General Army reserve active status timelines?

[Peach]

Hello to all the familiar faces! Long time, no see. I hope everyone is doing well.:cool:

Despite my best efforts, I have managed to snag myself another soldier after the devastating crash and burn with the ex-BF. It's the uniform...I am powerless to resist!;) New BF is in the Reserves and I am hoping someone can shed some light on how things work. Sorry, not seeking relationship advice, but none of the forum topics really jumped out at me as proper placement either.

I read on the Army website that Reservists can, on average, expect to be deployed for a year, then have a 5 year gap before being tapped again. Sure enough, he had 5 quiet years, then they came a-knockin. He has been active for 6 months; 2 months of training followed by 4 months of hurricane cleanup. He was back home the month of December, then had orders to report January 1st. I'm wondering if a year of active duty while NOT in a war zone still counts. I think it SHOULD - a year away from your home and family is still a year regardless of what they have him doing. Has anyone else had experience with this?

Thanks!:happy:

 

[dulcia]

HEY! My relationship with my combat vet ended a while back and I have since started seeing a guy who is in the army NG :rolleyes:

Have you talked to him about it at all? Since mine is NG it's both state and federal (as opposed to reservists who are just federal, I think). Mine was made active for hurricane clean-up too. He's about to go on orders for a stateside mission. From what I understand (and I'm super new to this too), it is still considered a "deployment" if they get ADOS orders or are made active, regardless of whether or not they in what's considered a "combat zone". So that means that should count towards their time deployed, they do get their allowances during, and I'm not sure about education benefits.

 

[Peach]

Thank you, Dulcia! I guess we both have a type, huh? LOL

That sounds perfectly logical and confirms what I had already been thinking. That's great! Frankly, I wasn't looking forward to him being sent back to Afghanistan, I will gladly take a hurricane detail!;)

Honestly, no, we (he) hasn't been able to cover this or specific other Army topics in depth yet. His being gone for so long took us both by surprise as he was told 3-6 weeks for training, we didn't realize that it would be extended again and again. It's not a problem, of course, that's his job, it's just that we didn't prepare properly. Anyway, one of his less charming traits has turned out to be a bit of a one track mind when he's in uniform. He writes a few times a month tell me where he is, if he's being sent somewhere else, if he thinks he will or will not have internet access, and he misses me. Pretty decent, but questions mostly go unanswered. He filled me in on everything when he got home but then we were dealing with some other serious issues - the 3 weeks home in December was a HUGE cluster (not between us) that defies comprehension! :facepalm: If something could go wrong, it did. And then, poof! Gone again.:wideeyed: FML! :poop:

 

[dulcia]

Yeah, I can't relate to that yet, but there are plenty here that should be able to, or that might have more knowledge of NG/reservists. Maybe @Sweetpea76, @Sighs, or @Buttercup.

 

[Sweetpea76]

Hi @Peach! Long time no see!

Im not sure how all that works with the Reserves. You'll get used to the deployments eventually though. The first first one is always rough. I wouldn't worry so much about him not being in touch. He probably has very little free time out there.

 

[Peach]

Hiya, Sweetpea! You and the family doing well?

This has indeed been a learning experience. Lol I guess perhaps there is no cookie cutter answer. He'll write when he can and that is determind by a whole lot of circumstances.

Interestingly, the hardest part has been discovering some new insecurities I've developed after being dropped like a sack of potatoes. He also has very similar baggage. Time and attention will certainly help each of us to regain that confidence and trust in someone else.