Confused or misunderstood

[littleboehmer]

okay, so i have been reading some posts and i guess i read to fast or i am confused. so after FMSS, i go reserve? I dont' know, i read that and something to the fact that you only get partial of the G.I. bill unless you sign on for another tour. so my question is if i go into the navy active and go through "A" school and "C" school and FMSS, i turn into a reservists for a litte bit?

[hm1park]

Please give a little more information about your situation. Are you joining as a regular USN enlistee? or are you going USNR under the National Call to serve program? More info can help us all tell ya what's going on

[littleboehmer]

i leave in august to go to boot camp asa regular USN enlistee with a 5 year contract as a Corpsman...obviously right?...and i have heard different things from people and read some posts about it and what i want to know is if i turn into a reservists for a period of time after my A Class or HMSS. It may sound stupid but i have heard something about it more than once and just want to clearify that i will be actively serving my country all 5 years of service. So there is nothing special to my situation just a few questions. thanks.



little boehmer

[Navy Nerd]

Dude, if you signed up for a 5 year Acive-Duty enlistment, then you will be Active Duty. If you are coming in to be a Reservist, then you will go to boot camp, then "A" school, then "C" school.

I am a reservist and already an HM3 because of all of my civilian experience. I did not have to go to "A" school (Corpsman school) been a Paramedic for 12 years and took a 100hour on-line course. So basically my "A"school was waived.

However, things have just recently changed. I am going to FMSS in August (hopefully), but because of the program that I came in on, and the fact that I am a Reservist, I have to now go through the 14 week Corps school in order for me to go to FMSS. I am definately a special individual, but I do have a special situation.

So, if your contract says your going Active Duty, then you will serve your 5 years that way. if it says RESERVIST, then your a part-timer like me. Did that help?

navy nerd

[hm1park]

Concerning reserve time. Every person who enlists in the Navy...USN or USNR enlists for 8 years. You're thinking...noooo I only enlisted for 5. Here's how it goes. You go toyour recruiter and sign up to go into the delayed intry program. That date is the start of your 8 years. Then you go to bootcamp..that is the start of whatever length of contract you will serve for active duty. Sohere it is now 5 years later, you decide you want to get out of the navy so you separate at your EAOS.(Expiration of active obligated service) Now you go home and you do nothing, however you still have approximately 3 years (depending on how much time you served)where you are part of the navy. This does not mean you have military duties. Think of it as a "preferred draft" list. So in the event the Navyis short on personnel, they can pull from those personnel still serving on their final reserve time. This is classified as USNR-R or the ready reserve. Unless recalled, ready reserve people will never see any duty with the Navy again.

Those personnel who separate at their EAOS and then go on to affiliate with a reserve unit are referred to as USNR-S or Selected Reserve. Selected reserve personnel drill monthly and work two weeks/year. National call to serve enlistees, after serving their required 2 years active duty, fall into this category.

Hope this explanation breaks it down shotgun style

[littleboehmer]

hm1park and navy nerd,

Thanks for all the information, definately cleared up my confusion on the whole situation.So in my three years of reserve time, I can go into civilian jobs and then if I want to, I can re-enlist and go active for the rest of my twenty years if I choose to. I want to be a paramedic when I get out but if that doesn't go too well, then I would go back in the Navy. Navy Nerd, you are the one who was the swat and bomb squad medic right? Were you just a paramedic that got attatched to those or did you specificly go out for those? I would like to know since it sounds like an interesting job.

littleboehmer

[Navy Nerd]

Yup. That was me. I was a Paramedic Supervisor in Fort Wayne, IN. After the 11th, I started our Disaster Response Team. After that was going well, I approached some friends on the Police Force and we jointly started the SWAT Medic and Bomb Squad Medic programs. Medics on a SWAT team are pretty standard anymore. There are so many legalities and safety issues anymore that they just integrate medics right into the team. (kind of like FMSS) You can probably get onto a team after you get some experience. If you look at any of the "specialty" Paramedic gigs if you will, most of them are "older". I'm only 33, but have been in Firefighting and EMS for 20years, with the last 12 as a Paramedic. So both "job related" and "life" experience will get you onto those teams. Get through Boot Camp and "A" school and go on to FMSS. I go in August and can't wait. If you want to get into all the cool stuff later in life as a civillian, work hard and never quit right now. Boot Camp is no big deal and take in everything you can get from "A" school and FMSS. It will be a very rewarding experience for you. At 33 years old, I know that I may have a bad day or two at FMSS, but I also know that I will make it through and be good at it, so at your age, you should have no troubles at all, and it will make you better off in the future. Good luck and keep in touch.

Semper Fi

Navy Nerd

[littleboehmer]

Navy Nerd,

Sounds like a lot of fun. I am stuck in the middle i guess on what I want to do. I would love to stay in the Navy and get the experiences and the nice 20 year pension, but then again I want to get out into civilian life and be a paramedic and maybe a firefighter. Both have their perks for me. It is just alot harder to decide than i thought it would be. 33 is young for that kind of job? I guess they want experience and not some rookie. I am so excited for FMSS, i leave in august for boot, and kinda wish i could be earlier so i could get in quicker. Thanks for all your help!!

littleboehmer

[PrairieSon]

Is that when you get the FMF pin for your dress uniform? Or do you have to do something later on like SW?

[Da-Chief]

You get your FMF device after you have been assigned to a FMF plat form and have completed the PQS program.

You don't recieve it after FMSS.



Hope this helps!
HMC