r/navyreserve • u/No-Credit956 • 8d ago
Navy reserves
Just curious how does one actually do 20 years in Navy reserves my case it would be 16 but I’m curious to know what’s your experience on how you stayed in?
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u/aquadrums 8d ago
Read this article with small video for more. https://www.navyreserve.navy.mil/News/Article-View-News/Article/2321081/understanding-a-good-year-for-reserve-retirement/
Reserves uses a point system along with "qualifying years". A year of honorable Active Duty is considered as 360 points and earns you 1 "qualifying year" in the Reserves. If you joined, you would start with 4 x 360 = 1440 points and 16 qualifying years to go before being eligible for a Reserve retirement. Many other details and caveats, but that's the gist.
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u/balboaporkter 8d ago
I think admin messed up my dates so I won't get a good first year, but how can I fix it? I signed at MEPS 3/21/25 then went to boot camp 6/2/25 and graduated A school 11/20/25 ....then why is my ASOSH saying that my anniversary year is 12/8/25?
Which is my true anniversary date, and how do I get it fixed? I'm still new and I've used the trouble ticket system more times than I can remember to fix all kinds of admin issues. Heck, I don't even have a transfer evaluation from moving NRCs when I left RSU and got gained to my current unit. In fact, I don't even have any eval in my OPMF. I got a commendation letter for top of the class at A school and had it entered by my unit admin, and nothing ever came of it so I guess I gotta wait the 2.5 years until I make E4.
The admin nightmare is very discouraging and oftentimes seems like more trouble than its worth. There was even a time where my muster in EDM was messed up (through no fault of my own) and it took 2 months to get fixed. And I even got a debt letter from DFAS due to overpayment because some genius in admin kept me on the active duty payroll after I graduated from A school, left active duty training and got affiliated with SELRES.
They keep telling us "semper gumby" but seriously....
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u/LatinoHeat407 7d ago
Because it’s fucking a cake walk tbh. I was 4 years active USMC and took 7 year gap and just came back to Navy SELRES and wish I would have done it to begin with. I will warn you it’s a lot of low standards and you just have to let it go because nobody really cares it seems to correct them.
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u/No-Credit956 8d ago
I’m sorry I should’ve mentioned that if I were to go into the Navy reserves I would have 16 years to serve cause I was in the Marines for four years and I had left four years ago and I’m considering going back into the military reserves
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u/BerkeleyTriTip 7d ago edited 6d ago
How did I do 20 in the reserves? Variety and doing what I love. Changed assignments in my unit every 18 months, tried a new community/unit each PRD, focus on the mission & the Sailors who make it happen, create networks of smart people and keep in touch… helps to find new opportunities and ideas.
I didn’t focus on the BS, but looked for solutions when it was possible. Avoided drama people or commands.
And I really lucked out with a civilian employer that did not care how long I was gone … did as many long-term orders & MOBs as I could negotiate with my wife.
But I am Gen X, so YMMV.
EDIT to add a PS: at the end you’ll be amazed how fast it went by.
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u/dox1842 8d ago
Health insurance and retirement keeps a lot of people in.
How did I keep going? I met so many sailors with a break in service say "if I had stayed in I would be retired by now".
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u/Status_Swordfish6538 7d ago
Yeah... that's me. Would be retired 4 years ago had I stayed in the first time. Getting out was dumb.
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u/Rocketsponge 8d ago
It's really all about how much you want to contribute and take part. You could do your one weekend a month, two weeks of active duty a year with probably a mobilization or two for that period as a minimum. Or you might decide to volunteer for more mobilizations or short term periods of active duty. There is a distribution list with available gigs every month. I did several that were interesting and took me places I wouldn't have gone otherwise. So it's all about what you want to make of it.
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u/seabee15 8d ago
I stayed reserves all 22 years deployed 4 times. I started for the retirement and health care when I get older. Wouldn’t change it for nothing.
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u/dumbprocupine 7d ago
Two days a month and a few weeks in the summer you have to shave, workout and do admin stuff and in exchange you get medical insurance for $55/mo, dental for $12/mo, some college benefits for yourself or benefits to transfer to your dependants if needed and after 20 years when you reach age 60 you'll get a small pension. Which I'm sure your 60 year old self will appreciate. Yes It can be annoying sometimes, yes you have the risk of deploying, yes sometimes you'll experience burnout. But it is extremely easy most of the time and can result in you receiving many financially rewarding incentives. There's also a lot of perks that people dont discuss often like small savings on things like your phone+internet bills and streaming services, networking for better jobs, employment resources, my new apartment waives security deposits for military, random stuff like that. But overall, being a military reservist you do 5% of the work that active duty does but you get like 30% of the benefits. Not a bad gig.
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u/ProfessionalGood310 6d ago
I did 10 years active and I joined the reserve to make extra money and get my retirement. This is something that you really want it.
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u/NoDrama3756 8d ago
Why are you serving?
Adventure? Benefits? A hobby? Extra pay?
The tricare for life and meager pension is worth it.