?

I'm a 7041 - Aviation Operations. There are a bunch of different billets I could do. Basically anywhere there is an airfield, there is something I could do there.

[SSgtRSD]

I am able to answer your questions. I was active duty, EAS'd in 2008, and immediately joined the Reserves. I might first recommend that you contact a PSR (prior service recruiter) as they are the...

[iamspartacus]

Thank you SSgt. I'll definitely keep you in mind if I have any other questions.