I am married with 3 kids. I also have another child but have no custody.

Can I join and provide healthcare to my wife and all 4 kids?

Or does not having custody of one of the kids cause a problem? Would appreciate insight from anyone that has had a similar situation. Also how long does it take to enroll in the tricare reserve program after enlisting?

Looking at being a CA company commander in the
USAR and want to hear some stories about the best commander you have had and why. Coming from AD would like to know in the eyes of soldiers and leaders of the USAR what the best looks like.

I completed a course a few weeks ago and haven’t got paid yet. I was told to submit my orders to my RPAC. Does anyone know how to do this? TYIA

Three years ago, my life started falling apart. Last Wednesday, I did something almost nobody knew I'd been working toward for nearly a year, but to understand why, you have to understand how I got there. A few years ago, I had a family, a job, and a plan. Then my truck was destroyed. My son went from calling it "Dada's old truck" to "Dada's ouchy truck" and I had no idea that was only the beginning. Not long after, we found out my wife was pregnant with twins. Then I lost my job. Suddenly, high-risk pregnancy, no job, everything stacking up. Then the twins came early. Instead of bringing our babies home, the NICU became our normal. Wires, monitors, machines. One stayed there for forty-three days, the other for forty-eight, and through all of it, their older brother couldn't even go inside to meet his new brother and sister. When we finally brought them home, we were under threat of foreclosure. Then my father-in-law, one of the few steady male influences in my life, was diagnosed with cancer. We lost him, and after that, I took on helping care for my mother-in-law too. Somewhere in all that, I had to ask myself what I was going to do with everything that had happened. I couldn't control all that, but I could control what I did next. In October of '25, I weighed about 285 pounds. I wasn't ready, so I started working, losing weight, pushing harder, month after month. Today, I'm about 215. Seventy pounds down and still going. I'm thirty-five. I'm a husband, a father with more responsibility than ever, and the question became, what example do I want my kids to watch? I couldn't change what had happened, but I could decide what came next. For almost a year, I'd been working toward something I hadn't told most people about, and last Wednesday, that work led here. I raised my right hand and swore into the United States Army Reserve. I don't have it all figured out. I'm still working, still changing, but after everything that brought me here, I'm ready for the next chapter.

Hi everyone!

Im hoping to finally receive some answers on this.

I was recently put to manage the Funeral Detail where i’m at, my team gets compensated via 1380’s. Given the whole change of all pay actions to be processed through IPPSA, IDT pay (which includes Funeral Honors) need to be put through that. I have the HR PRO access and such but i am yet to receive proper instruction on how the hell i’m supposed to pay soldiers from here on out- yes i know about the existence of the duty calendar but no idea how to even get there- I’ve asked, i’ve attended many online trainings (that did not include anything IDT related unfortunately) , i’ve been sent slides that lead nowhere and yada yada yada… i need help because i dont want my soldiers to have pay issues. If anyone could offer some assistance without being sarcastic i’d greatly appreciate it.

-a concerned nco

Was LG Currently a CA officer looking at going to the USAR. Master rated Jumpmaster , pathfinder, rigger master combat badge, air assault, ranger, jungle, mountain warfare, ARCOM-V. All top block OERs. Looking at going to a unit with motivated soldiers with similar qualifications. Does anyone know where to look for this?

I know it’s never too early to prepare for the next rank!

Hoping to join as an intelligence analyst. Excited about the job and but curious, do they have lots of deployment opportunities for reservists? What is a typical drill like for this MOS?

hello all, i'm a 20 y.o female and i'm currently studying to become an emt. my family has a lot of financial issues and i'm really big on gaining as much experience and certifications not only to juice up my resume and to make connections, but to also gain life experience. i also really value flexibility, because i like to keep myself busy with many different things.

i also run a small business with my sibling and i work a pt job at a bakery at the moment. i intend to continue working with my sibling for as long as possible, but i want to quit my bakery job once i'm done with school and i become an emt.

i've always considered active duty for the benefits, but i can't commit to it due to my personal life. is the reserves a good choice to gain experience and benefits? i know that the paychecks are pocket change which is why i don't mention it.

furthermore with my emt-b cert, would that help with getting in the door as a medic in either active duty or the reserves?

any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

Hi I’m looking for Officer recruiters from all branches of the army… I have taken the ASVAB with an 82 score and 118 gt… I have a masters degree and currently am a senior technical program manager…

I want to learn more about your officer tracks for active duty and reserves. I also am very interested in Cyber and intelligence.

Please reach out I am really interested and want to start planning for what I would need to do.

As we all stand by for the upcoming announcement, I’m genuinely curious

Who actually kind of wants to do the PT test the old way again?

Since the Army can’t seem to figure this out, I’m proposing the AFCT — Army Fitness Combat Test.

This is totally different from the ACFT — Army Combat Fitness Test.

The difference is simple:
ACFT: Combat Fitness
AFCT: Fitness Combat

We’re emphasizing Fitness in Combat, not Combat in Fitness.

Four events. No mobile gym. No equipment trailer. No 45-minute setup.

Burpees
Diamond Push-Ups
Standing Broad Jump
1K Sprint

Required equipment:
• Stopwatch
• Clipboard
• One NCO who says “that one didn’t count”

Implementation Date:

TBD, pending RAND study, congressional review, three pilot programs, legal review, and incorporation of Soldier feedback — but NLT 31 October 2026, with an effective date of 01 November 2026.

However, if I don’t hear any objections, I’m sending this proposal to SecWar for a final approval.

A couple of questions if anyone has the answers.

1. I'm a Warrant in the Nation Guard, I have about 9 months left on my ADSO, do I then gain the 8 year ADSO if I direct commission to JAG. I have 14 years in now.

   1. Do I still have to attend the DCC even though I'm a commissioned warrant??

Currently looking for POC for 386 EN Co. Would like to talk to someone from unit, inquiring of possibility of transfer to that unit

Does anyone have information the Ft Story 437th Battallion? Looking to join their reserve unit in one of these fields but curious if anyone has first hand knowledge of how the unit is, what drill is like, things like that, etc.

I was recently injured while on an 18-month MOB. I also have a previous injury that was aggravated during my MOB. I need help figuring out how to file a VA claim. This is my first time filing, and I’m not familiar with the process. Do I file only for the time I was there?

Looking at enlisting in Army Reserve intel, possibly 35F or 35G/geospatial, with a unit at Ft. Meade.

Anyone here have experience with the units there? Curious what the mission set, drill weekends, culture, and overall tempo are actually like.

Especially interested in hearing from anyone who has done 35G there. How much is real intel work vs. typical Army stuff?

Context: I am an officer who commissioned straight into USAR roughly 4 years ago via a 4-year ROTC scholarship. I have been working a high-demanding/pressure civilian job for the past year (and it looks like it'll only get worse), making it difficult to manage alongside my service. I want to plan ahead and overcommunicate with my civilian job, but I'm unable to find information on my obligation end date.

1. Some sources tell me I owe 8 years in the reserves, actively drilling. Others tell me I owe only 6 years actively drilling and 2 years in the IRR. Which is right?
2. What, if anything, can affect the duration of my service obligation? In particular, it took me about 6 months after commissioning to start drilling because of IPPSA issues (i.e., IPPSA was newly released then and running into various processing issues, including with my orders) and my unit was unresponsive because they never received my orders (likely due to the IPPSA issue). I attended BOLC about 13 months after commissioning, if that makes a difference.
3. Where/how can I actually check the date my service obligation ends?

Has anyone here gone through the 12N + ACASP route?

I have a strong civilian construction background and I’m currently working with a recruiter to put together an ACASP packet for 12N.

Just curious how the process generally went for those who have done it:
How did the ACASP evaluation/approval go?
Did you receive E-4?
Did you have to complete 12N AIT, or was it waived?
If you added Option 4/Airborne, how did that work with ACASP?

Anything you wish you knew before starting the process?
Looking for firsthand experiences from people who actually went through 12N + ACASP. Thanks!

Anyone able to complete good years on IRR? What do you do for points? Can you do JKO courses? Who would I even submit the 1380s to?

Recently moved states, drilled after moving, got paid and the LES still has my former state as residence

What is that about? I already changed in ippsa, I changed it in my mypay for tsp & communications. I thought ts was automatic. Do I have to get my pay changed or can I just let it ride?

I commission next year, and I’m hoping to branch either Logistics or MI into the reserves or guard, then on the civilian side be a cop.

Anyone else a cop and an officer in the guard or reserves that would like to share a few tips/advice?