Reservist

[Zealot]

Chief,

I am a NPSB Reservist about to begin going from FMSS. I will be finding a way to go active duty, and have already gotten into touch with my Active duty recruiter to accomplish that end. My question is, if I go active duty will I lose my 20k bonus? I believe I spoke to you about this while I was at Great Lakes, and if memory serves me correctly the answer was then "no". However, I just wanted to check in and see if my memory was accurate and if anything has changed since then.

Also, I was told by a LT. who is a reservist that it would be better if I stayed a reservist and simply continually volunteered for mobilization. Is there anyway that I can do this and make sure that I end up with a line unit? Im asking this because long term I'm planning on going Recon, but right now it is not feasible. In the interlude between now and then, I want to get as much experience as I can. I understand that the needs of the navy govern where I'am attached and to whom, but is there anything that I can do to ge the ball rolling now as opposed to waiting until after FMSS?

Zealot

[Zealot]

Any help or advice from anyone would be much appreciated...

Zealot

[Da-Chief]

So you play StarCraft eh?

;-)

Ok here goes..

If you want to go Active and with Division, you are already going th right route. See a Recruiter. You will have to sign a contract usually for 3 years and then you can reenlist etc, just like Active duty with the same restrictions. (PTS program).

As for the recall thing, yeah you can put in for it, but usually the orders are for 6 months to a year if that. You don't get anything else as far as the GI Bill etc.

If your a hard charger and want to do the job. Stay withthe recruiter, do your 3 and get all the bennies the active (Full) get.

There help ya?
;-)
Also you do keep your bonus if you recieved it.

There..

Ta da..

Chief out.

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

Since I know you have maintained a personal copy of important papers at home, read your bonus contract and the lower 1/3 (Statement of Understanding)should cover conditions when you must repay or lose your bonus.

If you don't have a personal file at home, get your Service Record, check your contract, and make a personal copy of everything.

If it is not on paper it does not exist. If you do not have a copy of the paper it does not exist. Learn it and live it now or pay for it latter.

I think going AD will cost you your bonus, but you will get a lot of other benefits in returnand you will be doing what you want to do. Read the details of your specific contract but here is a sample (http://navyreserve.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/4C55AC0E-2DE1-4559-B5BD-2513D197DD49/0/nps_agreeMAY06.pdf). Also, refer below for more info:

http://navyreserve.navy.mil/Public/Staff/Centers/Forces+Command/WelcomeAboard/Enlisted+Bonuses.htm ALNAVRESFOR 001/05
ALNAVRESFOR 008/05
CNRF Inst 1100.4B, Enlisted Naval Reserve Incentive Bonus Program

[Da-Chief]

Actually it does not cost the bonus, at least for right "NOW" it does not, I just cofirmed it with N7 In NOLA right before the holidays.

We have more and more folks coming back through TPU to be sent out to the fleet.

I realize the reserves need people, but the NCS guys got "SHAFTED" plain and simple, we also get NSPB folks all the time who have the recruiters telling them to see me in school to put their active package in.

The hard part with NCS is if you go by the manual, it does indeed state that they can extend up to 24 months then put in a PTS package to reenlist.

Unfortunatley Big Navy was not speaking to Reserve Navy when this program was thought out, hence the reson why we have people now going SPEC WAR from NCS, the CNO got involved at our School house about it.

I could go on an on with recruiting issues..

later

HMC

[Zealot]

Chief,

So, I just reported into FMSS yesterday, do I have to wait until I've reported into my Reserve Center in order to start putting my package together for going full time active duty? Is it a for sure thing that I will be able to go Active duty as long as I go through an Active duty Recruiter? I will get a copy of my contract and read, I believe I did keep a copy at home, but is there any written proof somewhere that I can acquire to have a finite answer on whether or not I will keep my bonus.

Also, I spoke with the Manpower LPO at my soon to be Reserve Center and he said that I will lose my bonus. Is there anything that I can do to prevent this from happening. I'm not trying to second guess anything that you've said, merely throwing out there that I've been given several different takes on the same issue.

Bottom line, one way or another I want to go active duty. If that means giving up my bonus I will do it. I love doing this job way too much not to want to live it for longer.

[Da-Chief]

You have to finish your school, get your DD-214 in hand from your Reserve Center. The Recruiters have to be sure you have finished FMSS prior to putting your package in. No sense bringing in a 0000 HM when they need 8404's..

Manpower person is undeducated. Per N7 if you are brought back on Active Duty you keep your bonus, says so in the message as well..

Sorry you have idiots who support you. Harsh but it fries by tail when the Reserves centers think you are there to serve them not vice a versa. I also hate it when they put out BAD GOUGE.

I am getting my info straight from NOLA.



V/R
HMC

[Zealot]

Chief,

Thank you very much for the information. I greatly appreciate it. I do have a few questions though.

A DD-214, is that my bonus? Is your advice to report into my reserve center, put in for my bonus, and then begin the process for enlisting under an Active Duty billet? Also, the references that you listed in your response, can you please give me more information on those so that I can use that information more thoroughly in my defense should I meet with any complications along the way.

Do you know how long the process to get my bonus is, and how long I will have to be in a Reservist status in order to get it? Further, do you know if I screen in for Force Recon in FMSS canI go about that route to go AD? If so, do the same bonus options stay open?

Thank you again for all of the information.

Zealot

[Da-Chief]

DD-214 are your discharge papers from A/D..

It takes about 45 Days(Latest) to get your Bonuse, yeah I would wait until it was in your pocket. I would get with your recruiter though as soon as you get your DD-214 as he has a lot of paperork to do to get you in. You also want to help him/her out "FREE" in uniform. Reason being, they get "NO" credit bringing you back on A/D. So you grease the skids by helping them out.

Good Luck!

HMC

[Zealot]

One last question, if I screen for Recon and make it and decide to pursue that, will I be able to change my contract over to AD from here and keep my bonus.

Thanx Again for all of the information Chief.

Zealot

[DevilDoc]

Hey there,

Don't want to step on the Chief's thunder, just read this string here and thought I'd throw something out. We have a guy in our unit who just came off Active Duty last year. He took the 20k bonus as well. He has yet to recieve it and has been with us at least 4 months now. He says they told him he gets half now and the other half in checks, annually for the next six years, on his enlistment anniversary. I don't know if that's true, since he hasn't gotten a dime yet. It might be good to ask someone for the written information that states how and when you get the bonus and what may or may not keep you from getting it or having to pay it back. At this time, they are offering A/D 8404's only 3k to re-enlist, hence the reason the Doc in my unit decided to go Reserves. Also, I was helping someone get the correct info. to go Active from the Reserve side. They were forcing him to go FTS, or he'd of had to go back through boot camp. I don't know why, but that was the way it was played out. Be sure and ask questions, alot of them, to whatever recruiter is helping you out with this.

DevilDoc

[Zealot]

Thank you for the information. I'm looking into everything right now, and if in going Active Duty I have to go back to Boot Camp, so be it. I do have a question though, if I go back through Boot Camp, will I have to go back through both Corps School and FMSS again as well?



Zealot

[DevilDoc]

Well they were telling him that he would have to go through everything again...but he managed to get them to write his contract up that said he didn't have to do any of it again. The main thing is, did you go to the full boot camp? Or that 3 week bootcamp? If you went to full boot camp, then definately you shouldn't have to go back through any of it. Good luck.

[Zealot]

I went through the full 8 week Boot Camp.

Zealot

[Da-Chief]

Zealot,

Let me answer this for you in the AM.. I think People are getting their programs mixed up.


V/R
HMC

[DevilDoc]

Zealot,

If you went through the full eight week boot camp, then you should be fine. You shouldn't have to do any training over again, especially if it was recent.

[Zealot]

Does anyone know when or if the North Carolina Reserves are going tobe recalled? I ask only becuase I have friends who are likewise NPSB Reservists and have been told by Chief that there centers are going to be Activated in July.

Also, does anyone know how long it will take to process my paper work to go from Reserves to Active Duty?

Zealot

[Da-Chief]

Trying to follow here..

OP Orders sure as hell won't be discussed here. One thing about this being free, I don't know who everyone is on the other side of the screen, the last thing we want to do is give Recalls, Travel dates etc...

Call the Reserve Center yourself they probably won't tell you on the phone either.

Usually the unit is recalled in for whatever and the message is read.

As for being recalled, that is dependant on you and how you push the recruiter.. Help him out.. don't be a whiny biotch..

;-)

Scrath the hand that feeds you..

Get my drift? "GO HELP THE RECRUITER, HE GET's NOTHING FOR BRINGING YOU BACK ON A/D..."

Later Gator..

HMC

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

DevilDoc wrote: We have a guy in our unit who ...took the 20k bonus as well. He has yet to recieve it and has been with us at least 4 months now. He says they told him he gets half now and the other half in checks, annually for the next six years, on his enlistment anniversary. I don't know if that's true, since he hasn't gotten a dime yet.

style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f8"Previous bonus messages did not allow "lump sum" payments and the deal was half upon signing and the remaining money disbursed on the contract anniversary for the remainder of the enlistment. I just got my 3rd payment last week.

The current bonus may be paid in a single lump sum. Three of my Doc's have signed these and the only one that was a hassle was the one signed in Iraq. After an international paper fight the bonus was paid, but then we had a CONUS paper fight to get DFAS to return the tax incorrectly withheld (after all bonuses signed in tax-free combat zones are "tax free")

IF YOU ARE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE and cannot reenlist in a tax free zone, you might consider temporarily boosting your Fed & State Exemptions until the bonus is paid and then drop them back to normal. You can change this yourself via MyPay (https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx) using the "Federal and State Withholding" section.


I'll call this an advanced technique to minimize the amount Uncle Sam takes out of your check; HOWEVER, it should ONLY be used by Doc's who can budget their money and have enough savings to cover any tax payment that may come due when they file their Income Tax Return the following year. If you do it wrong, fail to plan ahead, or forget to lower your tax exemptions back to normal levels, it WILL kick your ass come next April 15.

Check here for SelRes bonus contact info and details:
http://navyreserve.navy.mil/Public/Staff/Centers/Forces+Command/WelcomeAboard/Enlisted+Bonuses.htm

To check on the status of bonus applications sent within the last 60 days Click Here (http://navyreserve.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/8B2ABA3F-C721-4D16-AA9B-9397D92CF2AD/0/000WeeklyEnlistedBonusWebUpdate.htm).



As for the delay your buddy is experiencing: Has he done anything besides complain to you about it? He needs to follow-up and ask for an official update/status check.

Any conversations he has should be followed-up with an email that summarizes the major points (Per our discussion today blah, blah, blah -- Per our TelCon this morning blah, blah, blah). This is in line with the life rule that if it is not on paper, it does not exist.

Its a good idea to cc yourself so you have a record and cc your LPO/LCPO so your chain is kept informed. This is in line with the life rule that if you do not have a copy of the paper, it does not exist and gives your chain of command the opportunity to step in on your behalf.

The next step in the game is to always forward the entire email thread with the complete history when asking for an update every couple of weeks. One-time excuses & delays sound pretty good in a single email, but after 4 months of excuses spread out over 8 to 12 emails you should have more than enough ammunition to take your complaint up the chain of command for special attention - especially when pay is involved. But chances are a good LPO taking care of his men would have already started asking questions and pushing the issue by then.

[Zealot]

Chief,

What is NOLA, and where can I get the information to use in the defense on my bonus when I report in and talk to the YN1 that is telling me that I'm going to lose it?



Thanx Chief

[Da-Chief]

NOLA is New Orleans, NAVAL RESERVE COMMAND.



BTW have you recieved yours yet? Let me know.. PM me here..

V/R
HMC